Exploring the neurophysiological effects of trataka as a yogic neuro ophthalmic examination technique within Ayurveda interventions A pilot study

This project aligns with SDG 3 which targets good health and wellbeing for all Yogic visual concentration YVC is one of the procedures adopted from the Yoga Shastra The government is very keen on promoting the wisdom of Indian Knowledge Systems especially in healthcare It is a way of integrating traditional sciences with modern sciences

A profound statement from Canakyas Nitishatakam states that of all the five sense organs eyes are the most important and valuable It is also quite understandable that a significant amount of inputs are visual
About 80 percent of the brains sensory information is from the eyes and eye fatigue has become common because of the use of digital devices Mind wandering frequently occurs when the thought switches from an ongoing task and or an external stimulus driven event to self generated or inner thoughts Pre occupation is a common symptom that arises and consequently mind wandering follows A network of neurons called the default mode network DMN in the brain has been associated with mind wandering and is most active when a person is resting and is associated with memory retrieval The brain processes the acquired knowledge through the senses and synchronises all the electrical activity that is constantly received and generated through the eye

A focused study on how YVC is perceived in its nature of modifying or intent to actions is yet to be undertaken There are several references of YVC in classical texts of Yoga Sastra such as the Hatayoga Pradipika and Gheranda Samhita which are mentioned as one among the Sat Kriya the six procedures to purify the body

A quote from an Ayurveda treatise Charaka Saṃhita states that the mind plays a vital role in adequately conducting sense organs and enables them to gather inputs In the same text it is mentioned Buddhim apyayati and Buddhim upaghataya in Hina and Mithya Yoga of the sensory organ suggesting a connection between Buddhi Manas and Indriya

In practice Ayurvedic clinicians commonly employ this technique for various eye disorders including eye fatigue and numerous conditions related to retinal pathology The Hatayoga Pradeepika cites Mochanam netra roganam tandradeenam kapatakam. Yatnas tat tratakam gopyam yatha hataka petakam indicating its efficacy in treating eye diseases Our focus initially revolves around eye fatigue related conditions Tandradi Here Trataka is linked to the concept of Vyayama in Ayurveda

Building upon this understanding our goal is to establish the connection between the eye as the sensory organ and the brain or Buddhi through EEG analysis This will enable us to gain insights into the brain activities occurring during the Trataka technique as this in particular is focused on benefiting mental concentration and thereby helps in dealing with activities being more focused

Preliminary information from the literature suggests improvement in selective attention response inhibition cognitive flexibility Sherlee 2020 and critical fusion frequency following YVC sessions Mallick 2010 and the technique had impacts on patients with insomnia and anxiety Shathirapathiy 2022 A study suggested it reduces visual strain due to prolonged exposure to digital displays Saoji 2022 The technique has some benefits to pathologies including primary open angle glaucoma POAG Ismail 2021 Myopia Ametropia and Presbyopia Gopinathan 2012 When practitioners report that such techniques influence their well being that may indicate that the ability to perform future actions are better and cortical activation regions could show a neural correlate to this effect We would like to explore why ophthalmology studies in Ayurveda use this method not just as a stress reduction or patient relaxation technique but are added to as a treatment component To this goal we will study synchrony and network dynamics healthy and

experimental group of volunteers who perform exercises and YVC and possibly differentiate changes in cortical

temporal and spatial components To complement this study will also explore variations of possible biosignatures among patients with eye conditions

The second objective is based on our experience with epilepsy studies Parasuram 2021 Altogether the role of the eye and the mind is very much interlinked and the impact is on both the health of the eye and mental health YVC is a cleansing technique and the final stage of YVC induces a meditative mental state which when practised over time improves perception attention and cognition Many research studies have shown improvement in attentional task performance following meditation

This project will highlight a simple yet uncommon Yogic practice used in Ayurvedic therapies exploring systemic and local effects using EEG analysis on eye fatigue dispositional mindfulness and cognitive impairment in addressing eye and mental health as a novel attempt

In principle this proposal addresses questions such as What is the influence of YVC and its impact on cortical activity Can neural underpinnings reveal Ayurvedas subjective and objective assessment of eye disorders

We will explore and report synchrony potential cortical changes and activation patterns for YVC The study will be attributed to the great visionaries of Indian Heritage These seers introduced this simple concept of YVC yielding benefits such as focused concentration and maintenance of ocular and mental health