1 1026 124 EFFECTS OF YOGA BREATHING EXERCISES ON PULMONARY FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY: AN EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS. OBJECTIVE: DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY (DMD) IS THE MOST COMMON FORM OF MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY IN CHILDREN, AND CHILDREN WITH DMD DIE PREMATURELY BECAUSE OF RESPIRATORY FAILURE. WE SOUGHT TO DETERMINE THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF YOGA BREATHING EXERCISES, AS WELL AS THE EFFECTS OF THOSE EXERCISES ON RESPIRATORY FUNCTION, IN SUCH CHILDREN. METHODS: THIS WAS A PROSPECTIVE OPEN-LABEL STUDY OF PATIENTS WITH A CONFIRMED DIAGNOSIS OF DMD, RECRUITED FROM AMONG THOSE FOLLOWED AT THE NEUROLOGY OUTPATIENT CLINIC OF A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL IN THE CITY OF SAO PAULO, BRAZIL. PARTICIPANTS WERE TAUGHT HOW TO PERFORM HATHA YOGA BREATHING EXERCISES AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO PERFORM THE EXERCISES THREE TIMES A DAY FOR 10 MONTHS. RESULTS: OF THE 76 PATIENTS WHO ENTERED THE STUDY, 35 DROPPED OUT AND 15 WERE UNABLE TO PERFORM THE BREATHING EXERCISES, 26 HAVING THEREFORE COMPLETED THE STUDY (MEAN AGE, 9.5 +/- 2.3 YEARS; BODY MASS INDEX, 18.2 +/- 3.8 KG/M(2)). THE YOGA BREATHING EXERCISES RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN FVC (% OF PREDICTED: 82.3 +/- 18.6% AT BASELINE VS. 90.3 +/- 22.5% AT 10 MONTHS LATER; P = 0.02) AND FEV1 (% OF PREDICTED: 83.8 +/- 16.6% AT BASELINE VS. 90.1 +/- 17.4% AT 10 MONTHS LATER; P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA BREATHING EXERCISES CAN IMPROVE PULMONARY FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH DMD. 2014 2 777 46 EFFECT OF YOGA AND PHYSIOTHERAPY ON PULMONARY FUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN WITH DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY - A COMPARATIVE STUDY. CONTEXT: ABNORMAL RESPIRATORY FUNCTION IS KNOWN TO BE DETECTABLE ALMOST AS SOON AS IT CAN BE MEASURED RELIABLY. STUDIES HAVE IDENTIFIED THE EFFECT OF RESPIRATORY MUSCLE TRAINING AS WELL AS BREATHING EXERCISES IN IMPROVING PULMONARY FUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN WITH DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY (DMD). AIMS: THIS STUDY AIMS TO IDENTIFY THE ADD-ON EFFECT OF YOGA OVER PHYSIOTHERAPY ON PULMONARY FUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN WITH DMD. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOUR PATIENTS WITH DMD WERE RANDOMIZED TO TWO GROUPS. GROUP I RECEIVED HOME-BASED PHYSIOTHERAPY AND GROUP II RECEIVED PHYSIOTHERAPY ALONG WITH YOGA INTERVENTION. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PULMONARY FUNCTION TEST (PFT) WAS ASSESSED BEFORE THE INTERVENTION (BASELINE DATA) AND AT REGULAR INTERVALS OF 3 MONTHS FOR A PERIOD OF 1 YEAR. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: NORMALITY WAS ASSESSED USING SHAPIRO-WILK NORMALITY TEST. THE BASELINE DATA WERE ANALYZED USING MANN-WHITNEY U-TEST TO IDENTIFY THE HOMOGENEITY. REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WAS USED TO ASSESS SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN STUDY PARAMETERS DURING THE ASSESSMENT OF EVERY 3 MONTHS, BOTH WITHIN AND BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS OF PATIENTS. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 88 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED ALL THE 5 ASSESSMENTS, WITH A MEAN AGE OF 7.9 +/- 1.5 YEARS. PFT PARAMETERS SUCH AS FORCED VITAL CAPACITY (FVC), PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE, MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION (MVV), AND TIDAL VOLUME DURING MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION (MVT) DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN GROUP I. IN GROUP II, FVC AND MVT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED FROM BASELINE UP TO 1 YEAR, WHEREAS MVV IMPROVED FROM BASELINE UP TO 9 MONTHS. TIDAL VOLUME DID NOT SHOW ANY CHANGES IN BOTH THE GROUPS. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT INTRODUCTION OF YOGA WITH PHYSIOTHERAPY INTERVENTION AT AN EARLY AGE CAN BE CONSIDERED AS ONE OF THE THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES IN IMPROVING PULMONARY FUNCTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH DMD. 2021 3 780 38 EFFECT OF YOGA AS AN ADD-ON THERAPY IN THE MODULATION OF HEART RATE VARIABILITY IN CHILDREN WITH DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY. BACKGROUND: DUCHENE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY (DMD) IS A PROGRESSIVE MUSCULAR DISORDER. CARDIAC DISORDER IS THE SECOND-MOST COMMON CAUSE OF DEATH IN CHILDREN WITH DMD, WITH 10%-20% OF THEM DYING OF CARDIAC FAILURE. HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) IS SHOWN TO BE A PREDICTOR OF CARDIO-AUTONOMIC FUNCTION. PHYSIOTHERAPY (PT) IS ADVISED FOR THESE CHILDREN AS A REGULAR TREATMENT FOR MAINTAINING THEIR FUNCTIONAL STATUS. THE EFFECT OF YOGIC PRACTICES ON THE CARDIO-AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED IN VARIOUS NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND MAY PROVE BENEFICIAL IN DMD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IN THIS STUDY, 124 PATIENTS WITH DMD WERE RANDOMIZED TO PT ALONE OR PT WITH YOGA INTERVENTION. HOME-BASED PT AND YOGA WERE ADVISED. ADHERENCE WAS SERIALLY ASSESSED AT A FOLLOW-UP INTERVAL OF 3 MONTHS. ERROR-FREE, ELECTROCARDIOGRAM WAS RECORDED IN ALL PATIENTS AT REST IN THE SUPINE POSITION. HRV PARAMETERS WERE COMPUTED IN TIME AND FREQUENCY DOMAINS. HRV WAS RECORDED AT BASELINE AND AT AN INTERVAL OF 3 MONTHS UP TO 1 YEAR. REPEATED-MEASURES ANOVA WAS USED TO ANALYZE LONGITUDINAL FOLLOW-UP AND LEAST SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE FOR POST HOC ANALYSIS AND P < 0.05 WAS CONSIDERED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. RESULTS: IN OUR STUDY, WITH PT PROTOCOL, STANDARD DEVIATION OF NN, ROOT OF SQUARE MEAN OF SUCCESSIVE NN, TOTAL POWER, LOW FREQUENCY, HIGH-FREQUENCY NORMALIZED UNITS (HFNU), AND SYMPATHOVAGAL BALANCE IMPROVED AT VARYING TIME POINTS AND THE IMPROVEMENT LASTED UP FOR 6-9 MONTHS, WHEREAS PT AND YOGA PROTOCOL SHOWED AN IMPROVEMENT IN HFNU DURING THE LAST 3 MONTHS OF THE STUDY PERIOD AND ALL THE OTHER PARAMETERS WERE STABLE UP TO 1 YEAR. THUS, IT IS EVIDENT THAT BOTH THE GROUPS IMPROVED CARDIAC FUNCTIONS IN DMD. HOWEVER, NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS NOTED IN THE CHANGES OBSERVED BETWEEN THE GROUPS. CONCLUSION: THE INTENSE PT AND PT WITH YOGA, PARTICULARLY HOME-BASED PROGRAM, IS INDEED BENEFICIAL AS A THERAPEUTIC STRATEGY IN DMD CHILDREN TO MAINTAIN AND/OR TO SUSTAIN HRV IN DMD. 2019 4 727 31 EFFECT OF LONG-TERM REGULAR YOGA ON PHYSICAL HEALTH OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE. THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON MENTAL HEALTH HAS BEEN STUDIED EXTENSIVELY IN INDIA BUT LESS IN THE CONTEXT OF PHYSICAL HEALTH. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO EXPLORE THE EFFECT OF LONG-TERM REGULAR YOGA ON PHYSICAL HEALTH OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IT WAS AN INTERVENTIONAL STUDY. INCLUSION CRITERIA WERE STUDENTS WHO ENROLLED FOR 1-YEAR DIPLOMA COURSE AT THE YOGA CENTER. EXCLUSION CRITERIA WERE NONREGULAR YOGA PRACTITIONERS DURING THE COURSE. PHYSICAL HEALTH PARAMETERS CONSIDERED FOR ASSESSMENT BEFORE AND AFTER THE YOGA COURSE WERE PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS, MAXIMUM OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (VO2 MAX) USING BRUCE TREADMILL TEST, FLEXIBILITY, BODY COMPOSITION ANALYSIS, AND HEMOGLOBIN LEVEL. PAIRED SAMPLE T-TEST AND CHI-SQUARE TEST WERE USED FOR STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. RESULTS: THE AEROBIC CAPACITY IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN TERMS OF MEAN (STANDARD DEVIATION [SD]) FORCED VITAL CAPACITY (P < 0.001), FORCED EXPIRATION VOLUME AT THE END OF THE FIRST SECOND (P < 0.001) AS WELL AS PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE (P = 0.04). THE MEAN (SD) FLEXIBILITY SCORE IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < 0.001). SIMILARLY, THE ENDURANCE IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN TERMS OF MEAN (SD) VO2 MAX (< 0.001) AND TREADMILL TIME (P < 0.001). THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN BODY COMPOSITION AND HEMOGLOBIN LEVEL. CONCLUSIONS: REGULAR YOGA PRACTITIONERS DEMONSTRATED THE IMPROVEMENT IN PULMONARY FUNCTIONS, CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS, ENDURANCE, AND FLEXIBILITY. 2021 5 286 24 ADJUNCT TREATMENT WITH YOGA IN CHRONIC SEVERE AIRWAYS OBSTRUCTION. ELEVEN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE CHRONIC AIRWAYS OBSTRUCTION WERE GIVEN TRAINING IN YOGIC BREATHING EXERCISES AND POSTURES. A MATCHED GROUP OF 11 PATIENTS WERE GIVEN PHYSIOTHERAPY BREATHING EXERCISES. BOTH GROUPS OF PATIENTS WERE FOLLOWED UP AT MONTHLY INTERVALS FOR NINE MONTHS WITH PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS, TESTS OF EXERCISE TOLERANCE, AND INQUIRY INTO THEIR SYMPTOMS. AFTER TRAINING IN YOGA THE MEAN MAXIMUM WORK INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY BY 60.55 KPM; WHEREAS NO SUCH RISE OCCURRED AFTER TRAINING IN PHYSIOTHERAPY. THIS OBJECTIVE IMPROVEMENT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH SYMPTOMATIC IMPROVEMENT IN A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER NUMBER OF PATIENTS GIVEN TRAINING IN YOGA. 1978 6 1402 38 IMPACT OF YOGA ON BLOOD PRESSURE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION - A CONTROLLED TRIAL IN PRIMARY CARE, MATCHED FOR SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE. BACKGROUND: MEDICAL TREATMENT OF HYPERTENSION IS NOT ALWAYS SUFFICIENT TO ACHIEVE BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL. DESPITE THIS, PREVIOUS STUDIES ON SUPPLEMENTARY THERAPIES, SUCH AS YOGA, ARE RELATIVELY FEW. WE INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF TWO YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON BLOOD PRESSURE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE DIAGNOSED WITH HYPERTENSION. METHODS: ADULT PATIENTS (AGE 20-80 YEARS) WITH DIAGNOSED HYPERTENSION WERE IDENTIFIED BY AN ELECTRONIC CHART SEARCH AT A PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTER IN SOUTHERN SWEDEN. IN TOTAL, 83 SUBJECTS WITH BLOOD PRESSURE VALUES OF 120-179/ 0.05). STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS OBSERVED IN THE MEAN LEVEL OF PERCEIVED FATIGUE IN TRIPLICATE MEASUREMENTS (P = 0.013) AMONG PATIENTS WHO COMPLETED INDIVIDUAL EXERCISE. HOWEVER, THIS DIFFERENCE WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT IN THE GROUP EXERCISE. CONCLUSION: PERFORMING MILD STRETCHING EXERCISES AND BASIC YOGA ARE RECOMMENDED AS A COST-EFFECTIVE METHOD WHICH IS EASY TO PERFORM AMONG PATIENTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE DISABILITIES. 2015 12 1008 33 EFFECTS OF MODIFIED HATHA YOGA IN INDUSTRIAL REHABILITATION ON PHYSICAL FITNESS AND STRESS OF INJURED WORKERS. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF 8 WEEKS OF MODIFIED HATHA YOGA TRAINING ON PHYSICAL FITNESS AND STRESS LEVEL IN INJURED WORKERS. METHODS: EIGHTEEN MALE AND FEMALE INJURED WORKERS, AGE BETWEEN 18 AND 55 YEARS, PARTICIPATED IN THIS STUDY. THEY WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: AN ADDITIVE HATHA YOGA TRAINING TO ROUTINE INDUSTRIAL REHABILITATION PROGRAM GROUP (HYG: N = 9) AND A CONTROL GROUP WITH NO YOGA TRAINING (CG: N = 9). A MODIFIED HATHA YOGA PROTOCOL WAS DESIGNED FOR THIS POPULATION BY TWO CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTORS, APPROVED BY A PHYSICAL THERAPIST, AND CONDUCTED FOR 1 H, THREE TIMES WEEKLY FOR 8 WEEKS. PHYSICAL FITNESS VARIABLES INCLUDING FLEXIBILITY OF LOWER BACK AND HAMSTRINGS, HAND GRIP STRENGTH AND LUNG CAPACITY AND SCORES OF SENSITIVITY TO STRESS WERE EVALUATED AT THE TIME OF RECRUITMENT AND AFTER 8 WEEKS OF INTERVENTION. RESULTS: THE VALUES OF ALL PHYSICAL FITNESS VARIABLES AND STRESS SCORES WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS AT BASELINE. SIGNIFICANT POST-YOGA IMPROVEMENTS FOR HYG GROUP WERE NOTED IN FLEXIBILITY, HAND GRIP STRENGTH, AND VITAL CAPACITY (P < 0.05). IN CONTRAST, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE CG GROUP. STRESS SCORES DID NOT CHANGE AS A RESULT OF HATHA YOGA TRAINING. CONCLUSION: AN 8-WEEK MODIFIED HATHA YOGA TRAINING EXPERIENCE EXERTED THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS ON PHYSICAL FITNESS VARIABLES INCLUDING FLEXIBILITY OF LOWER BACK AND HAMSTRINGS, HAND GRIP STRENGTH AND VITAL CAPACITY, BUT NOT ON STRESS LEVEL IN INJURED WORKERS. THESE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT HATHA YOGA CAN BE A BENEFICIAL ADJUNCT TO ROUTINE PHYSICAL THERAPY TREATMENT IN INDUSTRIAL REHABILITATION PROGRAMS. 2015 13 1060 34 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY AND WELL BEING. YOGA HAS PROVEN BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON VARIOUS HEALTH DOMAINS INCLUDING MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS, CARDIOPULMONARY CONDITIONS THROUGH THE PRACTICE OF ASANA AND PRANAYAMAS AS WELL AS ON MENTAL HEALTH, AS IT IS KNOWN TO ENHANCE THE BODY-AND MIND COORDINATION. THERE IS PAUCITY OF DATA ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY IN LITERATURE USING 6 MIN WALK TEST. THE PRESENT STUDY AIMS TO LOOK AT THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON 6-MIN WALKED DISTANCE, RATING OF PERCEIVED EXERTION (RPE), RECOVERY TIME FOLLOWING THE WALK AND STATE OF WELL BEING. THIS IS A HOSPITAL-BASED LONGITUDINAL STUDY WHERE 30 PHYSIOTHERAPY STUDENTS OF THE AGE GROUP 18 - 22 YEARS OF EITHER SEX WERE ENROLLED. SUBJECTS HAVING MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS, CARDIO RESPIRATORY DISEASE AND THOSE WHO WERE NOT WILLING TO VOLUNTEER WERE EXCLUDED THEY RECEIVED YOGA INTERVENTION IN FORM OF YOGIC PRACTICES WHICH INCLUDED A COMBINATION OF ASANAS, PRANAYAMAS AND OMKAR CHANTING FOR 1 H FOR 30 SESSIONS. A BASELINE 6-MIN WALK TEST WAS CONDUCTED ON SUBJECTS AND THE 6-MIN WALKED DISTANCE, RATING OF PERCEIVED EXERTION (RPE) ON MODIFIED BORG'S SCALE WERE RECORDED. THE BASELINE STATE OF WELL-BEING WAS NOTED USING THE WARWICK- EDINBURGH MENTAL WELL-BEING SCALE AND SIMILAR RECORDING WAS DONE POST INTERVENTION AFTER 30 SESSIONS. OF THE 30 SUBJECTS, THERE WERE NO DROP OUTS AS THESE WERE COMMITTED COLLEGE STUDENTS. OF THEM, 24 WERE FEMALES AND 6 WERE MALES WITH A MEAN AGE OF 21.5 YEARS SD 2.38. STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE OBSERVED IN 6-MIN WALK DISTANCE (P VALUE = 0.000), RPE (P VALUE < 0.000), RECOVERY TIME (P VALUE < 0.000) AND SENSE OF WELL BEING SCORE (P VALUE < 0.000). YOGA PRACTICES ARE BENEFICIAL IN IMPROVING THE FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY IN YOUNG HEALTHY ADULTS. YOGA CAN VERY WELL BE INCORPORATED IN MEDICAL PRACTICE FOR INCREASING THE PATIENT'S FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE LIMITATIONS IN PERFORMING AEROBIC TRAINING DUE TO VARIOUS HEALTH REASONS. THE IMPROVED STATE OF WELL BEING MOTIVATES THE PATIENTS TO ADHERE TO YOGIC PRACTICES. 2013 14 301 35 AN ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTS OF IYENGAR YOGA PRACTICE ON THE HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC RESPIRATORY DISEASES: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF AN IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM (IYP) ON PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC RESPIRATORY DISEASES. METHODS: PATIENTS ATTENDING LUNG TRANSPLANT CLINICS IN A TERTIARY INSTITUTION WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A TWO-PHASE, 12-WEEK IYP THAT INCLUDED 2 H BIWEEKLY CLASSES. DOCTORS COMPLETED A FORMAL PHYSICAL AND CLINICAL ASSESSMENT ON CANDIDATES BEFORE ENROLLMENT. PATIENTS WITH NEW YORK ASSOCIATION CLASS III OR IV, OR DYSPNEA GRADE IV WERE EXCLUDED. AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF 12-WEEKS, PATIENTS COMPLETED THE HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE (HADS), CHRONIC RESPIRATORY QUESTIONNAIRE (CRQ) AND HEALTH UTILITIES INDEX (HUI). MEDICATION(S), 6 MIN WALK TEST RESULTS AND OTHER CLINICAL PARAMETERS WERE ALSO RECORDED. PATIENTS RECORDED THE EFFECTS OF THE IYP ON THEIR DAILY LIVING IN JOURNALS. NONPARAMETRIC AND QUALITATIVE METHODS WERE USED TO ANALYZE THE DATA. RESULTS: TWENTY-FIVE PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH PULMONARY ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION AND CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (MEAN AGE 60 YEARS) WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE. AT THE END OF THE 12-WEEK PERIOD, CHANGES IN HADS ANXIETY AND CRQ FATIGUE SCORES WERE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P<0.05) AND CHANGES IN HUI AMBULATION, PAIN, EMOTION AND OVERALL SCORE WERE CLINICALLY IMPORTANT. THE CONTENT OF THE JOURNALS REVEALED PATIENTS' IMPROVEMENT IN BREATHING CAPACITY, MOBILITY, ENERGY, SLEEP AND INCLUDED POSITIVE FEEDBACK SUCH AS: "INCREASED TIDAL VOLUME WITH SLOWING EXPIRATION", "I HAVE AN OVERALL FEELING OF WELLBEING" AND "EXCELLENT AMOUNT OF ENERGY". CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA HAS SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE BENEFITS. POTENTIAL BENEFITS WILL BE FURTHER EXPLORED IN A NATIONAL MULTISITE STUDY. 2013 15 1102 32 EFFECTS OF YOGA TRAINING ON BODY COMPOSITION AND OXIDANT-ANTIOXIDANT STATUS AMONG HEALTHY MALE. BACKGROUND: THE STRESSFUL CONDITION MAY CAUSE OXIDATIVE STRESS, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR VARIOUS DISEASES. AIMS: THE PRESENT STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO FIND OUT WHETHER YOGA HAS IMPACT ON THE REDUCTION OF OXIDATIVE STRESS. METHODS: FOR THE PRESENT STUDY, 95 (N = 95) HEALTHY MALE VOLUNTEERS WITHIN THE AGE GROUP OF 18-24 YEARS WERE INCLUDED, 35 (N = 35) VOLUNTEERS WERE EXCLUDED. THE REMAINING 60 (N = 60) VOLUNTEERS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: (A) YOGA GROUP (N = 30) AND (B) CONTROL GROUP (N = 30). YOGA TRAINING WAS GIVEN FOR 60 MIN PER DAY, 6 DAYS PER WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS IN THE YOGA GROUP, WITH NO YOGA TRAINING IN CONTROL GROUP. ASSESSMENT OF BODY COMPOSITION AND OXIDANT-ANTIOXIDANT STATUS WERE PERFORMED IN BOTH THE GROUPS AT BASELINE, BEFORE YOGA TRAINING (0 WEEK) AND AFTER (12 WEEKS) OF THE TRAINING. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION (P < 0.001) IN THE PERCENTAGE OF BODY FAT AND MALONDIALDEHYDE; SIGNIFICANT ELEVATION (P < 0.001) IN SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE, CATALASE, REDUCED GLUTATHIONE AND ASCORBIC ACID LEVELS WERE NOTED IN THE YOGA GROUP AFTER 12 WEEKS WHEN COMPARED TO BASELINE DATA (0 WEEK). HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN HEIGHT, WEIGHT, BODY MASS INDEX, BODY SURFACE AREA AND LEAN BODY MASS AMONG THE YOGA GROUP AFTER 12 WEEKS WHEN COMPARED TO BASELINE DATA. THESE CHANGES MIGHT BE DUE TO YOGA TRAINING. CONCLUSIONS: REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE REDUCES BODY FAT AND OXIDATIVE STRESS. YOGA TRAINING MAY BE HELPFUL TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF OCCURRENCE OF VARIOUS DISEASES AND HELPS TO MAINTAIN NORMAL HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. 2018 16 1457 32 INFLUENCE OF YOGA AND AYURVEDA ON SELF-RATED SLEEP IN A GERIATRIC POPULATION. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: SLEEP IN OLDER PERSONS IS CHARACTERIZED BY DECREASED ABILITY TO STAY ASLEEP, RESULTING IN FRAGMENTED SLEEP AND REDUCED DAYTIME ALERTNESS. PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF INSOMNIA IN OLDER PERSONS IS ASSOCIATED WITH HAZARDOUS SIDE EFFECTS. HENCE, THE PRESENT STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND AYURVEDA ON THE SELF RATED SLEEP IN A GERIATRIC POPULATION. METHODS: OF THE 120 RESIDENTS FROM A HOME FOR THE AGED, 69 WERE STRATIFIED BASED ON AGE (FIVE YEAR INTERVALS) AND RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO THREE GROUPS I.E., YOGA (PHYSICAL POSTURES, RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, VOLUNTARILY REGULATED BREATHING AND LECTURES ON YOGA PHILOSOPHY), AYURVEDA (A HERBAL PREPARATION), AND WAIT-LIST CONTROL (NO INTERVENTION). THE GROUPS WERE EVALUATED FOR SELF-ASSESSMENT OF SLEEP OVER A ONE WEEK PERIOD AT BASELINE, AND AFTER THREE AND SIX MONTHS OF THE RESPECTIVE INTERVENTIONS. RESULTS: THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE TIME TAKEN TO FALL ASLEEP (APPROXIMATE GROUP AVERAGE DECREASE: 10 MIN, P<0.05), AN INCREASE IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF HOURS SLEPT (APPROXIMATE GROUP AVERAGE INCREASE: 60 MIN, P< 0.05) AND IN THE FEELING OF BEING RESTED IN THE MORNING BASED ON A RATING SCALE (P<0.05) AFTER SIX MONTHS. THE OTHER GROUPS SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION: YOGA PRACTICE IMPROVED DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF SLEEP IN A GERIATRIC POPULATION. 2005 17 344 25 ASSESSING DEPRESSION FOLLOWING TWO ANCIENT INDIAN INTERVENTIONS: EFFECTS OF YOGA AND AYURVEDA ON OLDER ADULTS IN A RESIDENTIAL HOME. THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND AYURVEDA ON GERIATRIC DEPRESSION WERE EVALUATED IN 69 PERSONS OLDER THAN 60 WHO WERE LIVING IN A RESIDENTIAL HOME. PARTICIPANTS WERE STRATIFIED BY AGE AND GENDER AND RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO THREE GROUPS: YOGA, AYURVEDA, OR WAIT-LIST CONTROL. THE 15-ITEM GERIATRIC DEPRESSION SCALE WAS USED TO ASSESS DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS PRIOR TO THE INTERVENTION, AND AFTER 3 MONTHS AND 6 MONTHS POST-INTERVENTION. PARTICIPATION IN ONE OF THE THREE GROUPS LASTED 24 WEEKS. THE YOGA PROGRAM (7 HOURS 30 MINUTES PER WEEK) INCLUDED PHYSICAL POSTURES, RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, REGULATED BREATHING, DEVOTIONAL SONGS, AND LECTURES. THE AYURVEDA GROUP RECEIVED AN HERBAL PREPARATION TWICE DAILY FOR THE WHOLE PERIOD. THE DEPRESSION SYMPTOM SCORES OF THE YOGA GROUP AT BOTH 3 AND 6 MONTHS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY, FROM A GROUP AVERAGE BASELINE OF 10.6 TO 8.1 AND 6.7, RESPECTIVELY (P < .001, PAIRED T-TEST). THE OTHER GROUPS SHOWED NO CHANGE. HENCE, AN INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA INCLUDING THE MENTAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL ASPECTS IN ADDITION TO THE PHYSICAL PRACTICES WAS USEFUL FOR INSTITUTIONALIZED OLDER PERSONS. 2007 18 1450 32 INFLUENCE OF INTENSITY AND DURATION OF YOGA ON ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCORES ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS. BACKGROUND: CHRONIC ILLNESS IS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. BOTH ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION RESPOND TO YOGA. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO REPORT ON THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE INTENSITY AND DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE WITH THE BENEFITS SEEN. AIM: THE PRESENT STUDY WAS INTENDED TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE DAILY DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE AND THE DURATION OF EXPERIENCE IN MONTHS WOULD PREDICT ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: SEVEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY-THREE VOLUNTEERS WITH AGES BETWEEN 14 AND 86 YEARS (GROUP MEAN AGE STANDARD DEVIATION, 50.2 [14.2]) WHO ATTENDED A 7 DAY RESIDENTIAL YOGA CAMP IN THE NORTH OF INDIA WERE INCLUDED IN THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY. ALL PARTICIPANTS HAD CHRONIC ILLNESSES, WHICH WERE UNDER CONTROL WITH TREATMENT, AND WHICH WERE CATEGORIZED AND ARE DETAILED. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED FOR STATE ANXIETY SCORES USING STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY AND FOR ANXIETY WITH HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE (HADS-A), AND DEPRESSION WAS ASSESSED USING HADS-D SCORES OF THE HADS. LINEAR MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSES WERE PERFORMED USING PASW SPSS VERSION 18.0 (ARMONK, NEW YORK, U.S.) TO DETERMINE HOW THE DAILY AND MONTHLY DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE COULD INFLUENCE STATE ANXIETY, HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION OF THE PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: YOGA PRACTICE IN MONTHS AND THE TIME SPENT PRACTICING YOGA EACH DAY SIGNIFICANTLY PREDICT THE LEVEL OF STATE ANXIETY (P < 0.001, P = 0.03) AND HAD-A (P < 0.01, P < 0.01). THE DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE IN MONTHS ALONE WAS A SIGNIFICANT PREDICTOR OF THE HAD-D (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THE DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE IN MONTHS AND DAILY PRACTICE IN MINUTES PREDICT ANXIETY ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS. IN CONTRAST THE DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE IN MONTHS ALONE, PREDICTED DEPRESSION SCORES. 2015 19 2864 32 YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR CAREGIVERS OF OUTPATIENTS WITH PSYCHOSIS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: THE USE OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH PSYCHOSIS HAS BEEN POORLY STUDIED. THE CURRENT STUDY AIMED TO TEST THE EFFICACY OF A BRIEF YOGA PROGRAM AS AN INTERVENTION IN CAREGIVERS OF OUTPATIENTS WITH FUNCTIONAL PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS USING A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED RESEARCH DESIGN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CAREGIVERS WHO AGREED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY (N=29) WERE RANDOMIZED INTO YOGA (N=15) OR WAIT-LIST GROUP (N=14). THEY WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF 3 MONTHS. PATIENTS WHO WERE RANDOMIZED INTO THE YOGA GROUP WERE OFFERED SUPERVISED YOGA TRAINING THRICE A WEEK FOR 4 WEEKS, AFTER WHICH THEY WERE INSTRUCTED TO PRACTICE AT HOME FOR THE NEXT 2 MONTHS. DUE TO THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AND SOME VARIABLES NOT BEING NORMALLY DISTRIBUTED, NON-PARAMETRIC STATISTICAL ANALYSIS WAS USED. RESULTS: RESULTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BURDEN SCORES AND IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE SCORES IN THE YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO THE WAIT-LIST GROUP AT THE END OF 3 MONTHS. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCORES IN CAREGIVERS, OR PSYCHOPATHOLOGY SCORES IN PATIENTS. CONCLUSION: IN CAREGIVERS OF OUTPATIENTS WITH FUNCTIONAL PSYCHOSIS, 4 WEEKS OF TRAINING FOLLOWED BY 3 MONTHS OF HOME PRACTICE OF A YOGA MODULE OFFERED SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE OVER WAITLIST. YOGA CAN BE OFFERED AS AN INTERVENTION FOR CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH SEVERE MENTAL DISORDERS. METHODS OF PROVIDING YOGA INTERVENTION CLOSER TO THE COMMUNITY OR USE OF FLEXIBLE MODULES AT HOSPITALS NEEDS FURTHER STUDY. 2013 20 1318 30 HEART RATE VARIABILITY IN CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN PATIENTS RANDOMIZED TO YOGA OR STANDARD CARE. BACKGROUND: CHRONIC PAIN CAN ALTER THE AUTONOMIC BALANCE WITH INCREASED SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY REFLECTED IN ALTERED HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV). IT HAS BEEN PROPOSED THAT YOGA CAN BE USEFUL TO CORRECT THE AUTONOMIC IMBALANCE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC PAIN WHO HAVE REDUCED HRV. METHODS AND DESIGNS: IN THE PRESENT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL 62 PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH ALTERED ALIGNMENT OF INTERVERTEBRAL DISCS (AGED BETWEEN 20 AND 45 YEARS, 32 MALES) WERE RANDOMIZED TO 2 GROUPS. ONE GROUP RECEIVED YOGA FOR 3 MONTHS WHILE THE OTHER GROUP CARRIED OUT STANDARD MEDICAL CARE BASED ON THE PHYSICIAN'S ADVICE. THE DURATION WAS THE SAME, I.E., 3 MONTHS. THE HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND RATE OF RESPIRATION WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF 3 MONTHS. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE BASELINE (PRE) VALUES BETWEEN GROUPS (P = 0.008) FOR RESPIRATION RATE WHICH WAS HIGHER IN THE YOGA GROUP. THE CHANGES REPORTED BELOW ARE PRE-POST COMPARISONS WITHIN EACH GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.05; REPEATED MEASURES ANOVA, POST-HOC ANALYSES) DECREASE IN THE LF POWER OF HRV, RATE OF RESPIRATION AND A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE HF POWER OF HRV AND IN THE PNN50. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTICE CAN SHIFT THE AUTONOMIC BALANCE TOWARDS VAGAL DOMINANCE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH ALTERED ALIGNMENT OF INTERVERTEBRAL DISCS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: THE STUDY IS REGISTERED WITH THE CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY OF INDIA ( CTRI/2012/11/003094 ) AND CAN BE ACCESSED AT. 2016