1 1106 114 EFFECTS OF YOGA, AEROBIC, AND STRETCHING AND TONING EXERCISES ON COGNITION IN ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS: PROTOCOL OF THE STAY FIT PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: CANCER SURVIVORS EXPERIENCE COMPROMISED QUALITY OF LIFE DUE TO IMPAIRED COGNITIVE FUNCTION AS A RESULT OF CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT. ALTHOUGH EXERCISE HAS PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING COGNITIVE FUNCTION ACROSS THE LIFESPAN, INTERVENTIONS COMPREHENSIVELY TESTING THE EFFECTIVENESS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS ARE LIMITED. THE STAY FIT TRIAL IS A THREE-ARMED PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL DESIGNED TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF A 12-WEEK YOGA, AEROBIC WALKING, AND STRETCH AND TONE INTERVENTION ON COGNITIVE FUNCTION AMONG ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. METHODS: THIS PILOT STUDY AIMS TO RECRUIT 75 ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS WHO WILL COMPLETE ASSESSMENTS OF COGNITIVE FUNCTION, CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL MEASURES AT BASELINE AND AFTER THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION. THE AIMS OF STAY FIT ARE (1) TO ASSESS THE EFFICACY OF YOGA TO IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTION AMONG CANCER SURVIVORS, COMPARED TO AEROBIC EXERCISE AND AN ACTIVE CONTROL GROUP; (2) TO EXAMINE CHANGES IN CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS AS A RESULT OF THE INTERVENTIONS; AND (3) TO ASSESS CHANGES IN QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG OUR POPULATION AS A RESULT OF THE EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS. DISCUSSION: THE STAY FIT TRIAL WILL TEST THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA, AEROBIC EXERCISE, AND STRETCHING AND TONING EXERCISES IN IMPROVING COGNITIVE FUNCTION AND FITNESS AMONG ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. THE RESULTS OF THIS PILOT STUDY WILL ENABLE US TO UNDERSTAND THE MOST EFFECTIVE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MODALITY TO IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN THIS POPULATION AND POTENTIALLY COMBAT CANCER-RELATED COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV NCT03650322 . REGISTERED ON 28 AUGUST 2018. 2020 2 1564 48 LONGITUDINAL IMPACT OF YOGA ON CHEMOTHERAPY-RELATED COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN WOMEN WITH EARLY STAGE BREAST CANCER: A CASE SERIES. PURPOSE: ADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY FOR WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER HAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED THE CURE RATE; HOWEVER, IT HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH CHEMOTHERAPY-RELATED COGNITIVE IMPACT (CRCI). THE LITERATURE PROVIDES PRELIMINARY SUPPORT FOR THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFICACY OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR THE GENERAL CANCER POPULATION, HOWEVER, CONTROLLED TRIALS ARE SCARCE AND NO STUDIES HAVE EXAMINED THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON COGNITION FOR WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER DURING CHEMOTHERAPY. THIS CASE SERIES AIMS TO IDENTIFY THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON MEASURES OF COGNITION, FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES, AND QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) FOR BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS (BCS). METHODS: FOUR WOMEN WITH A DIAGNOSIS OF EARLY-STAGE BREAST CANCER PRIOR TO CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENT WERE ADMINISTERED THE FOLLOWING PHYSIOLOGIC MEASURES AT BASELINE, 6, AND 12 WEEKS DURING CHEMOTHERAPY, AND AT ONE AND THREE MONTHS AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE STUDY: FUNCTIONAL REACH TEST (BALANCE) AND SIT AND REACH TEST (FLEXIBILITY), AND QOL, POMS (MOOD) AND FACT-B (QOL), AT BASELINE. PRIMARY OUTCOMES OF COGNITION WERE MEASURED WITH THE PERCEIVED COGNITION QUESTIONNAIRE (PCQ) AND COGSTATE, A COMPUTERIZED MEASUREMENT OF COGNITION. WOMEN ATTENDED AN IYENGAR-INSPIRED YOGA PROGRAM TWICE A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. QUALITATIVE QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADMINISTERED AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE STUDY TO DETERMINE PERCEIVED BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF THE YOGA PROGRAM. RESULTS: FOUR WOMEN WITH STAGE II BREAST CANCER RANGED IN AGE FROM 44-65 YEARS. COGSTATE COMPUTERIZED TESTING SHOWED CHANGES IN VARYING DOMAINS OF COGNITION THROUGH TREATMENT AND FOLLOW-UP. IMPROVED BALANCE, FLEXIBILITY, AND QOL WERE ALSO NOTED OVER TIME. NO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE OBSERVED. ANALYSIS OF QUALITATIVE DATA REVEALED THE YOGA CLASSES WERE HELPFUL AND SUBJECTS CONTINUED THE PRACTICE ELEMENTS OF YOGA INCLUDING RELAXATION, BREATHING, AND STRETCHING. THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF THE STUDY WAS PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS DUE TO VARIOUS MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS AND INCLUDED FATIGUE, DECREASED RANGE OF MOTION, AND PAIN. CONCLUSION: THIS CASE SERIES SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY IMPACT VARIOUS ASPECTS OF COGNITION DURING AND AFTER CHEMOTHERAPY ADMINISTRATION AS NOTED THROUGH QUANTITATIVE MEASURES. WOMEN DESCRIBE YOGA AS IMPROVING VARIOUS DOMAINS OF QOL THROUGH THE TREATMENT TRAJECTORY. THIS MIND-BODY INTERVENTION MAY STAVE OFF CRCI; HOWEVER, FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS NEEDED FOR ADDITIONAL RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON COGNITION FOR WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER UNDERGOING ADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENT. 2012 3 2605 38 YOGA FOR PERSISTENT FATIGUE IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS: RESULTS OF A PILOT STUDY. APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS EXPERIENCES PERSISTENT FATIGUE FOR MONTHS OR YEARS AFTER SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT COMPLETION. THERE IS A LACK OF EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENTS FOR CANCER-RELATED FATIGUE, PARTICULARLY AMONG CANCER SURVIVORS. THIS SINGLE-ARM PILOT STUDY EVALUATED THE FEASIBILITY AND PRELIMINARY EFFICACY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR FATIGUED BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS BASED ON THE IYENGAR TRADITION. IYENGAR YOGA PRESCRIBES SPECIFIC POSES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIFIC MEDICAL PROBLEMS AND CONDITIONS; THIS TRIAL EMPHASIZED POSTURES BELIEVED TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR REDUCING FATIGUE AMONG BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS, INCLUDING INVERSIONS AND BACKBENDS PERFORMED WITH THE SUPPORT OF PROPS. TWELVE WOMEN WERE ENROLLED IN THE TRIAL, AND 11 COMPLETED THE FULL 12-WEEK COURSE OF TREATMENT. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN FATIGUE SCORES FROM PRE- TO POST-INTERVENTION THAT WAS MAINTAINED AT THE 3-MONTH POST-INTERVENTION FOLLOWUP. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE ALSO OBSERVED IN MEASURES OF PHYSICAL FUNCTION, DEPRESSED MOOD, AND QUALITY OF LIFE. THESE RESULTS SUPPORT THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THIS INTERVENTION AND SUGGEST THAT IT MAY HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON PERSISTENT POST-TREATMENT FATIGUE. HOWEVER, RESULTS REQUIRE REPLICATION IN A LARGER RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. 2011 4 1243 43 FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA, AEROBIC AND STRETCHING-TONING EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS: THE STAYFIT TRIAL. BACKGROUND: THE USE OF YOGA AS A MIND-BODY PRACTICE HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY POPULAR AMONG CLINICAL POPULATIONS AND OLDER ADULTS WHO USE THIS PRACTICE TO MANAGE AGE AND CHRONIC DISEASE-RELATED SYMPTOMS. ALTHOUGH YOGA CONTINUES TO GAIN POPULARITY AMONG PRACTITIONERS AND RESEARCHERS, PILOT STUDIES THAT EXAMINE ITS FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY, ESPECIALLY AMONG CANCER SURVIVORS, ARE LIMITED. FEASIBILITY STUDIES PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN DETERMINING WHETHER THE TARGET POPULATION IS LIKELY TO ENGAGE WITH LARGER SCALE EFFICACY AND EFFECTIVENESS TRIALS. IN THIS PAPER WE PRESENT FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY DATA FROM A 12-WEEK RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) CONDUCTED WITH ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS N = 78 (MEAN AGE: 55 YEARS) WERE RANDOMIZED TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS: A HATHA YOGA, AEROBIC EXERCISE, OR STRETCHING-TONING CONTROL GROUP WITH GROUP EXERCISE CLASSES HELD FOR 150 MIN/WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. HEREIN WE REPORT FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY, INCLUDING ENROLLMENT RATES, ATTENDANCE, ATTRITION AND ADVERSE EVENTS, AND PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK AND SATISFACTION DATA. RESULTS: OF THE 233 ADULTS SCREENED, 109 WERE ELIGIBLE AND 78 RANDOMIZED TO ONE OF THE THREE INTERVENTION ARMS. SESSION ATTENDANCE WAS HIGH FOR ALL GROUPS (75.5-89.5%) AND 17 PARTICIPANTS DROPPED OUT DURING THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION. PROGRAM SATISFACTION WAS HIGH (4.8 OR HIGHER OUT OF 5) AND NO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE REPORTED. ONE COHORT (N = 15) OF THE INTERVENTION TRANSITIONED TO REMOTE INTERVENTION DELIVERY DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. FEASIBILITY DATA FROM THESE PARTICIPANTS SUGGESTED THAT SYNCHRONIZED GROUP EXERCISE CLASSES VIA ZOOM WITH A LIVE INSTRUCTOR WERE ACCEPTABLE AND ENJOYABLE. PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK REGARDING MOST AND LEAST HELPFUL ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM AS WELL AS SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE SUMMARIZED. CONCLUSIONS: OVERALL, THE YOGA INTERVENTION WAS HIGHLY FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE. THE FEASIBILITY PARAMETERS FROM THIS TRIAL CAN AID RESEARCHERS IN ESTIMATING RECRUITMENT RATES FOR DESIRED SAMPLE SIZES TO SUCCESSFULLY RANDOMIZE AND RETAIN CANCER SURVIVORS IN SHORT- AND LONG-TERM YOGA-BASED EFFICACY AND EFFECTIVENESS TRIALS. THE FINDINGS ALSO PROVIDE EVIDENCE TO CLINICIANS WHO CAN RECOMMEND UP TO 150 MIN OF A COMBINATION OF EXERCISES-AEROBIC, YOGA, OR STRETCHING-TONING TO THEIR CANCER PATIENTS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE HEALTH AND WELLBEING DURING CANCER SURVIVORSHIP. 2021 5 115 28 A PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. BACKGROUND: ANXIETY IS COMMON IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR THIS CO-MORBIDITY REMAIN LIMITED. YOGA IS A PROMISING ADJUNCT INTERVENTION THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE ANXIETY FOR ADULTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA, THEREFORE THIS PILOT STUDY EVALUATED THE ACCEPTABILITY AND POTENTIAL EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR ANXIETY IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS. METHODS: A PROSPECTIVE SINGLE ARM PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION WAS CONDUCTED WITHIN AN EARLY INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOSIS SERVICE. RATES OF ATTENDANCE, AS WELL AS SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY PRE AND POST YOGA SESSION WERE MEASURED. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 14 YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY AND OVER 70% ATTENDED HALF OR MORE OF THE YOGA SESSIONS OFFERED. SIGNIFICANT TRANSIENT REDUCTION IN STATE ANXIETY AFTER A SINGLE SESSION OF YOGA WAS OBSERVED (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA WAS FOUND TO BE AN ACCEPTABLE AND POTENTIALLY EFFECTIVE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR ANXIETY IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS AND THE RESULTS WARRANT FURTHER CLINICAL TRIALS. 2022 6 1242 43 FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION TO DECREASE PAIN IN OLDER WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF OLDER WOMEN SUFFER FROM CHRONIC PAIN, WHICH CAN DECREASE QUALITY OF LIFE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PILOT RANDOMIZED STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF A FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION DESIGNED TO DECREASE PAIN AND RELATED OUTCOMES AMONG WOMEN AGED 60 OR OLDER. METHODS: FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA CLASSES WERE HELD TWICE WEEKLY FOR 1 HOUR AND LED BY A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR. PARTICIPANTS RANDOMIZED TO THE INTERVENTION GROUP ATTENDED THE YOGA CLASSES FOR 12 WEEKS AND RECEIVED SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS FOR AT-HOME PRACTICE. THOSE RANDOMIZED TO THE CONTROL GROUP WERE ASKED TO MAINTAIN THEIR NORMAL DAILY ROUTINE. FEASIBILITY WAS EVALUATED USING RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION RATES, CLASS AND HOME PRACTICE ADHERENCE RATES, AND PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION SURVEYS. OUTCOME MEASURES (SELF-REPORTED PAIN, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, FUNCTIONAL FITNESS, QUALITY OF LIFE, RESILIENCE, AND SELF-REPORTED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY) WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND POST-INTERVENTION. PAIRED T-TESTS OR WILCOXON SIGNED-RANK TESTS WERE USED TO EXAMINE CHANGES IN OUTCOME MEASURES WITHIN TREATMENT GROUPS. RESULTS: THIRTY-EIGHT PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED AND RANDOMIZED. PARTICIPANTS WERE PRIMARILY WHITE, COLLEGE-EDUCATED, AND HIGHER FUNCTIONING, DESPITE EXPERIENCING VARIOUS FORMS OF CHRONIC PAIN. ATTENDANCE AND RETENTION RATES WERE HIGH (91 AND 97%, RESPECTIVELY) AND THE MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE YOGA PROGRAM (89%) AND WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO OTHERS (87%). INTERVENTION PARTICIPANTS ALSO EXPERIENCED REDUCTIONS IN PAIN INTERFERENCE AND IMPROVEMENTS IN ENERGY AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING. CONCLUSIONS: THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDES ESSENTIAL DATA TO INFORM A FULL SCALE RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA FOR OLDER WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PAIN. FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD EMPHASIZE STRATEGIES TO RECRUIT A MORE DIVERSE STUDY POPULATION, PARTICULARLY OLDER WOMEN AT HIGHER RISK OF DISABILITY AND FUNCTIONAL DECLINE. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV , NCT03790098 . REGISTERED 31 DECEMBER 2018 - RETROSPECTIVELY REGISTERED. 2020 7 2383 30 YOGA & CANCER INTERVENTIONS: A REVIEW OF THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PATIENT REPORTED OUTCOMES FOR CANCER SURVIVORS. LIMITED RESEARCH SUGGESTS YOGA MAY BE A VIABLE GENTLE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OPTION WITH A VARIETY OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, PSYCHOSOCIAL AND SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT BENEFITS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW WAS TO DETERMINE THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES FROM YOGA INTERVENTIONS CONDUCTED WITH CANCER SURVIVORS. A TOTAL OF 25 PUBLISHED YOGA INTERVENTION STUDIES FOR CANCER SURVIVORS FROM 2004-2011 HAD PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES, INCLUDING QUALITY OF LIFE, PSYCHOSOCIAL OR SYMPTOM MEASURES. THIRTEEN OF THESE STUDIES MET THE NECESSARY CRITERIA TO ASSESS CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR EACH OF THE OUTCOMES OF INTEREST WAS EXAMINED BASED ON 1 STANDARD ERROR OF THE MEASUREMENT, 0.5 STANDARD DEVIATION, AND RELATIVE COMPARATIVE EFFECT SIZES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE CONFIDENCE INTERVALS. THIS REVIEW DESCRIBES IN DETAIL THESE PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES, HOW THEY WERE OBTAINED, THEIR RELATIVE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR BOTH CLINICAL AND RESEARCH SETTINGS. OVERALL, CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES SUGGEST THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS HOLD PROMISE FOR IMPROVING CANCER SURVIVORS' WELL-BEING. THIS RESEARCH OVERVIEW PROVIDES NEW DIRECTIONS FOR EXAMINING HOW CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE CAN PROVIDE A UNIQUE CONTEXT FOR DESCRIBING CHANGES IN PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES FROM YOGA INTERVENTIONS. RESEARCHERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO EMPLOY INDICES OF CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE IN THE INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS FROM YOGA STUDIES. 2012 8 2673 26 YOGA IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY TO ACCESS THE EFFECTS ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. BACKGROUND: AND PURPOSE: YOGA IS GROWING IN POPULARITY, BUT ITS BENEFITS AND INTEGRATION INTO PRIMARY CARE REMAIN UNCERTAIN. HERE, WE DETERMINE YOGA EFFECTS ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, AND EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF INTRODUCING YOGA AT PRIMARY CARE LEVEL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS IS A PROSPECTIVE, LONGITUDINAL, QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY, WITH AN INTERVENTION (N=49) AND A CONTROL GROUP (N=37). YOGA GROUP UNDERWENT 24-WEEKS PROGRAM OF ONE-HOUR SESSIONS. OUR PRIMARY ENDPOINT WAS QUALITY OF LIFE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, AS WELL AS SATISFACTION LEVEL AND ADHERENCE RATE. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS REPORTED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ALL DOMAINS OF QUALITY OF LIFE AND A REDUCTION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. LINEAR REGRESSION ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT YOGA SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES PSYCHOLOGICAL QUALITY OF LIFE (P=0.046). CONCLUSION: YOGA IN PRIMARY CARE IS FEASIBLE, SAFE AND HAS A SATISFACTORY ADHERENCE, AS WELL AS A POSITIVE EFFECT ON PSYCHOLOGICAL QUALITY OF LIFE OF PARTICIPANTS. 2019 9 2579 33 YOGA FOR HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADULT CANCER: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED FEASIBILITY STUDY. AN INCREASE IN PATIENT-LED UPTAKE OF COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES IN ADULT CANCER HAS LED TO A NEED FOR MORE RIGOROUS STUDY OF SUCH INTERVENTIONS AND THEIR OUTCOMES. THIS STUDY THEREFORE AIMED TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION IN MEN AND WOMEN RECEIVING CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT FOR A CANCER DIAGNOSIS. PROSPECTIVE, MIXED METHODS FEASIBILITY TRIAL ALLOCATED PARTICIPANTS TO RECEIVE ONE OF THREE YOGA INTERVENTIONS OVER A FOUR-WEEK STUDY PERIOD. DATA COLLECTION WAS COMPLETED THROUGH ONLINE SURVEY OF QOL-CA/CS AND CUSTOMIZED SURVEYS. FIFTEEN PARTICIPANTS WERE INCLUDED (11 FEMALE) UNDERGOING TREATMENT FOR BREAST, PROSTATE, COLORECTAL, BRAIN, AND BLOOD AND LUNG CANCER. TWO PARTICIPANTS DROPPED OUT AND COMPLETE QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DATA SETS WERE COLLECTED FROM 12 PARTICIPANTS AND FOUR YOGA INSTRUCTORS. OTHER OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED IMPLEMENTATION COSTS PATIENT-REPORTED PREFERENCES FOR YOGA INTERVENTION AND CHANGES IN QOL-CA/CS. THREE TYPES OF YOGA INTERVENTION WERE SAFELY ADMINISTERED IN ADULT CANCER. MIXED METHODS, COST-EFFICIENCY, QOL-CA/CS, AND EVIDENCE-BASED DESIGN OF YOGA INTERVENTION HAVE BEEN USED TO ESTABLISH FEASIBILITY AND PATIENT-PREFERENCES FOR YOGA DELIVERY IN ADULT CANER. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT, WITH SOME METHODOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENTS, A LARGE-SCALE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL IS WARRANTED TO TEST THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR MALE AND FEMALE CANCER PATIENTS. THIS TRIAL IS REGISTERED WITH CLINICALTRIALS.GOV NCT02309112. 2015 10 112 30 A PILOT STUDY OF A MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA INTERVENTION IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH PSYCHOSIS. AIM: TO DETERMINE THE ACCEPTABILITY AND SAFETY OF A MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA INTERVENTION AS ADJUNCT TO USUAL CARE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. METHODS: PEOPLE AGED 16-25 YEARS ATTENDING A COMMUNITY-BASED SPECIALIST EARLY PSYCHOSIS CLINIC WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. THE INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 1-H WEEKLY CLASSES OF MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA. ACCEPTABILITY WAS MEASURED BY UPTAKE, ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPANTS' SATISFACTION. SAFETY WAS MEASURED BY INCIDENCE OF PHYSICAL INJURY, PARTICIPANTS' LEVEL OF COMFORT, DISTRESS AND ANXIETY DURING THE SESSIONS, AND THE FOLLOWING MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PSYCHOTIC, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS SYMPTOMS, SLEEP QUALITY AND FUNCTIONING. RESULTS: OF THOSE WHO CONSENTED TO THE STUDY, 80% (12) PARTICIPATED AND ON AVERAGE ATTENDED 4.4 YOGA CLASSES. THERE WERE NO PHYSICAL INJURIES AND PARTICIPANTS REPORTED MINIMAL DISTRESS AND ANXIETY. POST-INTERVENTION, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN ANXIETY SYMPTOMS AND AN IMPROVEMENT IN FUNCTION. CONCLUSIONS: MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE BOTH ACCEPTABLE AND SAFE AS AN INTERVENTION FOR YOUTH WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. THOUGH NUMBERS WERE SMALL, THE STUDY SHOWS PROMISE FOR YOGA AS A POTENTIALLY USEFUL INTERVENTION. IMPORTANTLY, THERE WAS NO DETERIORATION IN MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES. A LARGER TRIAL EVALUATING CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS IS NOW TIMELY. 2022 11 1901 33 RESTORATIVE YOGA FOR WOMEN WITH OVARIAN OR BREAST CANCER: FINDINGS FROM A PILOT STUDY. YOGA HAS DEMONSTRATED BENEFIT IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS AND THOSE WITH VARIOUS HEALTH CONDITIONS. THERE ARE, HOWEVER, FEW SYSTEMATIC STUDIES TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR CANCER PATIENTS. RESTORATIVE YOGA (RY) IS A GENTLE TYPE OF YOGA THAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS "ACTIVE RELAXATION." THE SPECIFIC AIMS OF THIS PILOT STUDY WERE TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING AN RY INTERVENTION AS A SUPPORTIVE THERAPY FOR WOMEN DIAGNOSED WITH OVARIAN OR BREAST CANCER AND TO MEASURE CHANGES IN SELF-REPORTED FATIGUE, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND WELL-BEING, AND QUALITY OF LIFE. FIFTY-ONE WOMEN WITH OVARIAN (N = 37) OR BREAST CANCER (N = 14) WITH A MEAN AGE OF 58.9 YEARS ENROLLED IN THIS STUDY; THE MAJORITY (61%) WERE ACTIVELY UNDERGOING CANCER TREATMENT AT THE TIME OF ENROLLMENT. ALL STUDY PARTICIPANTS PARTICIPATED IN 10 WEEKLY 75-MINUTE RY CLASSES THAT COMBINED PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING, AND DEEP RELAXATION. STUDY PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES AT BASELINE, IMMEDIATELY POSTINTERVENTION, AND 2 MONTHS POSTINTERVENTION. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE SEEN FOR DEPRESSION, NEGATIVE AFFECT, STATE ANXIETY, MENTAL HEALTH, AND OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE. FATIGUE DECREASED BETWEEN BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION FOLLOW-UP. HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVED BETWEEN BASELINE AND THE 2-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS WAS PREDOMINANTLY POSITIVE; RELAXATION AND SHARED GROUP EXPERIENCE WERE TWO COMMON THEMES. 2008 12 2235 21 THE IMPACT OF YOGA UPON FEMALE PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM HYPOTHYROIDISM. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF FEMALE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS. DESIGN: THE WHO QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE(22) WAS USED TO ASSESS THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF 20 FEMALE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS. SUBJECTS ATTENDED ONE HOUR YOGA SESSIONS DAILY FOR A PERIOD OF ONE MONTH. A PRETEST-POST-TEST RESEARCH DESIGN WAS USED FOR DATA ANALYSIS. RESULTS: PATIENTS' QUALITY OF LIFE SCORES FOLLOWING THE YOGA PROGRAM WERE GREATER THAN SCORES OBTAINED PRIOR TO UNDERTAKING YOGA (P < 0.01). PATIENTS ALSO REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR PERCEPTION OF THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE AND OF THEIR HEALTH POST YOGA INTERVENTION. CONCLUSIONS: IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT YOGA IS VALUABLE IN HELPING THE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS TO MANAGE THEIR DISEASE-RELATED SYMPTOMS. YOGA MAY BE CONSIDERED AS SUPPORTIVE OR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY IN CONJUNCTION WITH MEDICAL THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF HYPOTHYROID DISORDER. 2011 13 444 26 CHAIR YOGA: BENEFITS FOR COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS. THE AIM OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE WHETHER CHAIR YOGA WAS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING PAIN LEVEL AND IMPROVING PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING IN A SAMPLE OF COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS. ONE-WAY REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WAS PERFORMED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHAIR YOGA AT BASELINE, MIDPOINT (4 WEEKS), AND END OF THE INTERVENTION (8 WEEKS). ALTHOUGH CHAIR YOGA WAS EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND REDUCING STIFFNESS IN OLDER ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS, IT WAS NOT EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING PAIN LEVEL OR IMPROVING DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. FUTURE RESEARCH PLANNED BY THIS TEAM WILL USE RIGOROUS STUDY METHODS, INCLUDING LARGER SAMPLES, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS, AND FOLLOW UP FOR MONITORING HOME PRACTICE AFTER THE INTERVENTIONS. 2012 14 175 40 A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL EXAMINING IYENGAR YOGA FOR YOUNG ADULTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A STUDY PROTOCOL. BACKGROUND: RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS IS A CHRONIC, DISABLING DISEASE THAT CAN COMPROMISE MOBILITY, DAILY FUNCTIONING, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, ESPECIALLY IN OLDER ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS. IN THIS PROJECT, WE WILL COMPARE A STANDARDIZED IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS TO A STANDARD CARE WAIT-LIST CONTROL CONDITION. METHODS/DESIGN: SEVENTY RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS AGED 16-35 YEARS WILL BE RANDOMIZED INTO EITHER THE 6-WEEK IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM (12 - 1.5 HOUR SESSIONS TWICE WEEKLY) OR THE 6-WEEK WAIT-LIST CONTROL CONDITION. A 20% ATTRITION RATE IS ANTICIPATED. THE WAIT-LIST GROUP WILL RECEIVE THE YOGA PROGRAM FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF THE FIRST ARM OF THE STUDY. WE WILL COLLECT DATA QUANTITATIVELY, USING QUESTIONNAIRES AND MARKERS OF DISEASE ACTIVITY, AND QUALITATIVELY USING SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS. ASSESSMENTS INCLUDE STANDARDIZED MEASURES OF GENERAL AND ARTHRITIS-SPECIFIC FUNCTION, PAIN, MOOD, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, AS WELL AS QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS, BLOOD PRESSURE/RESTING HEART RATE MEASUREMENTS, A MEDICAL EXAM AND THE ASSESSMENT OF PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES. DATA WILL BE COLLECTED THREE TIMES: BEFORE TREATMENT, POST-TREATMENT, AND TWO MONTHS FOLLOWING THE TREATMENT. DISCUSSION: RESULTS FROM THIS STUDY WILL PROVIDE CRITICAL DATA ON NON-PHARMACOLOGIC METHODS FOR ENHANCING FUNCTION IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS. IN PARTICULAR, RESULTS WILL SHED LIGHT ON THE FEASIBILITY AND POTENTIAL EFFICACY OF A NOVEL INTERVENTION FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS SYMPTOMS, PAVING THE WAY FOR A LARGER CLINICAL TRIAL. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV NCT01096823. 2011 15 2117 43 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON WOMEN WITH SECONDARY ARM LYMPHOEDEMA FROM BREAST CANCER TREATMENT. BACKGROUND: WOMEN WHO DEVELOP SECONDARY ARM LYMPHOEDEMA SUBSEQUENT TO TREATMENT ASSOCIATED WITH BREAST CANCER REQUIRE LIFE-LONG MANAGEMENT FOR A RANGE OF SYMPTOMS INCLUDING ARM SWELLING, HEAVINESS, TIGHTNESS IN THE ARM AND SOMETIMES THE CHEST, UPPER BODY IMPAIRMENT AND CHANGES TO A RANGE OF PARAMETERS RELATING TO QUALITY OF LIFE. WHILE EXERCISE UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS HAS HAD POSITIVE OUTCOMES, THE IMPACT OF YOGA HAS NOT BEEN INVESTIGATED. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHO-SOCIAL DOMAINS, IN THE HOPE THAT WOMEN CAN BE OFFERED ANOTHER SAFE, HOLISTIC MODALITY TO HELP CONTROL MANY, IF NOT ALL, OF THE EFFECTS OF SECONDARY ARM LYMPHOEDEMA. METHODS AND DESIGN: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED PILOT TRIAL WILL BE CONDUCTED IN HOBART AND LAUNCESTON WITH A TOTAL OF 40 WOMEN RECEIVING EITHER YOGA INTERVENTION OR CURRENT BEST PRACTICE CARE. INTERVENTION WILL CONSIST OF EIGHT WEEKS OF A WEEKLY TEACHER-LED YOGA CLASS WITH A HOME-BASED DAILY YOGA PRACTICE DELIVERED BY DVD. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES WILL BE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON LYMPHOEDEMA AND ITS ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES WILL BE RANGE OF MOTION OF THE ARM AND THORACIC SPINE, SHOULDER STRENGTH, AND WEEKLY AND DAILY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES WILL BE MEASURED AT BASELINE, WEEKS FOUR, EIGHT AND A FOUR WEEK FOLLOW UP AT WEEK TWELVE. RANGE OF MOTION OF THE SPINE, IN A SELF-NOMINATED GROUP, WILL BE MEASURED AT BASELINE, WEEKS EIGHT AND TWELVE. A FURTHER OUTCOME WILL BE THE WOMEN'S PERCEPTIONS OF THE YOGA COLLECTED BY INTERVIEW AT WEEK EIGHT. DISCUSSION: THE RESULTS OF THIS TRIAL WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR WOMEN WITH SECONDARY ARM LYMPHOEDEMA FROM BREAST CANCER TREATMENT. IT WILL ALSO INFORM METHODOLOGY FOR FUTURE, LARGER TRIALS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN12611000202965. 2012 16 2080 34 THE EFFECT OF GROUP MINDFULNESS - BASED STRESS REDUCTION PROGRAM AND CONSCIOUS YOGA ON THE FATIGUE SEVERITY AND GLOBAL AND SPECIFIC LIFE QUALITY IN WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER. BACKGROUND: CANCER IS NOT MERELY AN EVENT WITH A CERTAIN END, BUT IT IS A PERMANENT AND VAGUE SITUATION THAT IS DETERMINED BY DELAYED EFFECTS DUE TO THE DISEASE, ITS TREATMENT AND ITS RELATED PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION PROGRAM AND CONSCIOUS YOGA ON THE MENTAL FATIGUE SEVERITY AND LIFE QUALITY OF WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER. METHODS: THIS WAS A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WITH A PRE-TEST, POST-TEST AND CONTROL GROUP. IN THIS STUDY, 24 PATIENTS WITH THE DIAGNOSIS OF BREAST CANCER WERE SELECTED AMONG THE PATIENTS WHO REFERRED TO THE DIVISION OF ONCOLOGY AND RADIOTHERAPY OF IMAM HOSSEIN HOSPITAL IN TEHRAN USING AVAILABLE SAMPLING METHOD, AND WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO THE EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS. ALL THE PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE FATIGUE SEVERITY SCALE, GLOBAL LIFE QUALITY OF CANCER PATIENT AND SPECIFIC LIFE QUALITY OF CANCER PATIENT QUESTIONNAIRES. DATA WERE ANALYZED BY MULTIVARIATE REPEATED MEASUREMENT VARIANCE ANALYSIS MODEL. RESULTS: FINDINGS REVEALED THAT THE MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION TREATMENT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE, ROLE, COGNITIVE, EMOTION, SOCIAL FUNCTIONS AND PAIN AND FATIGUE SYMPTOMS IN GLOBAL LIFE QUALITY IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP. IT ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED THE BODY IMAGE, FUTURE FUNCTIONS AND THERAPY SIDE EFFECTS IN SPECIFIC LIFE QUALITY OF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. IN ADDITION, FATIGUE SEVERITY CAUSED BY CANCER WAS REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE MINDFULNESS - BASED STRESS REDUCTION TREATMENT CAN BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING GLOBAL AND SPECIFIC LIFE QUALITY AND FATIGUE SEVERITY IN WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER. 2015 17 1707 32 PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOLLOWING A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR ADULTS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. BACKGROUND: THE CURRENT STUDY DESCRIBED PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND EXAMINED DIFFERENCES IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER TIME BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES WHO COMPLETED AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION COMPARED WITH CONTROLS. METHODS: A LONGITUDINAL COMPARATIVE DESIGN MEASURED THE EFFECT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON YOGA PRACTICE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, USING DATA AT BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION MONTHS 3, 6, AND 15. RESULTS: DISPARATE PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE OCCURRED BETWEEN INTERVENTION AND CONTROL PARTICIPANTS OVER TIME, BUT THE SUBJECTIVE DEFINITION OF YOGA PRACTICE LIMITS INTERPRETATION. MULTILEVEL MODEL ESTIMATES INDICATED THAT TREATMENT GROUP DID NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE IN THE RATE OF CHANGE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER THE STUDY PERIOD. WHILE AGE AND EDUCATION WERE NOT SIGNIFICANT INDIVIDUAL PREDICTORS, THE INCLUSION OF THESE VARIABLES IN THE MODEL DID IMPROVE FIT. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS INDICATE THAT AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION HAD LITTLE EFFECT ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER TIME. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO EXPLORE THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH OUTCOMES AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. 2012 18 2096 43 THE EFFECT OF YOGA EXERCISE ON IMPROVING DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND FATIGUE IN WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND FATIGUE ARE AMONG THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS THAT INFLUENCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER WHO RECEIVE ADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY. ALTHOUGH EVIDENCE HAS SHOWN YOGA TO DECREASE ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND FATIGUE IN PATIENTS WITH CANCER, FEW STUDIES ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA HAVE TARGETED PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER. YOGA INTERVENTIONS SHOULD BE TESTED TO PROMOTE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OF WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER. PURPOSE: THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM IN PROMOTING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OF WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER UNDERGOING ADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY IN TERMS OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND FATIGUE. METHODS: A SAMPLE OF 60 WOMEN WITH NONMETASTATIC BREAST CANCER WAS RECRUITED. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO EITHER THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (N = 30) OR THE CONTROL GROUP (N = 30). A 60-MINUTE, TWICE-PER-WEEK YOGA EXERCISE WAS IMPLEMENTED FOR 8 WEEKS AS THE INTERVENTION FOR THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP. THE CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED STANDARD CARE ONLY. RESULTS: ANALYSIS USING THE JOHNSON-NEYMAN PROCEDURE FOUND THAT THE YOGA EXERCISE REDUCED OVERALL FATIGUE AND THE INTERFERENCE OF FATIGUE IN EVERYDAY LIFE FOR THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP PARTICIPANTS. SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS WERE OBTAINED AFTER 4 WEEKS OF INTERVENTION PARTICIPATION FOR THOSE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP PATIENTS WITH RELATIVELY LOW STARTING BASELINE VALUES (BASELINE ITEM MEAN VALUE < 3.31 AND 3.22, RESPECTIVELY) AND AFTER 8 WEEKS FOR MOST PATIENTS (APPROXIMATELY 75%) WITH MODERATE STARTING BASELINE VALUES (BASELINE ITEM MEAN VALUE < 7.30 AND 5.34, RESPECTIVELY). THE 8-WEEK INTERVENTION DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE THE LEVELS OF DEPRESSION (F = 1.29, P > .05) OR ANXIETY (F = 2.7, P > .05). CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: THE 8-WEEK YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM DEVELOPED IN THIS STUDY EFFECTIVELY REDUCED FATIGUE IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER BUT DID NOT REDUCE DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY. ONCOLOGY NURSES SHOULD STRENGTHEN THEIR CLINICAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND APPLY YOGA TO REDUCE THE FATIGUE EXPERIENCED BY PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER WHO UNDERGO ADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY. 2014 19 2609 38 YOGA FOR QUALITY OF LIFE IN INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC DISEASE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. BACKGROUND: CHRONIC DISEASES, INCLUDING HEART DISEASE, STROKE, CANCER, AND CHRONIC PULMONARY DISEASE ARE THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH AND DISABILITY WORLDWIDE. COMPOUNDING SYMPTOMS AND LOSS OF FUNCTION, PEOPLE LIVING WITH CHRONIC DISEASE OFTEN EXPERIENCE REDUCED QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL). VARIOUS PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PRACTICES HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO RELIEVE STRESS AND IMPROVE QOL. YOGA IS A PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PRACTICE THAT MAY BE A VIABLE APPROACH FOR IMPROVING QOL IN PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC DISEASE. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE AND SUMMARIZE THE EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA ON QOL IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASE. DESIGN: THE STUDY DESIGN WAS A A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WITH QUALITATIVE SYNTHESIS. METHODS: WE INCLUDED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS THAT EVALUATED THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON QOL OR HEALTH-RELATED QOL (HRQOL) FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC DISEASE. WE INCLUDED ONLY STUDIES THAT USED AT LEAST 1 PREVIOUSLY VALIDATED MEASURE OF QOL OR HRQOL AND SPECIFIED A MINIMUM DURATION OF FOLLOW-UP OF AT LEAST 1 WK. INTERVENTIONS: WE INCLUDED BOTH MOVEMENT-BASED AND BREATH-BASED YOGA PRACTICES. STUDIES THAT INCLUDED YOGA AS PART OF A LARGER INTERVENTION PROGRAM (EG, MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION TRAINING) OR STUDIES THAT DID NOT PROVIDE FINDINGS SPECIFIC TO YOGA WERE EXCLUDED. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: THE PRIMARY OUTCOME ANALYZED WAS IMPROVEMENT IN QOL AS MEASURED BY A VALIDATED QOL OR HRQOL SCALE. RESULTS: AMONG THE 1488 STUDIES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED ON INITIAL SEARCH, 7 ARTICLES MET ALL INCLUSION CRITERIA. FIVE STUDIES REPORTED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE OVER USUAL CARE ALONE FOR IMPROVEMENT OF QOL IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASE, BUT THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DIFFERENCES WAS CLEAR IN ONLY 1 TRIAL. WE FOUND CONSIDERABLE HETEROGENEITY AMONG THE INCLUDED STUDIES AND STUDY QUALITY WAS GENERALLY LOW. CONCLUSIONS: MORE HIGH-QUALITY RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO DETERMINE THE VALUE OF YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE APPROACH TO IMPROVING QOL IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASE. 2019 20 1617 46 MINDFUL YOGA FOR WOMEN WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER: DESIGN OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: WOMEN WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER (MBC) HAVE AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCIES OF ABOUT 2 YEARS, AND REPORT HIGH LEVELS OF DISEASE-RELATED SYMPTOMS INCLUDING PAIN, FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, AND FUNCTIONAL IMPAIRMENT. THERE IS GROWING RECOGNITION OF THE LIMITATIONS OF MEDICAL APPROACHES TO MANAGING SUCH SYMPTOMS. YOGA IS A MIND-BODY DISCIPLINE THAT HAS DEMONSTRATED A POSITIVE IMPACT ON PSYCHOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL HEALTH IN EARLY STAGE BREAST CANCER PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS, BUT HAS NOT BEEN RIGOROUSLY STUDIED IN ADVANCED CANCER SAMPLES. METHODS: THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL EXAMINES THE FEASIBILITY AND INITIAL EFFICACY OF A MINDFUL YOGA PROGRAM, COMPARED WITH A SOCIAL SUPPORT CONDITION THAT CONTROLS FOR ATTENTION, ON MEASURES OF DISEASE-RELATED SYMPTOMS SUCH AS PAIN AND FATIGUE. THE STUDY WILL BE COMPLETED BY DECEMBER 2017. SIXTY-FIVE WOMEN WITH MBC AGE >/= 18 ARE BEING IDENTIFIED AND RANDOMIZED WITH A 2:1 ALLOCATION TO MINDFUL YOGA OR A SUPPORT GROUP CONTROL INTERVENTION. THE 120-MIN INTERVENTION SESSIONS TAKE PLACE WEEKLY FOR 8 WEEKS. THE STUDY IS CONDUCTED AT AN URBAN TERTIARY CARE ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER LOCATED IN DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA. THE PRIMARY FEASIBILITY OUTCOME IS ATTENDANCE AT INTERVENTION SESSIONS. EFFICACY OUTCOMES INCLUDE PAIN, FATIGUE, SLEEP QUALITY, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, MINDFULNESS AND FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY AT POST-INTERVENTION, 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP, AND 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. DISCUSSION: IN THIS ARTICLE, WE PRESENT THE CHALLENGES OF DESIGNING A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WITH LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP AMONG WOMEN WITH MBC. THESE CHALLENGES INCLUDE ENSURING ADEQUATE RECRUITMENT INCLUDING OF MINORITIES, LIMITING AND CONTROLLING FOR SELECTION BIAS, TAILORING OF THE YOGA INTERVENTION TO ADDRESS SPECIAL NEEDS, AND MAXIMIZING ADHERENCE AND RETENTION. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH ADVANCED CANCER, INCLUDING PRELIMINARY DATA ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR MBC PATIENTS. THIS INVESTIGATION WILL ALSO ESTABLISH RIGOROUS METHODS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH INTO YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR THIS POPULATION. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFER: NCT01927081 , REGISTERED AUGUST 16, 2013. 2017