1 2405 170 YOGA AND EXERCISE FOR SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN PEOPLE WITH POSTSTROKE DISABILITY: A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED PILOT TRIAL. CONTEXT: MOOD DISORDERS ARE PREVALENT IN PEOPLE AFTER STROKE, AND A DISORDER'S ONSET CAN EXACERBATE STROKE-RELATED DISABILITIES. WHILE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE MENTAL-HEALTH BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATION IN EXERCISE AND YOGA, IT IS UNKNOWN WHETHER SUCH BENEFITS EXTEND TO A POPULATION WITH POSTSTROKE HEMIPARESIS. OBJECTIVE: THE STUDY INVESTIGATED WHETHER SUPPLEMENTING EXERCISE WITH PARTICIPATION IN A YOGA PROGRAM WOULD PROVIDE FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-REPORTED SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN A CHRONIC POSTSTROKE POPULATION, AND IT ALSO ASSESSED TRIAL FEASIBILITY FOR FUTURE STUDIES. DESIGN: THE RESEARCH TEAM DESIGNED A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED PILOT TRIAL THAT INCLUDED AN EXERCISE-ONLY GROUP (EX, CONTROL) AND A YOGA-AND-EXERCISE GROUP (YEX, INTERVENTION). SETTING: THE STUDY TOOK PLACE AT THE CENTRE FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN AGEING AN EXERCISE REHABILITATION AND ACTIVITY CENTER AT THE ROYAL ADELAIDE HOSPITAL IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. PARTICIPANTS: THE PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED 14 INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC POSTSTROKE HEMIPARESIS: EIGHT IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP AND SIX IN THE CONTROL GROUP. INTERVENTIONS: THE YEX GROUP PARTICIPATED IN A 6-WEEK STANDARDIZED PROGRAM THAT INCLUDED YOGA IN WEEKLY GROUP SESSIONS AND HOME PRACTICE IN ADDITION TO EXERCISE IN A WEEKLY GROUP CLASS. THE EX GROUP PARTICIPATED ONLY IN THE GROUP EXERCISE CLASS WEEKLY FOR 6 WEEKS. OUTCOME MEASURES: THE RESEARCH TEAM ASSESSED SELF-REPORTED SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION USING THE GERIATRIC DEPRESSION SCALE (GDS15) AND SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AND NEGATIVE AFFECT USING THE STATE TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY (STAI). THE TEAM BASED THE FEASIBILITY EVALUATION ON RECRUITMENT OUTCOMES, RETENTION OF PARTICIPANTS, PARTICIPANTS' COMPLIANCE WITH THE INTERVENTION PROGRAM, AND THE SAFETY OF THE INTERVENTION. RESULTS: CHANGES IN DEPRESSION AND STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFER BETWEEN INTERVENTION GROUPS (GDS15 P=.749, STAI-Y1, P=.595, STAI-Y2, P=.407). COMPARISON OF INDIVIDUALS' CASE RESULTS INDICATED CLINICALLY RELEVANT IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTH GROUPS, ALTHOUGH MEMBERS OF THE INTERVENTION GROUP HAD GREATER IMPROVEMENTS. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED NO ADVERSE EVENTS, AND THE STUDY EXPERIENCED HIGH RETENTION OF PARTICIPANTS AND HIGH COMPLIANCE IN THE YOGA PROGRAM. CONCLUSIONS: THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDES PRELIMINARY DATA ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA COMBINED WITH EXERCISE TO INFLUENCE MOOD POSTSTROKE. IT IS A FEASIBLE, SAFE, AND ACCEPTABLE INTERVENTION, AND THE FIELD REQUIRES ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATIONS WITH A LARGER SAMPLE SIZE. 2012 2 1864 46 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA FOR CHRONIC POSTSTROKE HEMIPARESIS: MOTOR FUNCTION, MENTAL HEALTH, AND QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES. PURPOSE: TO ASSESS THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR MOTOR FUNCTION, MENTAL HEALTH, AND QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES IN PERSONS WITH CHRONIC POSTSTROKE HEMIPARESIS. METHOD: TWENTY-TWO INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATED IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL INVOLVING ASSESSMENT OF TASK-ORIENTATED FUNCTION, BALANCE, MOBILITY, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE DOMAINS BEFORE AND AFTER EITHER A 10-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION (N = 11) OR NO TREATMENT (N = 11). RESULTS: THE YOGA INTERVENTION DID NOT RESULT IN ANY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN OBJECTIVE MOTOR FUNCTION MEASURES, HOWEVER THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF LIFE ASSOCIATED WITH PERCEIVED MOTOR FUNCTION (P = .0001) AND IMPROVEMENTS IN PERCEIVED RECOVERY APPROACHED SIGNIFICANCE (P = .072). MEMORY-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE SCORES SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED AFTER YOGA INTERVENTION (P = .022), AND THOSE PARTICIPATING IN THE INTERVENTION EXHIBITED CLINICALLY RELEVANT DECREASES IN STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY. CONCLUSIONS: PRELIMINARY RESULTS OFFER PROMISE FOR YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PERSONS WITH STROKE-RELATED ACTIVITY LIMITATIONS. THERE IS A NEED TO MORE RIGOROUSLY EVALUATE THESE YOGA BENEFITS WITH A LARGER RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, WHICH, BASED ON THIS PRELIMINARY TRIAL, IS FEASIBLE. 2014 3 255 45 A YOGA-BASED EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC POSTSTROKE HEMIPARESIS. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: THIS WAS A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA-BASED EXERCISE PROGRAM ON PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC (GREATER THAN 9 MONTHS) POSTSTROKE HEMIPARESIS. MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD A STROKE REPORT AN IMPAIRED HEALTH STATUS BECAUSE OF A REDUCED LEVEL OF ACTIVITY. PROPONENTS OF YOGA CONTEND THAT IT OFFERS A GENTLE ALTERNATIVE EXERCISE PROGRAM THAT CAN BE EASILY ADAPTED FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD A STROKE. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: FOUR SUBJECTS WITH CHRONIC POSTSTROKE HEMIPARESIS PARTICIPATED IN THIS SINGLE-CASE STUDY. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES WERE THE BERG BALANCE SCALE (BBS) AND THE TIMED MOVEMENT BATTERY (TMB). A SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS THE STROKE IMPACT SCALE (SIS). THE BASELINE TESTING PHASE VARIED FOR EACH SUBJECT AND RANGED FROM 4 TO 7 WEEKS. THE 8-WEEK INTERVENTION PHASE CONSISTED OF 1.5-HOUR YOGA SESSIONS, 2 TIMES PER WEEK, IN THE SUBJECT'S HOME. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME DATA WERE COLLECTED EACH WEEK, AND THE SECONDARY OUTCOME DATA WERE COLLECTED BEFORE THE BASELINE TESTING PHASE AND BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PHASE. RESULTS: SUBJECTS 1, 2, AND 4 HAD IMPROVED TMB SCORES, AND SUBJECTS 3 AND 4 HAD IMPROVED BBS SCORES. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY BE BENEFICIAL TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD A STROKE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS WARRANTED TO FURTHER EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN THIS POPULATION. 2004 4 1242 62 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 5 112 41 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 6 115 32 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 7 2222 58 THE IMPACT OF MODIFIED HATHA YOGA ON CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: A PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS RANDOMIZED PILOT STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE A POSSIBLE DESIGN FOR A 6-WEEK MODIFIED HATHA YOGA PROTOCOL TO STUDY THE EFFECTS ON PARTICIPANTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. PARTICIPANTS: TWENTY-TWO PARTICIPANTS (M = 4; F = 17), BETWEEN THE AGES OF 30 AND 65, WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) WERE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER AN IMMEDIATE YOGA BASED INTERVENTION, OR TO A CONTROL GROUP WITH NO TREATMENT DURING THE OBSERVATION PERIOD BUT RECEIVED LATER YOGA TRAINING. METHODS: A SPECIFIC CLBP YOGA PROTOCOL DESIGNED AND MODIFIED FOR THIS POPULATION BY A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR WAS ADMINISTERED FOR ONE HOUR, TWICE A WEEK FOR 6 WEEKS. PRIMARY FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED THE FORWARD REACH (FR) AND SIT AND REACH (SR) TESTS. ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED OSWESTRY DISABILITY INDEX (ODI) AND BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY (BDI) QUESTIONNAIRES. GUIDING QUESTIONS WERE USED FOR QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS TO ASCERTAIN HOW YOGA PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED THE INSTRUCTOR, GROUP DYNAMICS, AND THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON THEIR LIFE. ANALYSIS: TO ACCOUNT FOR DROP OUTS, THE DATA WERE DIVIDED INTO BETTER OR NOT CATEGORIES, AND ANALYZED USING CHI-SQUARE TO EXAMINE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GROUPS. QUALITATIVE DATA WERE ANALYZED THROUGH FREQUENCY OF POSITIVE RESPONSES. RESULTS: POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT TRENDS IN THE FUNCTIONAL MEASUREMENT SCORES SHOWED IMPROVED BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY AND DECREASED DISABILITY AND DEPRESSION FOR THE YOGA GROUP BUT THIS PILOT WAS NOT POWERED TO REACH STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE. SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS INCLUDED A HIGH DROPOUT RATE IN THE CONTROL GROUP AND LARGE BASELINE DIFFERENCES IN THE SECONDARY MEASURES. IN ADDITION, ANALYSIS OF THE QUALITATIVE DATA REVEALED THE FOLLOWING FREQUENCY OF RESPONSES (1) GROUP INTERVENTION MOTIVATED THE PARTICIPANTS AND (2) YOGA FOSTERED RELAXATION AND NEW AWARENESS/LEARNING. CONCLUSION: A MODIFIED YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MAY BENEFIT INDIVIDUALS WITH CLB, BUT A LARGER STUDY IS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE DEFINITIVE EVIDENCE. ALSO, THE IMPACT ON DEPRESSION AND DISABILITY COULD BE CONSIDERED AS IMPORTANT OUTCOMES FOR FURTHER STUDY. ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME MEASURES SHOULD BE EXPLORED. THIS PILOT STUDY SUPPORTS THE NEED FOR MORE RESEARCH INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF YOGA FOR THIS POPULATION. 2004 8 345 46 ASSESSING FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA AND GROUP CBT FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH DEPRESSION: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. PURPOSE: GIVEN INCREASING RATES OF DEPRESSION IN ADOLESCENTS, THERE IS A CLEAR NEED FOR INNOVATIVE TREATMENTS. IN THIS PILOT RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL, WE ASSESSED ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF TWO GROUP-BASED INTERVENTIONS: YOGA AND COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT). THE GOAL OF THIS WORK IS TO PREPARE FOR A FUTURE FULLY POWERED RANDOMIZED TRIAL TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT YOGA IS NOT INFERIOR TO AN ESTABLISHED ADOLESCENT DEPRESSION TREATMENT, NAMELY, GROUP CBT. METHODS: WE ENROLLED 42 ADOLESCENTS WITH ELEVATED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A 12-WEEK GROUP-BASED INTERVENTION, YOGA OR CBT. WE HAD A PRIORI FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY TARGETS, INCLUDING FOR RECRUITMENT RATE, RETENTION RATE, EXPECTANCY, CREDIBILITY, PROGRAM SATISFACTION, CLASS ATTENDANCE, ENGAGEMENT IN HOME PRACTICE, AND INSTRUCTOR/LEADER MANUAL ADHERENCE. WE ASSESSED ADVERSE EVENTS, AND WITHIN-SUBJECT CHANGES IN OUTCOMES (DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, IMPAIRMENT, SLEEP DISTURBANCE) AND POSSIBLE MEDIATORS (MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION). RESULTS: BOTH INTERVENTIONS MET MOST ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY TARGETS. THE ONLY TARGET NOT MET RELATED TO LOW ENGAGEMENT IN HOME PRACTICE. PARTICIPANTS WITHIN EACH STUDY ARM SHOWED DECREASED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS OVER TIME AND INCREASED SELF-COMPASSION. CONCLUSIONS: A YOGA INTERVENTION APPEARS TO BE ACCEPTABLE AND FEASIBLE TO ADOLESCENTS WITH DEPRESSION. HOWEVER, IT MAY BE CHALLENGING FOR THIS GROUP TO ENGAGE IN UNSTRUCTURED HOME PRACTICE. 2022 9 1182 40 EVALUATION OF THE MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL: A PRELIMINARY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. THE GOAL OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE POTENTIAL MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR ADOLESCENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOL. STUDENTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER REGULAR PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES OR TO 11 WEEKS OF YOGA SESSIONS BASED UPON THE YOGA ED PROGRAM OVER A SINGLE SEMESTER. STUDENTS COMPLETED BASELINE AND END-PROGRAM SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF MOOD, ANXIETY, PERCEIVED STRESS, RESILIENCE, AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH VARIABLES. INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF INDIVIDUAL OUTCOME MEASURES REVEALED THAT YOGA PARTICIPANTS SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES OVER TIME RELATIVE TO CONTROLS ON MEASURES OF ANGER CONTROL AND FATIGUE/INERTIA. MOST OUTCOME MEASURES EXHIBITED A PATTERN OF WORSENING IN THE CONTROL GROUP OVER TIME, WHEREAS CHANGES IN THE YOGA GROUP OVER TIME WERE EITHER MINIMAL OR SHOWED SLIGHT IMPROVEMENTS. THESE PRELIMINARY RESULTS SUGGEST THAT IMPLEMENTATION OF YOGA IS ACCEPTABLE AND FEASIBLE IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL SETTING AND HAS THE POTENTIAL OF PLAYING A PROTECTIVE OR PREVENTIVE ROLE IN MAINTAINING MENTAL HEALTH. 2012 10 1243 54 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 11 159 39 A RANDOMISED COMPARATIVE TRIAL OF YOGA AND RELAXATION TO REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY. OBJECTIVE: TO COMPARE YOGA AND RELAXATION AS TREATMENT MODALITIES AT 10 AND 16 WEEKS FROM STUDY BASELINE TO DETERMINE IF EITHER OF MODALITY REDUCES SUBJECT STRESS, ANXIETY, BLOOD PRESSURE AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE. DESIGN: A RANDOMISED COMPARATIVE TRIAL WAS UNDERTAKEN COMPARING YOGA WITH RELAXATION. PARTICIPANTS: ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-ONE SUBJECTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE LEVELS OF STRESS WERE RECRUITED FROM THE COMMUNITY IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. INTERVENTIONS: TEN WEEKLY 1- H SESSIONS OF RELAXATION OR HATHA YOGA. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: CHANGES IN THE STATE TRAIT PERSONALITY INVENTORY SUB-SCALE ANXIETY, GENERAL HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE AND THE SHORT FORM-36. RESULTS: FOLLOWING THE 10 WEEK INTERVENTION STRESS, ANXIETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE SCORES IMPROVED OVER TIME. YOGA WAS FOUND TO BE AS EFFECTIVE AS RELAXATION IN REDUCING STRESS, ANXIETY AND IMPROVING HEALTH STATUS ON SEVEN DOMAINS OF THE SF-36. YOGA WAS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN RELAXATION IN IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH. AT THE END OF THE 6 WEEK FOLLOW-UP PERIOD THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS IN LEVELS OF STRESS, ANXIETY AND ON FIVE DOMAINS OF THE SF-36. VITALITY, SOCIAL FUNCTION AND MENTAL HEALTH SCORES ON THE SF-36 WERE HIGHER IN THE RELAXATION GROUP DURING THE FOLLOW-UP PERIOD. CONCLUSION: YOGA APPEARS TO PROVIDE A COMPARABLE IMPROVEMENT IN STRESS, ANXIETY AND HEALTH STATUS COMPARED TO RELAXATION. 2007 12 1241 58 FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A POTENTIALLY LOW RISK INTERVENTION FOR COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT THAT COMBINES MENTAL AND PHYSICAL PRACTICE AND INCLUDES INSTRUCTION ON BREATHING, STRESS REDUCTION, AND MINDFULNESS MEDITATION. PREVIOUS RESEARCH DOCUMENTS THAT YOGA CAN TARGET MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS FOR MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT (MCI) PROGRESSION. THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE A RANDOMIZED FEASIBILITY TRIAL OF YOGA FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MCI. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE 37 INDIVIDUALS WITH AMNESTIC MCI WHO WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO RECEIVE 12 WEEKS OF TWICE-WEEKLY YOGA INTERVENTION (YI) OR HEALTHY LIVING EDUCATION (HLE) CLASSES. ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY WERE ASSESSED BY TRACKING ADVERSE EVENTS, CLASS ATTENDANCE, AND PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL AND MOOD MEASURES AS WELL AS MEASURES OF POTENTIAL INTERVENTION MECHANISMS AT BASELINE AND IMMEDIATELY POSTINTERVENTION. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS IN BOTH CONDITIONS REPORTED HIGH LEVELS OF SATISFACTION AND REASONABLE CLASS ATTENDANCE RATES. HOME PRACTICE RATES WERE LOW. THERE WERE NO ADVERSE EVENTS DEEMED RELATED TO THE YI. RESULTS SHOWED A MEDIUM EFFECT SIZE IN FAVOR OF THE YI IN VISUOSPATIAL SKILLS. THE YOGA GROUP ALSO SHOWED A LARGE EFFECT SIZE INDICATING DECLINE IN PERCEIVED STRESS COMPARED WITH THE HLE GROUP, WHEREAS HLE RESULTED IN GREATER REDUCTIONS IN DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AFTER THE INTERVENTION (LARGE EFFECT SIZE). CONCLUSIONS: STUDY FINDINGS INDICATED THAT THE YI WAS SAFE, MODESTLY FEASIBLE, AND ACCEPTABLE TO OLDER ADULTS WITH MCI. THE AUTHORS FOUND PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE THAT YOGA MAY IMPROVE VISUOSPATIAL FUNCTIONING IN INDIVIDUALS WITH MCI. RESULTS SUPPORT STRESS REDUCTION AS A POSSIBLE MECHANISM FOR THE YI. FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD ADDRESS A YI IN A LARGER SAMPLE AND INCLUDE STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE ENGAGEMENT AND HOME PRACTICE. 2022 13 1483 38 INTEGRATING YOGA WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL GROUP-TREATMENT FOR MIXED DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN PRIMARY HEALTHCARE: AN EXPLORATIVE PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: YOGA HAS SHOWN PROMISE AS A TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. THE PRESENT PILOT STUDY INVESTIGATED THE FEASIBILITY OF AN EIGHT-WEEK GROUPTREATMENT INTEGRATING EMOTION-FOCUSED PSYCHOEDUCATION, COMPASSION-FOCUSED THERAPY, AND VIRYA YOGA FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN PRIMARY HEALTHCARE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PATIENTS SEEKING TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN A PRIMARY HEALTHCARE CENTRE COMPLETED EITHER AN INTEGRATIVE GROUP-TREATMENT (N = 14) OR TREATMENT AS USUAL (TAU, N = 17). OUTCOME MEASURES WERE ANALYSED PRE- AND POSTTREATMENT. CORRELATIONS IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP WERE INVESTIGATED BETWEEN TREATMENT OUTCOMES AND AMOUNT OF YOGA PRACTICE BETWEEN SESSIONS. RESULTS: LARGE WITHIN-GROUP EFFECT SIZES ON ALL OUTCOME MEASURES WERE FOUND AT POSTTREATMENT. SYMPTOM REDUCTION DID NOT DIFFER BETWEEN GROUPS (P = 0.155). IMPROVEMENT IN ALEXITHYMIA CORRELATED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < 0.05) WITH AMOUNT OF YOGA PRACTICE BETWEEN SESSIONS. CONCLUSION: INTEGRATING YOGA WITH A PSYCHOLOGICAL GROUP-TREATMENT IS A SOMEWHAT FEASIBLE APPROACH TO TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN PRIMARY HEALTHCARE. 2020 14 901 46 EFFECTIVENESS OF A BRIEF ADJUNCTIVE YOGA INTERVENTION FOR SHORT-TERM MOOD AND PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOM CHANGE DURING PARTIAL HOSPITALIZATION. OBJECTIVE: EVIDENCE CONCERNING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN PARTIAL HOSPITAL PROGRAMS IS LIMITED. YET, PARTIAL HOSPITALS PROVIDE TREATMENT AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE BY BRIDGING INPATIENT AND OUTPATIENT CARE. THE PRESENT STUDY TESTED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A SINGLE-SESSION GROUP YOGA INTERVENTION FOR SHORT-TERM MOOD AND PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOM CHANGE IN PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING A 1- TO 2-WEEK PARTIAL HOSPITAL PROGRAM. METHOD: PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED 104 PARTIAL HOSPITAL PATIENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE SINGLE-SESSION YOGA INTERVENTION AND COMPLETED A MEASURE OF POSITIVE/NEGATIVE AFFECT BEFORE AND AFTER THE GROUP. PARTICIPANTS, AS WELL AS PARTIAL HOSPITAL PATIENTS WHO DID NOT ATTEND THE YOGA INTERVENTION (N = 438), COMPLETED MEASURES OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS AT ADMISSION AND DISCHARGE FROM THE PROGRAM. AT DISCHARGE, THEY ALSO RATED THEIR PERCEIVED IMPROVEMENT AND THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THE CARE THEY RECEIVED. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS WHO ATTENDED THE YOGA INTERVENTION EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT DURING THE GROUP. THEY DID NOT SHOW GREATER IMPROVEMENTS IN SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION OVER THE COURSE OF TREATMENT COMPARED TO INDIVIDUALS WHO DID NOT ATTEND THE GROUP. YOGA INTERVENTION PARTICIPANTS NONETHELESS GAVE HIGHER RATINGS TO THE QUALITY OF THE CARE THEY RECEIVED. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: FINDINGS DEMONSTRATED THAT ATTENDING A SINGLE YOGA SESSION DURING PARTIAL HOSPITALIZATION WAS ASSOCIATED WITH SHORT-TERM MOOD BENEFITS, AND WITH ENHANCED OVERALL PERCEPTIONS OF TREATMENT. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO DETERMINE THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH PARTICIPATION IN YOGA DURING PARTIAL HOSPITALIZATION COULD CONTRIBUTE TO SYMPTOM CHANGE IN THIS CONTEXT. (PSYCINFO DATABASE RECORD (C) 2019 APA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED). 2019 15 444 35 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 16 719 42 EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA ON MENTAL HEALTH OF INCARCERATED WOMEN: A FEASIBILITY STUDY. BACKGROUND: INCARCERATED WOMEN SHARE A DISPROPORTIONATE BURDEN OF MENTAL ILLNESS. ALTHOUGH PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO WOMEN IN PRISON, ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT MODALITIES, SUCH AS IYENGAR YOGA, MAY INCREASE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. OBJECTIVES: THE PURPOSES OF THIS STUDY WERE (A) TO ADDRESS THE FEASIBILITY OF PROVIDING A GENDER-RESPONSIVE EXERCISE INTERVENTION WITHIN A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AND (B) TO OBSERVE THE EFFECT OF A GROUP-FORMAT IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM THAT MET TWO SESSIONS A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS ON LEVELS OF DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS, ANXIETY SYMPTOMS, AND PERCEIVED STRESS AMONG INCARCERATED WOMEN. METHODS: A REPEATED MEASURES DESIGN, IN WHICH EACH PARTICIPANT SERVED AS HER OWN CONTROL, WAS USED. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THREE SELF-ADMINISTERED INSTRUMENTS: THE BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, THE BECK ANXIETY INVENTORY, AND THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE BEFORE TREATMENT (BASELINE) AND DURING TREATMENT (WEEKS 4, 8, AND 12). LINEAR MIXED EFFECTS MODELS WERE USED TO EXAMINE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN MENTAL HEALTH MEASURES OVER TIME, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ALL AVAILABLE DATA. RESULTS: ALTHOUGH 21 WOMEN INITIALLY PARTICIPATED IN THE INTERVENTION, 6 WOMEN COMPLETED THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION. A SIGNIFICANT LINEAR DECREASE WAS DEMONSTRATED IN SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION OVER TIME, WITH MEAN VALUES CHANGING FROM 24.90 AT BASELINE TO 5.67 AT WEEK 12. THERE WAS A MARGINALLY SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN ANXIETY OVER TIME (12.00 AT BASELINE TO 7.33 AT WEEK 12) AND A NONLINEAR CHANGE IN STRESS OVER TIME, WITH DECREASES FROM BASELINE TO WEEK 4 AND SUBSEQUENT INCREASES TO WEEK 12. DISCUSSION: WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROGRAM EXPERIENCED FEWER SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY OVER TIME. FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY MAY BE USED TO IMPROVE FUTURE INTERVENTIONS FOCUSING ON THE HEALTH OUTCOMES OF INCARCERATED WOMEN. 2010 17 2811 52 YOGA TO PREVENT MOBILITY LIMITATIONS IN OLDER ADULTS: FEASIBILITY OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: THE LOSS OF MOBILITY DURING AGING IMPACTS INDEPENDENCE AND LEADS TO FURTHER DISABILITY, MORBIDITY, AND REDUCED LIFE EXPECTANCY. OUR OBJECTIVE WAS TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND SAFETY OF CONDUCTING A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA FOR OLDER ADULTS AT RISK FOR MOBILITY LIMITATIONS. METHODS: SEDENTARY OLDER ADULTS (N = 46; AGE 60-89) WERE RECRUITED AND RANDOMIZED TO EITHER YOGA OR A HEALTH EDUCATION COMPARISON GROUP. YOGA SESSIONS (60-MIN) OCCURRED 2X WEEKLY, AND 90-MIN HEALTH EDUCATION SESSIONS OCCURRED WEEKLY, FOR 10 WEEKS. THE PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE RECRUITMENT RATE, INTERVENTION ATTENDANCE, AND RETENTION AT ASSESSMENTS. ADVERSE EVENT RATES AND PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION WERE ALSO MEASURED. PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES OF GAIT, BALANCE, AND STRENGTH AND SELF-REPORT OUTCOME MEASURES WERE ADMINISTERED AT BASELINE AND 10-WEEKS. RESULTS: RECRUITMENT LASTED 6 MONTHS. RETENTION OF PARTICIPANTS AT THE 10-WEEK FOLLOW-UP WAS HIGH (89% - PERFORMANCE MEASURES; 98% - SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES). ATTENDANCE WAS GOOD WITH 82% OF YOGA AND 74% OF HEALTH EDUCATION PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING AT LEAST 50% OF THE SESSIONS. NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS WERE REPORTED. PATIENT SATISFACTION WITH THE INTERVENTIONS WAS HIGH. THE MEAN EFFECT SIZE FOR THE PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES WAS 0.35 WITH SOME OVER 0.50. THE MEAN EFFECT SIZE FOR SELF-REPORT OUTCOME MEASURES WAS 0.36. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS INDICATE THAT IT IS FEASIBLE TO CONDUCT A LARGER RCT OF YOGA FOR SEDENTARY OLDER ADULTS AT RISK FOR MOBILITY PROBLEMS. THE YOGA AND COMPARISON INTERVENTIONS WERE SAFE, WELL ACCEPTED, AND WELL ATTENDED. EFFECT SIZES SUGGEST YOGA MAY HAVE IMPORTANT BENEFITS FOR THIS POPULATION AND SHOULD BE STUDIED FURTHER. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS # NCT03544879 ; RETROSPECTIVELY REGISTERED 4 JUNE, 2018. 2018 18 282 45 ADHERENCE TO YOGA AND EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS IN A 6-MONTH CLINICAL TRIAL. BACKGROUND: TO DETERMINE FACTORS THAT PREDICT ADHERENCE TO A MIND-BODY INTERVENTION IN A RANDOMIZED TRIAL. DESIGN: WE ANALYZED ADHERENCE DATA FROM A 3-ARM TRIAL INVOLVING 135 GENERALLY HEALTHY SENIORS 65-85 YEARS OF AGE RANDOMIZED TO A 6-MONTH INTERVENTION CONSISTING OF: AN IYENGAR YOGA CLASS WITH HOME PRACTICE, AN EXERCISE CLASS WITH HOME PRACTICE, OR A WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED COGNITIVE FUNCTION, MOOD, FATIGUE, ANXIETY, HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, AND PHYSICAL MEASURES. ADHERENCE TO THE INTERVENTION WAS OBTAINED BY CLASS ATTENDANCE AND BIWEEKLY HOME PRACTICE LOGS. RESULTS: THE DROP-OUT RATE WAS 13%. AMONG THE COMPLETERS OF THE TWO ACTIVE INTERVENTIONS, AVERAGE YOGA CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS 77% AND HOME PRACTICE OCCURRED 64% OF ALL DAYS. AVERAGE EXERCISE CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS 69% AND HOME EXERCISE OCCURRED 54% OF ALL DAYS. THERE WERE NO CLEAR EFFECTS OF ADHERENCE ON THE SIGNIFICANT STUDY OUTCOMES (QUALITY OF LIFE AND PHYSICAL MEASURES). CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH BASELINE MEASURES OF DEPRESSION, FATIGUE, AND PHYSICAL COMPONENTS OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN BASELINE MEASURES WERE ALSO FOUND BETWEEN STUDY COMPLETERS AND DROP-OUTS IN THE ACTIVE INTERVENTIONS. ADHERENCE WAS NOT RELATED TO AGE, GENDER, OR EDUCATION LEVEL. CONCLUSION: HEALTHY SENIORS HAVE GOOD ATTENDANCE AT CLASSES WITH A PHYSICALLY ACTIVE INTERVENTION. HOME PRACTICE TAKES PLACE OVER HALF OF THE TIME. DECREASED ADHERENCE TO A POTENTIALLY BENEFICIAL INTERVENTION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DECREASE THE EFFECT OF THE INTERVENTION IN A CLINICAL TRIAL BECAUSE SUBJECTS WHO MIGHT SUSTAIN THE GREATEST BENEFIT WILL RECEIVE A LOWER DOSE OF THE INTERVENTION AND SUBJECTS WITH HIGHER ADHERENCE RATES MAY BE FUNCTIONING CLOSER TO MAXIMUM ABILITY BEFORE THE INTERVENTION. STRATEGIES TO MAXIMIZE ADHERENCE AMONG SUBJECTS AT GREATER RISK FOR LOW ADHERENCE WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR FUTURE TRIALS, ESPECIALLY COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENTS REQUIRING GREATER EFFORT THAN SIMPLE PILL-TAKING. 2007 19 2628 56 YOGA FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PAIN AND SLEEP IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF A RELAXATION-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, DESIGNED AND REPORTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH DELPHI RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED FROM A HOSPITAL DATABASE, AND RANDOMIZED TO EITHER EIGHT WEEKLY 75-MIN YOGA CLASSES OR A USUAL CARE CONTROL. FEASIBILITY WAS DETERMINED BY RECRUITMENT RATES, RETENTION, PROTOCOL ADHERENCE, PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION AND ADVERSE EVENTS. SECONDARY PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES WERE ASSESSED USING SELF-REPORTED QUESTIONNAIRES AT BASELINE (WEEK 0), WEEK 9 (PRIMARY TIME POINT) AND WEEK 12 (FOLLOW-UP). RESULTS: OVER A 3-MONTH PERIOD, 26 PARTICIPANTS WITH MILD PAIN, MILD TO MODERATE FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY AND MODERATE DISEASE ACTIVITY WERE RECRUITED INTO THE STUDY (25% RECRUITMENT RATE). RETENTION RATES WERE 100% FOR YOGA PARTICIPANTS AND 92% FOR USUAL CARE PARTICIPANTS AT BOTH WEEKS 9 AND 12. PROTOCOL ADHERENCE AND PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION WERE HIGH. YOGA PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED A MEDIAN OF SEVEN CLASSES; ADDITIONALLY, SEVEN OF THE YOGA PARTICIPANTS (54%) REPORTED CONTINUING YOGA AT HOME DURING THE FOLLOW-UP PERIOD. NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS WERE RELATED TO THE STUDY. SECONDARY OUTCOMES SHOWED NO GROUP EFFECTS OF YOGA COMPARED WITH USUAL CARE. CONCLUSIONS: A RELAXATION-BASED YOGA PROGRAMME WAS FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE AND SAFE FOR PARTICIPANTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS-RELATED PAIN AND FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY. ADVERSE EVENTS WERE MINOR, AND NOT UNEXPECTED FROM AN INTERVENTION INCLUDING PHYSICAL COMPONENTS. THIS PILOT PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR LARGER INTERVENTION STUDIES, AND SUPPORTS FURTHER EXPLORATION OF YOGA AS A COMPLEX INTERVENTION TO ASSIST WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. 2018 20 1684 33 OPEN TRIAL OF VINYASA YOGA FOR PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS: EVIDENCE OF FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF VINYASA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSED PATIENTS WHO WERE NOT RESPONDING ADEQUATELY TO ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATION. THE AUTHORS ALSO PLANNED TO ASK PARTICIPANTS FOR QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK ON THEIR EXPERIENCE OF THE CLASS AND TO ASSESS CHANGE OVER TIME IN DEPRESSION AND IN POSSIBLE MEDIATING VARIABLES. THE AUTHORS RECRUITED 11 PARTICIPANTS IN 1 MONTH FOR AN 8-WEEK OPEN TRIAL OF YOGA CLASSES. THEY FOUND THAT 10 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS, 9 OF 10 WERE POSITIVE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE, AND ALL PROVIDED FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT WAS AND WAS NOT HELPFUL ABOUT YOGA, AS WELL AS BARRIERS TO CLASS ATTENDANCE. OVER THE 2-MONTH PERIOD, PARTICIPANTS EXHIBITED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AND SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN AN ASPECT OF MINDFULNESS AND IN BEHAVIOR ACTIVATION. THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE VINYASA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION. THE NEXT STEP REQUIRED IS A RIGOROUS RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. 2010