1 2553 96 YOGA FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS AFTER COMPLETING CANCER TREATMENT. SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER MAY EXPERIENCE PERSISTENT SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, AND BALANCE IMPAIRMENT. YOGA IS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY THAT IMPROVES FATIGUE, SLEEP, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. USING A ONE GROUP, REPEATED MEASURES DESIGN, WE EVALUATED THE FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA PROGRAM AND ASSESSED IF CANCER SURVIVOR PARTICIPANTS AGES 10 TO 17 YEARS (N = 13) HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LESS FATIGUE AND ANXIETY, AND BETTER BALANCE AND SLEEP, AFTER A 6-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION COMPARED WITH A 6-WEEK PRE-INTERVENTION WAIT PERIOD. STUDY RECRUITMENT WAS CHALLENGING WITH A 32% ENROLLMENT RATE; YOGA ATTENDANCE WAS 90%. NONE OF THE SCORES FOR ANXIETY, FATIGUE, SLEEP, AND BALANCE HAD SIGNIFICANT CHANGES DURING THE WAIT PERIOD. AFTER THE 6-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM, CHILDREN (N = 7) HAD A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN ANXIETY SCORE (P = .04) WHILE ADOLESCENT SCORES (N = 7) SHOWED A DECREASING TREND (P = .10). SCORES FOR FATIGUE, SLEEP, AND BALANCE REMAINED STABLE POST-INTERVENTION. FATIGUE AND BALANCE SCORES WERE BELOW NORMS FOR HEALTH CHILDREN/ADOLESCENTS WHILE SLEEP AND ANXIETY SCORES WERE SIMILAR TO HEALTHY PEERS. 2016 2 2508 38 YOGA BREATHING FOR CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY-ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE: RESULTS OF A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: MANY DEBILITATING SYMPTOMS ARISE FROM CANCER AND ITS TREATMENT THAT ARE OFTEN UNRELIEVED BY ESTABLISHED METHODS. PRANAYAMA, A SERIES OF YOGIC BREATHING TECHNIQUES, MAY IMPROVE CANCER-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN STUDIED FOR THIS PURPOSE. OBJECTIVES: A PILOT STUDY WAS PERFORMED TO EVALUATE FEASIBILITY AND TO TEST THE EFFECTS OF PRANAYAMA ON CANCER-ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. DESIGN: THIS WAS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL COMPARING PRANAYAMA TO USUAL CARE. SETTING: THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AT A UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER. SUBJECTS: PATIENTS RECEIVING CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY WERE RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE PRANAYAMA IMMEDIATELY OR AFTER A WAITING PERIOD (CONTROL GROUP). INTERVENTIONS: THE PRANAYAMA INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF FOUR BREATHING TECHNIQUES TAUGHT IN WEEKLY CLASSES AND PRACTICED AT HOME. THE TREATMENT GROUP RECEIVED PRANAYAMA DURING TWO CONSECUTIVE CYCLES OF CHEMOTHERAPY. THE CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED USUAL CARE DURING THEIR FIRST CYCLE, AND RECEIVED PRANAYAMA DURING THEIR SECOND CYCLE OF CHEMOTHERAPY. OUTCOME MEASURES: FEASIBILITY, CANCER-ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS (FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, STRESS), AND QUALITY OF LIFE WERE THE OUTCOMES. RESULTS: CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS NEARLY 100% IN BOTH GROUPS. SIXTEEN (16) PARTICIPANTS WERE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL INTENT-TO-TREAT ANALYSES. THE REPEATED-MEASURES ANALYSES DEMONSTRATED THAT ANY INCREASE IN PRANAYAMA DOSE, WITH DOSE MEASURED IN THE NUMBER OF HOURS PRACTICED IN CLASS OR AT HOME, RESULTED IN IMPROVED SYMPTOM AND QUALITY-OF-LIFE SCORES. SEVERAL OF THESE ASSOCIATIONS--SLEEP DISTURBANCE (P=0.04), ANXIETY (P=0.04), AND MENTAL QUALITY OF LIFE (P=0.05)--REACHED OR APPROACHED STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA BREATHING WAS A FEASIBLE INTERVENTION AMONG PATIENTS WITH CANCER RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY. PRANAYAMA MAY IMPROVE SLEEP DISTURBANCE, ANXIETY, AND MENTAL QUALITY OF LIFE. A DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIP WAS FOUND BETWEEN PRANAYAMA USE AND IMPROVEMENTS IN CHEMOTHERAPY-ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. THESE FINDINGS NEED TO BE CONFIRMED IN A LARGER STUDY. 2012 3 2604 36 YOGA FOR PERSISTENT FATIGUE IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: CANCER-RELATED FATIGUE AFFLICTS UP TO 33% OF BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS, YET THERE ARE NO EMPIRICALLY VALIDATED TREATMENTS FOR THIS SYMPTOM. METHODS: THE AUTHORS CONDUCTED A 2-GROUP RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFICACY OF AN IYENGAR YOGA INTERVENTION FOR BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS WITH PERSISTENT POST-TREATMENT FATIGUE. PARTICIPANTS WERE BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS WHO HAD COMPLETED CANCER TREATMENTS (OTHER THAN ENDOCRINE THERAPY) AT LEAST 6 MONTHS BEFORE ENROLLMENT, REPORTED SIGNIFICANT CANCER-RELATED FATIGUE, AND HAD NO OTHER MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT WOULD ACCOUNT FOR FATIGUE SYMPTOMS OR INTERFERE WITH YOGA PRACTICE. BLOCK RANDOMIZATION WAS USED TO ASSIGN PARTICIPANTS TO A 12-WEEK, IYENGAR-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION OR TO 12 WEEKS OF HEALTH EDUCATION (CONTROL). THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS CHANGE IN FATIGUE MEASURED AT BASELINE, IMMEDIATELY POST-TREATMENT, AND 3 MONTHS AFTER TREATMENT COMPLETION. ADDITIONAL OUTCOMES INCLUDED CHANGES IN VIGOR, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, SLEEP, PERCEIVED STRESS, AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE. INTENT-TO-TREAT ANALYSES WERE CONDUCTED WITH ALL RANDOMIZED PARTICIPANTS USING LINEAR MIXED MODELS. RESULTS: THIRTY-ONE WOMEN WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO YOGA (N = 16) OR HEALTH EDUCATION (N = 15). FATIGUE SEVERITY DECLINED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM BASELINE TO POST-TREATMENT AND OVER A 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP IN THE YOGA GROUP RELATIVE TO CONTROLS (P = .032). IN ADDITION, THE YOGA GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN VIGOR RELATIVE TO CONTROLS (P = .011). BOTH GROUPS HAD POSITIVE CHANGES IN DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND PERCEIVED STRESS (P < .05). NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN SLEEP OR PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE WERE OBSERVED. CONCLUSIONS: A TARGETED YOGA INTERVENTION LED TO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN FATIGUE AND VIGOR AMONG BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS WITH PERSISTENT FATIGUE SYMPTOMS. 2012 4 428 24 CAN YOGA HAVE ANY EFFECT ON SHOULDER AND ARM PAIN AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER? A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED, SINGLE-BLIND TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SHOULDER AND ARM PAIN, QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), DEPRESSION, AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER. METHODS: THIS PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED STUDY INCLUDED 42 PATIENTS. THE PATIENTS IN GROUP 1 UNDERWENT A 10-WEEK HATHA YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM. THE PATIENTS IN GROUP 2 WERE INCLUDED IN A 10-WEEK FOLLOW-UP PROGRAM. OUR PRIMARY ENDPOINT WAS ARM AND SHOULDER PAIN INTENSITY. RESULTS: THE GROUP RECEIVING YOGA SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR PAIN SEVERITY FROM BASELINE TO POST-TREATMENT, AND THESE BENEFITS WERE MAINTAINED AT 2.5 MONTHS POST-TREATMENT. WHEN COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP, THERE WERE NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE 2 GROUPS WITH RESPECT TO THE PARAMETERS ASSESSED AT THE END OF WEEK 10. CONCLUSION: YOGA WAS AN EFFECTIVE AND SAFE EXERCISE FOR ALLEVIATING SHOULDER AND ARM PAIN, WHICH IS A COMPLICATION WITH A HIGH PREVALENCE IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER. 2018 5 2442 34 YOGA AND SELF-REPORTED COGNITIVE PROBLEMS IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: CANCER SURVIVORS OFTEN REPORT COGNITIVE PROBLEMS. FURTHERMORE, DECREASES IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TYPICALLY OCCUR OVER THE COURSE OF CANCER TREATMENT. ALTHOUGH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BENEFITS COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN NONCANCER POPULATIONS, EVIDENCE LINKING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN CANCER SURVIVORS IS LIMITED. IN OUR RECENT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS WHO RECEIVED A YOGA INTERVENTION HAD LOWER FATIGUE AND INFLAMMATION FOLLOWING THE TRIAL COMPARED WITH A WAIT LIST CONTROL GROUP. THIS SECONDARY ANALYSIS OF THE PARENT TRIAL ADDRESSED YOGA'S IMPACT ON COGNITIVE COMPLAINTS. METHODS: POSTTREATMENT STAGE 0-IIIA BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS (N = 200) WERE RANDOMIZED TO A 12-WEEK, TWICE-WEEKLY HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION OR A WAIT LIST CONTROL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED COGNITIVE COMPLAINTS USING THE BREAST CANCER PREVENTION TRIAL COGNITIVE PROBLEMS SCALE AT BASELINE, IMMEDIATELY POSTINTERVENTION, AND 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. RESULTS: COGNITIVE COMPLAINTS DID NOT DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY BETWEEN GROUPS IMMEDIATELY POSTINTERVENTION (P = 0.250). HOWEVER, AT 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP, YOGA PARTICIPANTS' BREAST CANCER PREVENTION TRIAL COGNITIVE PROBLEMS SCALE SCORES WERE AN AVERAGE OF 23% LOWER THAN WAIT LIST PARTICIPANTS' SCORES (P = 0.003). THESE GROUP DIFFERENCES IN COGNITIVE COMPLAINTS REMAINED AFTER CONTROLLING FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, FATIGUE, AND SLEEP QUALITY. CONSISTENT WITH THE PRIMARY RESULTS, THOSE WHO PRACTICED YOGA MORE FREQUENTLY REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER COGNITIVE PROBLEMS AT 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP THAN THOSE WHO PRACTICED LESS FREQUENTLY (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA CAN EFFECTIVELY REDUCE BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS' COGNITIVE COMPLAINTS AND PROMPT FURTHER RESEARCH ON MIND-BODY AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INTERVENTIONS FOR IMPROVING CANCER-RELATED COGNITIVE PROBLEMS. 2015 6 2096 31 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 7 2605 36 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 8 159 30 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 9 1900 37 RESTORATIVE YOGA FOR WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER: FINDINGS FROM A RANDOMIZED PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVES: RESTORATIVE YOGA (RY) IS A GENTLE TYPE OF YOGA THAT MAY BE BENEFICIAL FOR CANCER PATIENTS AND POST-TREATMENT SURVIVORS. STUDY GOALS WERE: TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING A RY INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER; AND TO EXAMINE GROUP DIFFERENCES IN SELF-REPORTED EMOTIONAL, HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, AND SYMPTOM OUTCOMES. METHODS: WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER (N=44; MEAN AGE 55.8 YEARS) ENROLLED IN THIS STUDY; 34% WERE ACTIVELY UNDERGOING CANCER TREATMENT. STUDY PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO THE INTERVENTION (10 WEEKLY 75-MINUTE RY CLASSES) OR A WAITLIST CONTROL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES AT WEEK 0 (BASELINE) AND WEEK 10 (IMMEDIATELY POST-INTERVENTION FOR THE YOGA GROUP). RESULTS: GROUP DIFFERENCES FAVORING THE YOGA GROUP WERE SEEN FOR MENTAL HEALTH, DEPRESSION, POSITIVE AFFECT, AND SPIRITUALITY (PEACE/MEANING). SIGNIFICANT BASELINE*GROUP INTERACTIONS WERE OBSERVED FOR NEGATIVE AFFECT AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. WOMEN WITH HIGHER NEGATIVE AFFECT AND LOWER EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AT BASELINE DERIVED GREATER BENEFIT FROM THE YOGA INTERVENTION COMPARED TO THOSE WITH SIMILAR VALUES AT BASELINE IN THE CONTROL GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP DEMONSTRATED A SIGNIFICANT WITHIN-GROUP IMPROVEMENT IN FATIGUE; NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS NOTED FOR THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: ALTHOUGH LIMITED BY SAMPLE SIZE, THESE PILOT DATA SUGGEST POTENTIAL BENEFIT OF RY ON EMOTIONAL OUTCOMES AND FATIGUE IN CANCER PATIENTS. THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT A RY INTERVENTION IS FEASIBLE FOR WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER; IMPLICATIONS FOR STUDY DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION ARE NOTED WITH AN EMPHASIS ON PROGRAM ADOPTION AND PARTICIPANT ADHERENCE. 2009 10 1556 36 LONG-TERM CHANGES OF SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND FATIGUE IN CANCER PATIENTS 6 MONTHS AFTER THE END OF YOGA THERAPY. BACKGROUND: SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND CANCER-RELATED FATIGUE ARE COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH CANCER. CANCER PATIENTS INCREASINGLY USE COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS, SUCH AS YOGA, TO COPE WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENTS. IN THE PRESENT ARTICLE, LONG-TERM CHANGES OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND FATIGUE IN CANCER ARE EXAMINED 6 MONTHS AFTER A YOGA INTERVENTION. METHOD: WE USED AN OBSERVATIONAL DESIGN BASED ON A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY IN CANCER PATIENTS WITH MIXED DIAGNOSES TO EVALUATE LONG-TERM CHANGES OF SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND FATIGUE 6 MONTHS AFTER THE END OF YOGA THERAPY. WE MEASURED ANXIETY SYMPTOMS WITH THE GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER SCALE (GAD-7), DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS WITH THE PATIENT HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE-2 (PHQ-2), AND FATIGUE WITH THE EUROPEAN ORGANIZATION FOR RESEARCH AND TREATMENT OF CANCER QUALITY OF LIFE QUESTIONNAIRE-FATIGUE SCALE (EORTC QLQ-FA13). YOGA THERAPY WAS PROVIDED IN YOGA CLASSES OF 60 MINUTES EACH ONCE A WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS IN TOTAL. THE EXERCISES PROVIDED CONTAINED BOTH BODY AND BREATHING ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS MEDITATION. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 58 PATIENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. SIX MONTHS AFTER THE END OF YOGA THERAPY, SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND FATIGUE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED COMPARED WITH BASELINE. HOWEVER, SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AND FATIGUE SLIGHTLY INCREASED DURING THE FOLLOW-UP PERIOD, WHEREAS SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION REMAINED STABLE. CONCLUSION: OUR RESULTS ARE PROMISING AND SUPPORT THE INTEGRATION OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS IN SUPPORTIVE CANCER TREATMENT CONCEPTS BUT SHOULD BE CONFIRMED BY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON CANCER PATIENTS SHOULD BE THE SUBJECT OF FURTHER RESEARCH. 2019 11 1901 37 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 1731 35 PERSONALIZED YOGA THERAPY FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: EFFECT ON SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE. THIS STUDY AIMED TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF PERSONALIZED YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTION IN A PRIVATE SETTING AND ITS EFFECT ON QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), SLEEP QUALITY, AND SYMPTOM RELIEF AMONG PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS). A SINGLE-GROUP PRE- AND POST-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AMONG 10 MEMBERS OF THE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY OF INDIA BETWEEN DECEMBER 2017 AND APRIL 2018. AT BASELINE AND DURING FOLLOW-UP, QOL, SLEEP QUALITY, SYMPTOMS, AND PAIN WERE ASSESSED USING THE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS QUALITY OF LIFE, PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX, MS SYMPTOM CHECKLIST, AND VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE, RESPECTIVELY. THE INTERVENTION COMPRISED 12 PRIVATE CUSTOMIZED YOGA SESSIONS OF 1 HOUR DURATION AND THREE GROUP SESSIONS, ALL SPREAD OVER 3-MONTHS. PATIENT FEEDBACK AND DIRECT OBSERVATIONS BY THE YOGA THERAPIST WE RE DOCUMENTED AT EACH SESSION. TEN PATIENTS (SEVEN FEMALE, THREE MALE, AGE 31-52 YEARS) WERE ENROLLED IN THE YOGA INTERVENTION; SEVEN COMPLETED 8-12 SESSIONS, AND THREE COMPLETED FEWER THAN 5 SESSIONS. THERAPIST-TO-PATIENT RATIO WAS 1:2. ALL DOMAINS EXCEPT SEXUAL FUNCTION SHOWED CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN QOL SCORES. STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT WAS FOUND IN SOCIAL FUNCTION (P = 0.014) AND CHANGE IN HEALTH STATUS (P = 0.029) SCORES AFTER THE INTERVENTION. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS IMPROVEMENT IN PAIN AND SLEEP QUALITY, THESE CHANGES WERE NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. PATIENTS REPORTED IMPROVEMENT IN SYMPTOMS WITH PRACTICE OF YOGA ALONGSIDE LIFESTYLE CHANGES. THE STUDY SUPPORTS THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS 3-MONTH YOGA INTERVENTION FOR PATIENTS WITH MS. STUDIES WITH LARGER SAMPLE SIZES ARE REQUIRED TO CONFIRM OUR FINDINGS. 2021 13 282 33 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 14 1240 36 FEASIBILITY OF A MINDFUL YOGA PROGRAM FOR WOMEN WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER: RESULTS OF A RANDOMIZED PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE: PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER (MBC) EXPERIENCE HIGH LEVELS OF SYMPTOMS. YOGA INTERVENTIONS HAVE SHOWN PROMISE FOR IMPROVING CANCER SYMPTOMS BUT HAVE RARELY BEEN TESTED IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED DISEASE. THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE ACCEPTABILITY OF A COMPREHENSIVE YOGA PROGRAM FOR MBC AND THE FEASIBILITY OF CONDUCTING A RANDOMIZED TRIAL TESTING THE INTERVENTION. METHODS: SIXTY-THREE WOMEN WITH MBC WERE RANDOMIZED WITH A 2:1 ALLOCATION TO YOGA OR A SUPPORT GROUP COMPARISON CONDITION. BOTH INTERVENTIONS INVOLVED EIGHT WEEKLY GROUP SESSIONS. FEASIBILITY WAS QUANTIFIED USING RATES OF ACCRUAL, ATTRITION, AND SESSION ATTENDANCE. ACCEPTABILITY WAS ASSESSED WITH A STANDARDIZED SELF-REPORT MEASURE. PAIN, FATIGUE, SLEEP QUALITY, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, MINDFULNESS, AND FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE, POST-INTERVENTION, AND 3 AND 6 MONTHS POST-INTERVENTION. RESULTS: WE MET GOALS FOR ACCRUAL AND RETENTION, WITH 50% OF ELIGIBLE PATIENTS ENROLLED AND 87% OF RANDOMIZED PARTICIPANTS COMPLETING POST-INTERVENTION SURVEYS. SIXTY-FIVE PERCENT OF WOMEN IN THE YOGA CONDITION AND 90% IN THE SUPPORT GROUP ATTENDED >/= 4 SESSIONS. EIGHTY PERCENT OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA CONDITION AND 65% IN THE SUPPORT GROUP INDICATED THAT THEY WERE HIGHLY SATISFIED WITH THE INTERVENTION. FOLLOWING TREATMENT, WOMEN IN THE YOGA INTERVENTION HAD MODEST IMPROVEMENTS IN SOME OUTCOMES; HOWEVER, OVERALL SYMPTOM LEVELS WERE LOW FOR WOMEN IN BOTH CONDITIONS. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE YOGA INTERVENTION CONTENT WAS HIGHLY ACCEPTABLE TO PATIENTS WITH MBC, BUT THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTING AN INTERVENTION INVOLVING EIGHT GROUP-BASED IN-PERSON SESSIONS. ALTERNATIVE MODES OF DELIVERY MAY BE NECESSARY TO REACH PATIENTS MOST IN NEED OF INTERVENTION. 2019 15 1242 32 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 16 70 38 A FEASIBILITY STUDY EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON PSYCHOSOCIAL HEALTH AND SYMPTOMS IN PEDIATRIC OUTPATIENTS RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY. PURPOSE: PEDIATRIC CANCER PATIENTS EXPERIENCE SYMPTOMS THAT NEGATIVELY IMPACT QUALITY OF LIFE; YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE WAS TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF A 10-WEEK, WEEKLY INDIVIDUALIZED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS RECEIVING OUTPATIENT CANCER THERAPY PRIMARILY DELIVERED REMOTELY USING SKYPE. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES WERE TO DESCRIBE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, ANGER, FATIGUE, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND SYMPTOMS AT 5 AND 10 WEEKS AFTER ENROLLMENT. METHODS: WE INCLUDED ENGLISH-SPEAKING PATIENTS AGED 10 TO 18 YEARS RECEIVING OUTPATIENT CHEMOTHERAPY FOR CANCER. WEEKLY INDIVIDUALIZED YOGA SESSIONS WERE OFFERED FOR 10 WEEKS. WEEKS 1, 5, AND 10 WERE IN-HOSPITAL WHILE THE REMAINING SESSIONS WERE DELIVERED REMOTELY USING SKYPE. TWICE WEEKLY, HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED BETWEEN EACH SESSION. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS FEASIBILITY, DEFINED AS 80% OF PARTICIPANTS COMPLETING AT LEAST 60% OF PLANNED IN-HOSPITAL OR REMOTE YOGA SESSIONS. RESULTS: BETWEEN MARCH AND NOVEMBER 2017, 10 PATIENTS WERE ENROLLED. TWO PATIENTS DISCONTINUED THE STUDY AFTER ONE AND TWO SESSIONS. ONLY SIX PARTICIPANTS ACHIEVED AT LEAST 60% OF PLANNED YOGA SESSIONS AND THUS, THE STUDY DID NOT MEET THE A PRIORI DEFINED FEASIBILITY THRESHOLD. AMONG ALL PARTICIPANTS, ONLY ONE HOMEWORK SESSION WAS PERFORMED. CONCLUSIONS: A 10-WEEK INDIVIDUALIZED IN-PERSON AND REMOTELY CONDUCTED YOGA INTERVENTION WAS NOT FEASIBLE IN CHILDREN RECEIVING CANCER TREATMENTS BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED FREQUENCY OF YOGA SESSIONS IN A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD IDENTIFY APPROACHES TO IMPROVE COMPLIANCE WITH REMOTE YOGA SESSIONS AND HOME PRACTICE. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03318068. 2019 17 1527 31 IYENGAR YOGA FOR DISTRESSED WOMEN: A 3-ARMED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. DISTRESS IS AN INCREASING PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM. WE AIMED TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF AN IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM ON PERCEIVED STRESS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES IN DISTRESSED WOMEN AND EVALUATED A POTENTIAL DOSE-EFFECT RELATIONSHIP. SEVENTY-TWO FEMALE DISTRESSED SUBJECTS WERE INCLUDED INTO A 3-ARMED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL AND ALLOCATED TO YOGA GROUP 1 (N = 24) WITH TWELVE 90 MIN SESSIONS OVER 3 MONTHS, YOGA GROUP 2 (N = 24) WITH 24 SESSIONS OVER 3 MONTHS, OR A WAITING LIST CONTROL GROUP (N = 24). THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS STRESS PERCEPTION, MEASURED BY COHEN STRESS SCALE; SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED STATE TRAIT ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), PROFILE OF MOOD STATES, WELL BEING, AND BODILY COMPLAINTS. AFTER THREE MONTHS, WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUPS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN PERCEIVED STRESS (P = 0.003), STATE TRAIT ANXIETY (P = 0.021 AND P = 0.003), DEPRESSION (P = 0.008), PSYCHOLOGICAL QOL (P = 0.012), MOOD STATES BEING (P = 0.007), AND BODILY COMPLAINTS WELL(P = 0.012) WHEN COMPARED TO CONTROLS. BOTH YOGA PROGRAMS WERE SIMILARLY EFFECTIVE FOR THESE OUTCOMES; HOWEVER, COMPLIANCE WAS BETTER IN THE GROUP WITH FEWER SESSIONS (YOGA GROUP 1). DOSE EFFECTS WERE SEEN ONLY IN THE ANALYSIS OF GROUP-INDEPENDENT EFFECTS FOR BACK PAIN, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION. THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT IYENGAR YOGA EFFECTIVELY REDUCES DISTRESS AND IMPROVES RELATED PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL OUTCOMES. FURTHERMORE, ATTENDING TWICE-WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES WAS NOT SUPERIOR TO ONCE-WEEKLY CLASSES, AS A RESULT OF LIMITED COMPLIANCE IN THE TWICE-WEEKLY GROUP. 2012 18 1869 26 RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED, SIX-MONTH TRIAL OF YOGA IN HEALTHY SENIORS: EFFECTS ON COGNITION AND QUALITY OF LIFE. CONTEXT: THERE ARE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF MIND-BODY TECHNIQUES ON COGNITIVE FUNCTION BECAUSE THE TECHNIQUES INVOLVE AN ACTIVE ATTENTIONAL OR MINDFULNESS COMPONENT, BUT THIS HAS NOT BEEN FULLY EXPLORED. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON COGNITIVE FUNCTION, FATIGUE, MOOD, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN SENIORS. DESIGN: RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING YOGA, EXERCISE, AND WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUPS. PARTICIPANTS: ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE GENERALLY HEALTHY MEN AND WOMEN AGED 65-85 YEARS. INTERVENTION: PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO 6 MONTHS OF HATHA YOGA CLASS, WALKING EXERCISE CLASS, OR WAIT-LIST CONTROL. SUBJECTS ASSIGNED TO CLASSES ALSO WERE ASKED TO PRACTICE AT HOME. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: OUTCOME ASSESSMENTS PERFORMED AT BASELINE AND AFTER THE 6-MONTH PERIOD INCLUDED A BATTERY OF COGNITIVE MEASURES FOCUSED ON ATTENTION AND ALERTNESS, THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES BEING PERFORMANCE ON THE STROOP TEST AND A QUANTITATIVE ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM (EEG) MEASURE OF ALERTNESS; SF-36 HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE; PROFILE OF MOOD STATES; MULTI-DIMENSIONAL FATIGUE INVENTORY; AND PHYSICAL MEASURES RELATED TO THE INTERVENTIONS. RESULTS: ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE SUBJECTS WERE RECRUITED AND RANDOMIZED. SEVENTEEN SUBJECTS DID NOT FINISH THE 6-MONTH INTERVENTION. THERE WERE NO EFFECTS FROM EITHER OF THE ACTIVE INTERVENTIONS ON ANY OF THE COGNITIVE AND ALERTNESS OUTCOME MEASURES. THE YOGA INTERVENTION PRODUCED IMPROVEMENTS IN PHYSICAL MEASURES (EG, TIMED 1-LEGGED STANDING, FORWARD FLEXIBILITY) AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF QUALITY-OF-LIFE MEASURES RELATED TO SENSE OF WELL-BEING AND ENERGY AND FATIGUE COMPARED TO CONTROLS. CONCLUSIONS: THERE WERE NO RELATIVE IMPROVEMENTS OF COGNITIVE FUNCTION AMONG HEALTHY SENIORS IN THE YOGA OR EXERCISE GROUP COMPARED TO THE WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. THOSE IN THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY-OF-LIFE AND PHYSICAL MEASURES COMPARED TO EXERCISE AND WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUPS. 2006 19 201 38 A RESTORATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: DATA SHOW THAT YOGA IS EFFECTIVE FOR IMPROVING HEALTH-RELATED OUTCOMES IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. WHILE BREAST CANCER IS THE MOST COMMONLY DIAGNOSED CANCER AMONG AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN (AAW), AAW ARE LESS LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN YOGA COMPARED TO OTHER ETHNIC GROUPS. THE GOALS OF THE CURRENT STUDY WERE TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF AN 8-WEEK RESTORATIVE YOGA PROGRAM AMONG AFRICAN-AMERICAN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS (AA BCS). SPECIFICALLY, STUDY AIMS WERE TO (1) MEASURE CHANGES IN STUDY OUTCOMES IN A RESTORATIVE YOGA (RY) GROUP COMPARED TO A WAIT LIST CONTROL GROUP, (2) ASSESS ADHERENCE TO THE RY PROGRAM, AND (3) ASSESS PROGRAM SATISFACTION AMONG STUDY PARTICIPANTS. METHODS: THIRTY-THREE AA BCS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE RY INTERVENTION (N = 18) OR WAIT LIST CONTROL GROUP (N = 15). RY CLASSES MET ONCE PER WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS. PRE- AND POST-TESTING ASSESSMENTS WERE MEASURED AT 0 AND 8 WEEKS (IMMEDIATELY POST-INTERVENTION). RESULTS: DEPRESSION SCORES AT FOLLOW-UP WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN THE YOGA GROUP (M = 4.78, SD = 3.56) COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP (M = 6.91, SD = 5.86). NO SIGNIFICANT GROUP DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED FOR SLEEP QUALITY, FATIGUE, OR PERCEIVED STRESS. YOGA PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS COMPLETING BASELINE ASSESSMENTS DEMONSTRATED 61% ADHERENCE TO THE YOGA CLASSES. AVERAGE RATING OF THE YOGA PROGRAM WAS "VERY USEFUL." RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE YOGA PROGRAMS WERE PROVIDED. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY SUGGESTS THAT YOGA HAS A BENEFICIAL EFFECT ON DEPRESSION IN AA BCS. THERE IS, HOWEVER, A NEED TO FURTHER EXPLORE THE BENEFITS OF YOGA AMONG MINORITY BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS USING A STUDY WITH LARGER SAMPLE SIZES. 2018 20 1859 35 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT TRIAL OF YOGA IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS: EFFECTS ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASURES. PURPOSE: TO OBTAIN ESTIMATES OF TIME TO RECRUIT THE STUDY SAMPLE, RETENTION, FACILITY-BASED CLASS ATTENDANCE AND HOME PRACTICE FOR A STUDY OF YOGA IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS, AND ITS EFFICACY ON FATIGUE, QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), AND WEIGHT CHANGE. METHODS: SIXTY-THREE POST-TREATMENT STAGES 0-III BORDERLINE OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE (BODY MASS INDEX >/= 24 KG/M(2)) BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A 6-MONTH, FACILITY- AND HOME-BASED VINIYOGA INTERVENTION (N = 32) OR A WAITLIST CONTROL GROUP (N = 31). THE YOGA GOAL WAS FIVE PRACTICES PER WEEK. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES WERE CHANGES IN QOL, FATIGUE, AND WEIGHT FROM BASELINE TO 6 MONTHS. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED CHANGES IN WAIST AND HIP CIRCUMFERENCE. RESULTS: IT TOOK 12 MONTHS TO COMPLETE RECRUITMENT. PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED A MEAN OF 19.6 CLASSES AND PRACTICED AT HOME A MEAN OF 55.8 TIMES DURING THE 6-MONTH PERIOD. AT FOLLOW-UP, 90% OF PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES AND 87% COMPLETED ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS. QOL AND FATIGUE IMPROVED TO A GREATER EXTENT AMONG WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP RELATIVE TO WOMEN IN THE CONTROL GROUP, ALTHOUGH NO DIFFERENCES WERE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE DECREASED 3.1 CM (95% CI, -5.7 AND -0.4) MORE AMONG WOMEN IN THE YOGA COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP, WITH NO DIFFERENCE IN WEIGHT CHANGE. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY PROVIDES IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND PRACTICE LEVELS ACHIEVED DURING A 6-MONTH, INTENSIVE YOGA INTERVENTION IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. YOGA MAY HELP DECREASE WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE; FUTURE STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM THESE RESULTS. 2012