1 2577 135 YOGA FOR GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER: DESIGN OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL. GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER (GAD) IS A COMMON DISORDER ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT DISTRESS AND INTERFERENCE. ALTHOUGH COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT) HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE FORM OF PSYCHOTHERAPY, FEW PATIENTS RECEIVE OR HAVE ACCESS TO THIS INTERVENTION. YOGA THERAPY OFFERS ANOTHER PROMISING, YET UNDER-RESEARCHED, INTERVENTION THAT IS GAINING INCREASING POPULARITY IN THE GENERAL PUBLIC, AS AN ANXIETY REDUCTION INTERVENTION. THE PURPOSE OF THIS INNOVATIVE CLINICAL TRIAL PROTOCOL IS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFICACY OF A KUNDALINI YOGA INTERVENTION, RELATIVE TO CBT AND A CONTROL CONDITION. KUNDALINI YOGA AND CBT ARE COMPARED WITH EACH OTHER IN A NONINFERIORITY TEST AND BOTH TREATMENTS ARE COMPARED TO STRESS EDUCATION TRAINING, AN ATTENTION CONTROL INTERVENTION, IN SUPERIORITY TESTS. THE SAMPLE WILL CONSIST OF 230 INDIVIDUALS WITH A PRIMARY DSM-5 DIAGNOSIS OF GAD. THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WILL COMPARE YOGA (N=95) TO BOTH CBT FOR GAD (N=95) AND STRESS EDUCATION (N=40), A COMMONLY USED CONTROL CONDITION. ALL THREE TREATMENTS WILL BE ADMINISTERED BY TWO INSTRUCTORS IN A GROUP FORMAT OVER 12 WEEKLY SESSIONS WITH FOUR TO SIX PATIENTS PER GROUP. GROUPS WILL BE RANDOMIZED USING PERMUTED BLOCK RANDOMIZATION, WHICH WILL BE STRATIFIED BY SITE. TREATMENT OUTCOME WILL BE EVALUATED BI-WEEKLY AND AT 6MONTH FOLLOW-UP. FURTHERMORE, POTENTIAL MEDIATORS OF TREATMENT OUTCOME WILL BE INVESTIGATED. GIVEN THE INDIVIDUAL AND ECONOMIC BURDEN ASSOCIATED WITH GAD, IDENTIFYING ACCESSIBLE ALTERNATIVE BEHAVIORAL TREATMENTS WILL HAVE SUBSTANTIVE PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS. 2015 2 1543 31 KUNDALINI YOGA FOR GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER: AN EXPLORATION OF TREATMENT EFFICACY AND POSSIBLE MECHANISMS. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFICACY OF KUNDALINI YOGA IN REDUCING SYMPTOMS OF GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER (GAD) COMPARED TO A COMMON TREATMENT-AS-USUAL CONDITION USING COGNITIVE TECHNIQUES. A SECONDARY OBJECTIVE WAS TO EXPLORE POTENTIAL TREATMENT MECHANISMS. FEMALES AGED 24 TO 75 YEARS WITH GAD ( N = 49) RECEIVED EITHER AN 8-WEEK KUNDALINI YOGA INTERVENTION ( N = 34) OR AN 8-WEEK TREATMENT-AS-USUAL CONDITION ( N = 15). THE YOGA CONDITION RESULTED IN LOWER LEVELS OF ANXIETY RELATIVE TO THE TREATMENT-AS-USUAL CONDITION. FURTHERMORE, CHANGES IN SOMATIC SYMPTOMS MEDIATED TREATMENT OUTCOME FOR KUNDALINI YOGA. KUNDALINI YOGA MAY SHOW PROMISE AS A TREATMENT FOR GAD, AND THIS TREATMENT MIGHT CONVEY ITS EFFECT ON SYMPTOM SEVERITY BY REDUCING SOMATIC SYMPTOMS. 2018 3 133 43 A PRAGMATIC PREFERENCE TRIAL OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TO GROUP COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY VERSUS GROUP CBT ALONE FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS SEVERAL MECHANISMS THAT MAKE IT A PROMISING TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, INCLUDING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, BEHAVIOURAL ACTIVATION, AND MINDFULNESS. FOLLOWING POSITIVE OUTCOMES FROM ADAPTED CBT INTERVENTIONS INCORPORATING MINDFULNESS-BASED PRACTICES, THIS STUDY EXPLORED THE EFFECTS OF A THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM AS AN ADJUNCT TO GROUP-BASED CBT FOR DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY. METHODS: THIS WAS A PRAGMATIC PREFERENCE TRIAL INVOLVING ADULTS DIAGNOSED WITH DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY IN A REGIONAL PRIMARY MENTAL HEALTHCARE SERVICE (N = 59), COMPARING TRANSDIAGNOSTIC GROUP CBT (N = 27) WITH TRANSDIAGNOSTIC GROUP CBT COMBINED WITH AN ADJUNCT THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM (N = 32). A PREFERENCE RECRUITMENT DESIGN ALLOWED ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS (N = 35) TO SELF-SELECT INTO THE ADJUNCT PROGRAM. THE DEPRESSION ANXIETY STRESS SCALE-21 (DASS) WAS ASSESSED AT BASELINE, POST-INTERVENTION, AND THREE-MONTHS FOLLOW UP. RESULTS: CBT + YOGA WAS AN ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVE TO CBT ALONE. SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS WERE OBSERVED IN TOTAL DASS SCORES AND THE 3 SUBSCALES OF THE DASS FOR BOTH GROUPS, HOWEVER CBT + YOGA SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS POST-INTERVENTION, COMPARED TO CBT ALONE. CBT + YOGA ALSO SHOWED SUSTAINED REDUCTIONS IN DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS OVER THREE-MONTHS, AND MORE RAPID REDUCTIONS IN DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, COMPARED TO CBT ALONE. LIMITATIONS: THESE FINDINGS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED PRELIMINARY DUE TO THE MODERATE SAMPLE SIZE, WITH A RIGOROUS RANDOMISED CONTROL TRIAL NECESSARY TO DEFINITIVELY SUPPORT THE INTEGRATION OF YOGA WITHIN MENTAL HEALTH CARE TO AUGMENT THE BENEFITS AND UPTAKE OF TRANSDIAGNOSTIC CBT FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. CONCLUSIONS: COMPLEMENTING OTHER MINDFULNESS-BASED PRACTICES, THERAPEUTIC YOGA SHOWS PROMISE AS AN ADJUNCT TO TRANSDIAGNOSTIC CBT. 2022 4 345 37 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 5 44 35 A CASE SERIES ON THE EFFECTS OF KRIPALU YOGA FOR GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER. GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER (GAD) IS A PREVALENT PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER ASSOCIATED WITH SUBSTANTIAL IMPAIRMENT AND POOR TREATMENT RESPONSE. YOGA INFLUENCES PROCESSES THAT ARE LINKED TO THE MAINTENANCE OF GAD INCLUDING MINDFULNESS, ANXIETY, AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY, BUT HAS YET TO BE EVALUATED AMONG PEOPLE WITH THE DISORDER. THE PRESENT STUDY IS A FIRST STEP TOWARD DOCUMENTING THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR REDUCING WORRY AMONG PEOPLE WITH GAD USING A SINGLE-SUBJECT AB DESIGN CASE SERIES AND DAILY RATINGS OF WORRY. STANDARDIZED SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF WORRY, TRAIT ANXIETY, EXPERIENTIAL AVOIDANCE, MINDFULNESS, AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY WERE ASSESSED PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION. THREE PARTICIPANTS WITH PRIMARY GAD RECEIVED EIGHT TWICE-WEEKLY KRIPALU YOGA SESSIONS FOLLOWING A BASELINE DATA COLLECTION PERIOD. ALL PARTICIPANTS SHOWED SYSTEMATIC IMPROVEMENT IN DAILY WORRY RATINGS ON AT LEAST ONE INDEX AND ALL SCORES ON SELF-REPORTED MEASURES OF WORRY, ANXIETY, EXPERIENTIAL AVOIDANCE, AND MINDFULNESS CHANGED IN THE EXPECTED DIRECTION FOLLOWING YOGA (WITH ONE OR TWO EXCEPTIONS). PARTICIPANTS ALSO SHOWED IMPROVED HEART RATE VARIABILITY DURING A WORRY PERIOD FROM PRE- TO POST-INTERVENTION. YOGA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE THE PROCESSES LINKED TO GAD AND SHOULD STIMULATE FURTHER RESEARCH IN THIS AREA. 2016 6 1770 41 POTENTIAL LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF A MIND-BODY INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER: SUSTAINED MENTAL HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS WITH A PILOT YOGA INTERVENTION. DESPITE PHARMACOLOGIC AND PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC ADVANCES OVER THE PAST DECADES, MANY INDIVIDUALS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) EXPERIENCE RECURRENT DEPRESSIVE EPISODES AND PERSISTENT DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS DESPITE TREATMENT WITH THE USUAL CARE. YOGA IS A MIND-BODY THERAPEUTIC MODALITY THAT HAS RECEIVED ATTENTION IN BOTH THE LAY AND RESEARCH LITERATURE AS A POSSIBLE ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY FOR DEPRESSION. ALTHOUGH PROMISING, RECENT FINDINGS ABOUT THE POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF YOGA ARE LIMITED BECAUSE FEW STUDIES HAVE USED STANDARDIZED OUTCOME MEASURES AND NONE OF THEM HAVE INVOLVED LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP BEYOND A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD. THE GOAL OF OUR RESEARCH STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY, AND EFFECTS OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH MDD USING STANDARDIZED OUTCOME MEASURES AND A LONG FOLLOW-UP PERIOD (1YEAR AFTER THE INTERVENTION). THE KEY FINDING IS THAT PREVIOUS YOGA PRACTICE HAS LONG-TERM POSITIVE EFFECTS, AS REVEALED IN BOTH QUALITATIVE REPORTS OF PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES AND IN THE QUANTITATIVE DATA ABOUT DEPRESSION AND RUMINATION SCORES OVER TIME. ALTHOUGH GENERALIZABILITY OF THE STUDY FINDINGS IS LIMITED BECAUSE OF A VERY SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AT THE 1-YEAR FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENT, THE TRENDS IN THE DATA SUGGEST THAT EXPOSURE TO YOGA MAY CONVEY A SUSTAINED POSITIVE EFFECT ON DEPRESSION, RUMINATIONS, STRESS, ANXIETY, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE. WHETHER AN INDIVIDUAL CONTINUES WITH YOGA PRACTICE, SIMPLE EXPOSURE TO A YOGA INTERVENTION APPEARS TO PROVIDE SUSTAINED BENEFITS TO THE INDIVIDUAL. THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT IS RARE THAT ANY INTERVENTION, PHARMACOLOGIC OR NON-PHARMACOLOGIC, FOR DEPRESSION CONVEYS SUCH SUSTAINED EFFECTS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MDD, PARTICULARLY AFTER THE TREATMENT IS DISCONTINUED. 2014 7 115 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 8 536 43 COMPARISON OF YOGA VERSUS STRETCHING FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: PROTOCOL FOR THE YOGA EXERCISE SELF-CARE (YES) TRIAL. BACKGROUND: BACK PAIN, ONE OF THE MOST PREVALENT CONDITIONS AFFLICTING AMERICAN ADULTS, IS THE LEADING REASON FOR USING COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM) THERAPIES. YOGA IS AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR "MIND-BODY" CAM THERAPY OFTEN USED FOR RELIEVING BACK PAIN AND SEVERAL SMALL STUDIES HAVE FOUND YOGA EFFECTIVE FOR THIS CONDITION. THIS STUDY WILL ASSESS WHETHER YOGA IS EFFECTIVE FOR TREATING CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN COMPARED WITH SELF CARE AND EXERCISE AND WILL EXPLORE THE MECHANISMS RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY OBSERVED BENEFITS. METHODS/DESIGN: A TOTAL OF 210 PARTICIPANTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN LASTING AT LEAST 3 MONTHS WILL BE RECRUITED FROM PRIMARY CARE CLINICS OF A LARGE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM BASED IN SEATTLE. THEY WILL BE RANDOMIZED IN A 2:2:1 RATIO TO RECEIVE 12 WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES, 12 WEEKLY CONVENTIONAL THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE CLASSES OF COMPARABLE PHYSICAL EXERTION, OR A SELF-CARE BOOK. INTERVIEWERS MASKED TO PARTICIPANTS' TREATMENT GROUP WILL ASSESS OUTCOMES AT BASELINE AND 6, 12 AND 26 WEEKS AFTER RANDOMIZATION. PRIMARY OUTCOMES WILL BE BACK-RELATED DYSFUNCTION AND SYMPTOM BOTHERSOMENESS. IN ADDITION, DATA WILL BE COLLECTED ON PHYSICAL MEASUREMENTS (E.G., FLEXION) AT BASELINE AND 12 WEEKS AND SALIVA SAMPLES WILL BE OBTAINED AT BASELINE, 6 AND 12 WEEKS. INFORMATION WILL BE COLLECTED ON SPECIFIC PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTORS TO ALLOW EXPLORATION OF POSSIBLE MECHANISMS OF ACTION THROUGH WHICH YOGA COULD RELIEVE BACK PAIN AND DYSFUNCTION. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA WILL BE ASSESSED USING ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE (USING GENERAL ESTIMATING EQUATIONS - GEE) WITHIN AN INTENTION-TO-TREAT CONTEXT. IF YOGA IS FOUND EFFECTIVE, FURTHER ANALYSES WILL EXPLORE WHETHER YOGA'S BENEFITS ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND/OR PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTORS. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY WILL PROVIDE THE CLEAREST EVIDENCE TO DATE ABOUT THE VALUE OF YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC OPTION FOR TREATING CHRONIC BACK PAIN, AND IF THE RESULTS ARE POSITIVE, WILL HELP FOCUS FUTURE, MORE IN-DEPTH, RESEARCH ON THE MOST PROMISING POTENTIAL MECHANISMS OF ACTION IDENTIFIED BY THIS STUDY. 2010 9 2194 45 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA VERSUS STRETCHING AND RESISTANCE TRAINING EXERCISES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS FOR PEOPLE WITH MILD-TO-MODERATE PARKINSON'S DISEASE: STUDY PRXOTOCOL FOR A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IS PREVALENT AMONG PEOPLE WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE (PD) AND AGGRAVATES THEIR MOTOR SYMPTOMS, THEREBY LEADING TO INCREASED DISABILITY, HIGH HEALTHCARE COSTS, AND POOR HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL). THE UNDER-RECOGNITION AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF THE PHARMACOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AMONG THE PD POPULATION ARE CONSIDERABLE. THUS, ADOPTING A COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MANAGEMENT (CAM) APPROACH TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM IS IMPORTANT. YOGA, ONE OF THE MOST COMMON "MIND-BODY" CAM THERAPIES, CAN IMPROVE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING OF PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC ILLNESSES. HOWEVER, LIMITED RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN PEOPLE WITH PD HAS BEEN CONDUCTED. THIS STUDY WILL DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING OF PEOPLE WITH MILD-TO-MODERATE PD AND WILL COMPARE THESE EFFECTS WITH THOSE OF STRETCHING AND RESISTANCE TRAINING EXERCISES. METHODS: A COMMUNITY-BASED, SINGLE-BLIND, RANDOMIZED TRIAL WILL BE CONDUCTED. A TOTAL OF 126 SUBJECTS WILL BE RECRUITED AND RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO YOGA (N = 63) OR STRETCHING AND RESISTANCE EXERCISE (N = 63) GROUPS. FOR 8 WEEKS, THE YOGA GROUP WILL RECEIVE A WEEKLY 90-MIN SESSION OF YOGA, AND THE CONTROL GROUP WILL RECEIVE A WEEKLY 60-MIN SESSION OF STRETCHING AND RESISTANCE EXERCISES. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WILL BE THE LEVEL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS MEASURED USING THE HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE. THE SECONDARY OUTCOMES WILL INCLUDE THE SEVERITY OF MOTOR SYMPTOMS MEASURED BY THE MOVEMENT DISORDERS SOCIETY - UNIFIED PARKINSON'S DISEASE SCALE - PART III MOTOR EXAMINATION; MOBILITY, BALANCE, AND FALL RISK MEASURED BY THE TIMED UP AND GO TEST; SPIRITUAL WELLBEING MEASURED BY THE HOLISTIC WELLBEING SCALE; AND HRQOL MEASURED BY THE PARKINSON'S DISEASE QUESTIONNAIRE-8. ASSESSMENT WILL BE CONDUCTED AT BASELINE, 8TH, AND 20TH WEEKS OF FOLLOW-UPS. DISCUSSION: THIS STUDY WILL BE THE FIRST RANDOMIZED TRIAL TO COMPARE THE EFFECT OF YOGA VERSUS STRETCHING AND RESISTANCE TRAINING EXERCISES IN A PD POPULATION. RESULTS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE VALUE OF YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC OPTION FOR MANAGING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN PD PATIENTS. MULTIPLE OUTCOMES INCLUDING PSYCHOLOGICAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, AND SPIRITUAL AND HRQOL WILL ALSO BE MEASURED TO ELUCIDATE THE POTENTIAL MECHANISMS OF YOGA. THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC ILLNESSES WILL FURTHER BE ELUCIDATED. THIS INFORMATION SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TO FUTURE RESEARCH, PRACTICE, AND POLICY RELATED TO PD MANAGEMENT. TRIAL REGISTRATION: WHO PRIMARY REGISTRY - CHINESE CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY (CHICTR): CUHK_CCRB00522 REGISTERED ON 8 OCTOBER 2016; DATE OF APPROVAL 19 AUGUST 2016. 2017 10 181 50 A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA VS NONAEROBIC EXERCISE FOR VETERANS WITH PTSD: UNDERSTANDING EFFICACY, MECHANISMS OF CHANGE, AND MODE OF DELIVERY. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) IS A CHRONIC, DISABLING, AND PREVALENT MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER AMONG VETERANS. DESPITE THE AVAILABILITY OF EMPIRICALLY SUPPORTED PSYCHOTHERAPIES, MANY VETERANS REMAIN SYMPTOMATIC AFTER TREATMENT AND/OR PREFER TO SEEK COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH APPROACHES, INCLUDING YOGA, TO MANAGE PTSD. THE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) DESCRIBED HEREIN WILL EVALUATE THE EFFICACY OF A MANUALIZED YOGA PROGRAM AS COMPARED TO NONAEROBIC EXERCISE IN REDUCING PTSD SEVERITY AMONG VETERANS. A SECONDARY AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS OF CHANGE. METHODS: VETERANS (N = 192) WITH PTSD WILL BE RANDOMIZED TO HATHA YOGA OR NONAEROBIC PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CONTROL; BOTH GROUPS CONSIST OF 12 WEEKLY, 60-MIN GROUP OR ONLINE TRAINING SESSIONS WITH 15-20 MIN OF DAILY AT-HOME PRACTICE. OUTCOME MEASURES WILL BE ADMINISTERED AT BASELINE, MID-TREATMENT, POSTTREATMENT, AND 12-WEEK FOLLOW-UP. PROJECTED OUTCOMES: THIS STUDY WILL EVALUATE CHANGES IN PTSD SEVERITY (PRIMARY OUTCOME) AS WELL AS DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, ANGER, SLEEP PROBLEMS, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL DISABILITY (SECONDARY OUTCOMES). WE WILL ALSO USE MULTIPLE MEDIATION TO EXAMINE TWO POTENTIAL MODELS OF THE MECHANISMS OF CLINICAL EFFECT: THE ATTENTION MODEL (I.E., YOGA INCREASES ATTENTIONAL CONTROL, WHICH REDUCES PTSD SYMPTOMS), THE COPING MODEL (I.E., YOGA INCREASES DISTRESS TOLERANCE, WHICH IMPROVES COPING, WHICH REDUCES PTSD SYMPTOMS), AND THE COMBINATION OF THESE MODELS. THIS ASPECT OF THE STUDY IS INNOVATIVE AND IMPORTANT GIVEN THE ABSENCE OF AN EXISTING, COMPREHENSIVE MODEL FOR UNDERSTANDING YOGA'S IMPACT ON PTSD. ULTIMATELY, WE HOPE TO DEVELOP GUIDELINES FOR APPLICATION OF YOGA TO PTSD RECOVERY. 2021 11 1239 35 FEASIBILITY OF A MANUALIZED MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS. CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS POSE AN IMPORTANT MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM. INDIVIDUALS WITH THESE DISORDERS EXPERIENCE A SIGNIFICANT IMPAIRMENT, OFTEN FAIL TO SEEK HELP, AND THEIR ILLNESSES FREQUENTLY DO NOT RESPOND TO TREATMENT. IT IS THEREFORE IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE AND ATTRACTIVE TREATMENTS FOR THESE DISORDERS. MINDFUL YOGA REPRESENTS A PROMISING TREATMENT APPROACH. THIS PILOT STUDY TESTED THE FEASIBILITY OF A 9-WEEK MANUALIZED MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS. ELEVEN PATIENTS RECEIVING STANDARD TREATMENT WERE RECRUITED TO COMPLETE A 9-WEEK MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION. QUALITATIVE METHODS WERE USED TO ASSESS PATIENTS' EXPERIENCES OF THE INTERVENTION AND QUANTITATIVE METHODS WERE USED TO ASSESS PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND MECHANISMS THAT PLAY A ROLE IN CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS. EIGHT PATIENTS COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION AND RATED THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THE INTERVENTION WITH A MEAN SCORE OF 8.8 (RANGE OF 8 TO 9, USING A SCALE OF 1 TO 10). ALL PARTICIPANTS REPORTED A REDUCTION IN PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND NO ADVERSE EVENTS. AMONG THE MECHANISMS THAT PLAY A ROLE IN CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS, THE MOST POTENTIALLY PROMISING EFFECTS FROM THE INTERVENTION WERE FOUND FOR WORRY, FEAR OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, RUMINATION, AND AREAS RELATED TO BODY AWARENESS, SUCH AS TRUSTING BODILY EXPERIENCES AND NOT DISTRACTING FROM SENSATIONS OF DISCOMFORT. A 9-WEEK MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION APPEARS TO BE A FEASIBLE AND ATTRACTIVE TREATMENT WHEN ADDED TO TREATMENT AS USUAL FOR A GROUP OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS. A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF MINDFUL YOGA IS RECOMMENDED. 2021 12 1617 45 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 13 175 38 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 14 112 31 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 15 2117 39 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 2320 32 TREATMENT CREDIBILITY, EXPECTANCY, AND PREFERENCE: PREDICTION OF TREATMENT ENGAGEMENT AND OUTCOME IN A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL OF HATHA YOGA VS. HEALTH EDUCATION AS ADJUNCT TREATMENTS FOR DEPRESSION. BACKGROUND: HATHA YOGA MAY BE HELPFUL FOR ALLEVIATING DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ANALYSIS IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER TREATMENT PROGRAM PREFERENCE, CREDIBILITY, OR EXPECTANCY PREDICT ENGAGEMENT IN DEPRESSION INTERVENTIONS (YOGA OR A CONTROL CLASS) OR DEPRESSION SYMPTOM SEVERITY OVER TIME. METHODS: THIS IS A SECONDARY ANALYSIS OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) OF HATHA YOGA VS. A HEALTH EDUCATION CONTROL GROUP FOR TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION. DEPRESSED PARTICIPANTS (N=122) ATTENDED UP TO 20 CLASSES OVER A PERIOD OF 10 WEEKS, AND THEN COMPLETED ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENTS AFTER 3 AND 6 MONTHS. WE ASSESSED TREATMENT PREFERENCE PRIOR TO RANDOMIZATION, AND TREATMENT CREDIBILITY AND EXPECTANCY AFTER PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED THEIR FIRST CLASS. TREATMENT "CONCORDANCE" INDICATED THAT TREATMENT PREFERENCE MATCHED ASSIGNED TREATMENT. RESULTS: TREATMENT CREDIBILITY, EXPECTANCY, AND CONCORDANCE WERE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH TREATMENT ENGAGEMENT. TREATMENT EXPECTANCY MODERATED THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN TREATMENT GROUP AND DEPRESSION. DEPRESSION SEVERITY OVER TIME DIFFERED BY EXPECTANCY LEVEL FOR THE YOGA GROUP BUT NOT FOR THE HEALTH EDUCATION GROUP. CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE DEPRESSION, PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP WITH AN AVERAGE OR HIGH EXPECTANCY FOR IMPROVEMENT SHOWED LOWER DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS ACROSS THE ACUTE INTERVENTION AND FOLLOW-UP PERIOD THAN THOSE WITH A LOW EXPECTANCY FOR IMPROVEMENT. THERE WAS A TREND FOR A SIMILAR PATTERN FOR CREDIBILITY. CONCORDANCE WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH TREATMENT OUTCOME. LIMITATIONS: THIS IS A SECONDARY, POST-HOC ANALYSIS AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED HYPOTHESIS-GENERATING. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS SUGGEST THAT EXPECTANCY IMPROVES THE LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS ONLY FOR A INTERVENTION THOUGHT TO ACTIVELY TARGET DEPRESSION (YOGA) AND NOT A CONTROL INTERVENTION. 2018 17 1684 26 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 18 1413 26 IMPLEMENTING YOGA INTO THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH REFRACTORY LOW BACK PAIN IN AN OUTPATIENT CLINIC SETTING. PURPOSE: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IMPLEMENTING YOGA INTO THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. DESIGN: QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS WITH OPPORTUNITY FOR QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK. METHOD: EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT WAS ASSESSED USING A PRETEST/POSTTEST DESIGN OF PATIENTS WHO VOLUNTEERED TO PARTICIPATE IN YOGA CLASSES AS PART OF THEIR BACK PAIN MANAGEMENT. MEASUREMENTS INCLUDED LOW BACK PAIN RATING, PERCEPTION OF BACK PAIN INTERFERENCE WITH DAILY ACTIVITIES, AND SELF-EFFICACY IN DEALING WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. FINDINGS: ALTHOUGH NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS WERE FOUND DUE TO THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, MOST PARTICIPANTS DEMONSTRATED IMPROVED INDIVIDUAL SCORES ON ALL MEASUREMENT SURVEYS INCLUDING QUALITATIVE COMMENTS. CONCLUSION: BASED ON THE FINDINGS OF THIS PILOT STUDY, FURTHER STUDIES ON IMPLEMENTING YOGA INTO THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN ARE ENCOURAGED. 2019 19 2441 34 YOGA AND SCHIZOPHRENIA-A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF NEUROPLASTICITY: PROTOCOL FOR A SINGLE BLIND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY OF YOGA IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. INTRODUCTION: SCHIZOPHRENIA IS ONE OF THE MOST SEVERE MENTAL DISORDERS WITH A PREVALENCE OF ABOUT 1% AND A LEADING CAUSE OF DISABILITY AMONG YOUNG ADULTS. PHARMACOTHERAPY IS THE MAINSTAY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SCHIZOPHRENIA. HOWEVER, EVEN WITH THE BEST OF MEDICATION, SEVERAL PROBLEMS LIKE REFRACTORINESS, NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS, FREQUENT RELAPSES, AND COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS PERSIST. METHODS: THIS IS A RANDOMIZED-CONTROLLED CLINICAL STUDY INCLUDING PATIENTS FROM AN URBAN TERTIARY HOSPITAL AND A SEMI-URBAN COMMUNITY CENTER, WITH A BETWEEN-GROUP, REPEATED-MEASURES, LONGITUDINAL DESIGN. THIS STUDY WILL RECRUIT 160 PATIENTS WITH DSM 5 DIAGNOSIS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA WHO ARE ON STABLE MEDICATION FOR A MINIMUM OF 6 WEEKS; THEY WILL BE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO 2 ARMS VIZ., YOGA THERAPY (YT), AND TREATMENT-AS-USUAL (TAU) WITH 80 PATIENTS IN EACH ARM. PARTICIPANTS WILL UNDERGO CLINICAL, LABORATORY, AND RADIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS AT BASELINE AND AT INTERVALS OF 1 MONTH, 3 MONTHS, AND 6 MONTHS FROM THE BASELINE. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT YOGA WILL IMPROVE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND EMOTION PROCESSING, INCREASE SERUM BRAIN DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF) AND PLASMA OXYTOCIN LEVELS AND EFFECT CHANGES IN CEREBRAL ACTIVATION IN AREAS OF THE BRAIN ASSOCIATED WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. DISCUSSION: THIS STUDY AIMS TO MEASURE THE EFFICACY OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION AS AN ADJUNCT IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA AS WELL AS THE MECHANISMS OF THESE EFFECTS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: REGISTERED RETROSPECTIVELY WITH CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY - INDIA (CTRI) WITH REGISTRATION NUMBER CTRI/2017/08/009219. 2019 20 1254 31 FEASIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY, AND EFFECTS OF GENTLE HATHA YOGA FOR WOMEN WITH MAJOR DEPRESSION: FINDINGS FROM A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED MIXED-METHODS STUDY. MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) IS A COMMON, DEBILITATING CHRONIC CONDITION IN THE UNITED STATES AND WORLDWIDE. PARTICULARLY IN WOMEN, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS ARE OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS AND RUMINATIONS, OR REPETITIVE SELF-CRITICAL NEGATIVE THINKING. THERE IS A RESEARCH AND CLINICAL IMPERATIVE TO EVALUATE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES THAT ARE ACCEPTABLE AND FEASIBLE FOR WOMEN WITH DEPRESSION AND THAT TARGET SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF DEPRESSION IN WOMEN, SUCH AS RUMINATIONS. TO BEGIN TO ADDRESS THIS NEED, WE CONDUCTED A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED, MIXED-METHODS COMMUNITY-BASED STUDY COMPARING AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION WITH AN ATTENTION-CONTROL ACTIVITY IN 27 WOMEN WITH MDD. AFTER CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE STRESS, THERE WAS A DECREASE IN DEPRESSION OVER TIME IN BOTH THE YOGA GROUP AND THE ATTENTION-CONTROL GROUP, WITH THE YOGA GROUP HAVING A UNIQUE TREND IN DECREASED RUMINATIONS. PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED EXPERIENCING INCREASED CONNECTEDNESS AND GAINING A COPING STRATEGY THROUGH YOGA. THE FINDINGS PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR FUTURE LARGE SCALE RESEARCH TO EXPLORE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR DEPRESSED WOMEN AND THE UNIQUE ROLE OF YOGA IN DECREASING RUMINATION. 2013