1 2608 48 YOGA FOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: FROM FAD TO EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION? THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE FOR YOGA'S NEUROBIOLOGICAL EFFECTS IN PEOPLE WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. POSTULATED MECHANISMS OF ACTION INCLUDE: (A) MODULATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL (HPA) AXIS; (B) ENHANCEMENT OF GABAERGIC NEUROTRANSMISSION; (C) AUTONOMIC MODULATION; AND (D) NEUROENDOCRINOLOGICAL EFFECTS. YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS APPEARS PROMISING AND MERITS FURTHER ATTENTION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE AND RESEARCH. 2020 2 2776 21 YOGA SCHOOL OF THOUGHT AND PSYCHIATRY: THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL. YOGA IS A TRADITIONAL LIFE-STYLE PRACTICE USED FOR SPIRITUAL REASONS. HOWEVER, THE PHYSICAL COMPONENTS LIKE THE ASANAS AND PRANAYAAMAS HAVE DEMONSTRATED PHYSIOLOGICAL AND THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS. THERE IS EVIDENCE FOR YOGA AS BEING A POTENT ANTIDEPRESSANT THAT MATCHES WITH DRUGS. IN DEPRESSIVE DISORDER, YOGA 'CORRECTS' AN UNDERLYING COGNITIVE PHYSIOLOGY. IN SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS, YOGA HAS BENEFITS AS AN ADD-ON INTERVENTION IN PHARMACOLOGICALLY STABILIZED SUBJECTS. THE EFFECTS ARE PARTICULARLY NOTABLE ON NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS. YOGA ALSO HELPS TO CORRECT SOCIAL COGNITION. YOGA CAN BE INTRODUCED EARLY IN THE TREATMENT OF PSYCHOSIS WITH SOME BENEFITS. ELEVATION OF OXYTOCIN MAY BE A MECHANISM OF YOGA EFFECTS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. CERTAIN COMPONENTS OF YOGA HAVE DEMONSTRATED NEUROBIOLOGICAL EFFECTS SIMILAR TO THOSE OF VAGAL STIMULATION, INDICATING THIS (INDIRECT OR AUTOGENOUS VAGAL STIMULATION) AS A POSSIBLE MECHANISM OF ITS ACTION. IT IS TIME, PSYCHIATRISTS EXPLOITED THE BENEFITS IF YOGA FOR A COMPREHENSIVE CARE IN THEIR PATIENTS. 2013 3 2790 17 YOGA THERAPY FOR ANXIETY: A CASE REPORT. YOGA THERAPY IS A MIND-BODY INTERVENTION THAT CAN BE AN IMPORTANT SOLUTION IN THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY. YOGA THERAPY ALLEVIATES THE HYPERAROUSAL OF THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (SNS) AND THE HYPERVIGILANCE OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL (HPA) AXIS THAT OCCURS IN ANXIETY. YOGA THERAPY ACTIVATES THE PARASYMPATHETIC BRANCH OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, REPLACING SNS OVERDRIVE, OR THE FLIGHT-OR-FIGHT RESPONSE, WITH THE RELAXATION RESPONSE AND BALANCING THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. YOGA THERAPY INCREASES POSITIVE COPING SKILLS AND BUILDS SELF-ESTEEM WITHOUT HARMFUL SIDE EFFECTS. THE RESULTS OF THIS CASE STUDY HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE CLINICAL EFFICACY OF YOGA THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY AND PANIC DISORDER (PD) IN AN ADOLESCENT FEMALE. TREATMENT CONSISTED OF 4 WKS OF INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS (60-MIN SESSION/WK) AND 6 WKS OF GROUP SESSIONS (90-MIN SESSION/WK) WITH DAILY HOME PRACTICE. THE RESULTS OF THE CASE STUDY ARE SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE GROWING NUMBERS OF YOUTH IN THE UNITED STATES ARE PRESENTING WITH ANXIETY AND SEEKING NONPHARMACOLOGICAL OPTIONS. 2013 4 226 23 A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF RANDOMISED CONTROL TRIALS ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS MEASURES AND MOOD. STRESS RELATED DISORDERS SUCH AS DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY ARE LEADING SOURCES OF DISABILITY WORLDWIDE, AND CURRENT TREATMENT METHODS SUCH AS CONVENTIONAL ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS ARE NOT BENEFICIAL FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT YOGA HAS MOOD-ENHANCING PROPERTIES POSSIBLY RELATED TO ITS INHIBITORY EFFECTS ON PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS AND INFLAMMATION, WHICH ARE FREQUENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. HOWEVER THE BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS VIA WHICH YOGA EXERTS ITS THERAPEUTIC MOOD-MODULATING EFFECTS ARE LARGELY UNKNOWN. THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW INVESTIGATES THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND HYPOTHALAMIC PITUITARY ADRENAL AXIS REGULATION MEASURES. IT FOCUSES ON STUDIES COLLECTING PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS SUCH AS BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, CORTISOL, PERIPHERAL CYTOKINE EXPRESSION AND/OR STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL BRAIN MEASURES IN REGIONS INVOLVED IN STRESS AND MOOD REGULATION. OVERALL THE 25 RANDOMISED CONTROL STUDIES DISCUSSED PROVIDE PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTICE LEADS TO BETTER REGULATION OF THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL SYSTEM, AS WELL AS A DECREASE IN DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIOUS SYMPTOMS IN A RANGE OF POPULATIONS. FURTHER RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO CONFIRM THESE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS AND FACILITATE IMPLEMENTATION IN CLINICAL SETTINGS. 2015 5 1937 14 ROLE OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF NEUROTIC DISORDERS: CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. A LARGE NUMBER OF STUDIES HAVE CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED THE POTENTIAL OF YOGA, NOT ONLY IN THE TREATMENT OF PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOSOMATIC DISORDER BUT ALSO IN PROMOTING POSITIVE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. THIS PAPER REVIEWS VARIOUS STUDIES ON THE TREATMENT OF NEUROSIS WITH TECHNIQUES DERIVED FROM YOGA. A FEW LACUNAE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND POSSIBLE DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ARE OUTLINED. IT IS HOPED THAT RESEARCH ALONG THESE LINES WILL DEVELOP A STANDARDIZED METHOD OF YOGA THERAPY WHICH CAN BE UTILIZED AND INTEGRATED WITHIN THE EXISTING METHODS OF TREATMENT OF NEUROTIC DISORDERS. 1994 6 2886 23 YOGA: BALANCING THE EXCITATION-INHIBITION EQUILIBRIUM IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. SOCIAL BEHAVIORAL DISTURBANCES ARE CENTRAL TO MOST PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. A DISEQUILIBRIUM WITHIN THE CORTICAL EXCITATORY AND INHIBITORY NEUROTRANSMITTER SYSTEMS UNDERLIES THESE DEFICITS. GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID (GABA) AND GLUTAMATE ARE THE MOST ABUNDANT EXCITATORY AND INHIBITORY NEUROTRANSMITTERS IN THE BRAIN THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THIS EQUILIBRIUM. SEVERAL CONTEMPORARY THERAPIES USED IN TREATING PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, REGULATE THIS GABA-GLUTAMATE BALANCE. YOGA HAS BEEN STUDIED AS AN ADJUVANT TREATMENT ACROSS A BROAD RANGE OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS AND IS SHOWN TO HAVE SHORT-TERM THERAPEUTIC GAINS. EMERGING EVIDENCE FROM RECENT CLINICAL IN VIVO EXPERIMENTS SUGGESTS THAT YOGA IMPROVES GABA-MEDIATED CORTICAL-INHIBITORY TONE AND ENHANCES PERIPHERAL OXYTOCIN LEVELS. THIS IS LIKELY TO HAVE A MORE CONTROLLED DOWNSTREAM RESPONSE OF THE HYPOTHALAMO-PITUITARY-ADRENAL SYSTEM BY MEANS OF REDUCED CORTISOL RELEASE AND HENCE A BLUNTED SYMPATHETIC RESPONSE TO STRESS. ANIMAL AND EARLY FETAL DEVELOPMENTAL STUDIES SUGGEST AN INTER-DEPENDENT ROLE OF OXYTOCIN AND GABA IN REGULATING SOCIAL BEHAVIORS. IN KEEPING WITH THESE OBSERVATIONS, WE PROPOSE AN INTEGRATED NEUROBIOLOGICAL MODEL TO STUDY THE MECHANISMS OF THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS WITH YOGA. APART FROM PROVIDING A NEUROSCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR APPLYING A TRADITIONAL SYSTEM OF PRACTICE IN THE CLINICAL SETTING, THIS MODEL CAN BE USED AS A FRAMEWORK FOR STUDYING YOGA MECHANISMS IN FUTURE CLINICAL TRIALS. 2019 7 1639 16 MODULATION OF IMMUNE RESPONSES IN STRESS BY YOGA. STRESS IS A CONSTANT FACTOR IN TODAY'S FASTPACED LIFE THAT CAN JEOPARDIZE OUR HEALTH IF LEFT UNCHECKED. IT IS ONLY IN THE LAST HALF CENTURY THAT THE ROLE OF STRESS IN EVERY AILMENT FROM THE COMMON COLD TO AIDS HAS BEEN EMPHASIZED, AND THE MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS HAVE BEEN STUDIED. STRESS INFLUENCES THE IMMUNE RESPONSE PRESUMABLY THROUGH THE ACTIVATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY ADRENAL AXIS, HYPOTHALAMIC PITUITARY-GONADAL AXIS, AND THE SYMPATHETIC-ADRENAL-MEDULLARY SYSTEM. VARIOUS NEUROTRANSMITTERS, NEUROPEPTIDES, HORMONES, AND CYTOKINES MEDIATE THESE COMPLEX BIDIRECTIONAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. THE EFFECTS OF STRESS ON THE IMMUNE RESPONSES RESULT IN ALTERATIONS IN THE NUMBER OF IMMUNE CELLS AND CYTOKINE DYSREGULATION. VARIOUS STRESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES SUCH AS MEDITATION, YOGA, HYPNOSIS, AND MUSCLE RELAXATION HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF STRESS IN CANCERS AND HIV INFECTION. THIS REVIEW AIMS TO DISCUSS THE EFFECT OF STRESS ON THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND EXAMINE HOW RELAXATION TECHNIQUES SUCH AS YOGA AND MEDITATION COULD REGULATE THE CYTOKINE LEVELS AND HENCE, THE IMMUNE RESPONSES DURING STRESS. 2008 8 2297 16 THERAPEUTIC ROLE OF YOGA IN NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS. YOGA IS CONSIDERED A WIDELY-USED APPROACH FOR HEALTH CONSERVATION AND CAN BE ADOPTED AS A TREATMENT MODALITY FOR A PLETHORA OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS. HENCE, WE REVIEWED RELEVANT ARTICLES ENTAILING VARIOUS NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS AND GATHERED DATA ON HOW YOGA EXERTS POSITIVE IMPACTS ON PATIENTS WITH A DIVERSE RANGE OF DISORDERS, INCLUDING ITS MODULATORY EFFECTS ON BRAIN BIOELECTRICAL ACTIVITIES, NEUROTRANSMITTERS, AND SYNAPTIC PLASTICITY. THE ROLE OF YOGA PRACTICE AS AN ELEMENT OF THE TREATMENT OF SEVERAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL DISEASES WAS EVALUATED BASED ON THESE FINDINGS. 2021 9 1882 19 REDUCING ALLOSTATIC LOAD IN DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DISORDERS: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOGA PRACTICE AS ADD-ON THERAPIES. THE ALLOSTATIC LOAD (AL) INDEX CONSTITUTES A USEFUL TOOL TO OBJECTIVELY ASSESS THE BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF CHRONIC STRESS IN CLINICAL PRACTICE. AL INDEX HAS BEEN POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH CUMULATIVE CHRONIC STRESS (PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESSORS) AND WITH A HIGH RISK TO DEVELOP PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS (E.G., METABOLIC SYNDROME, CARDIOVASCULAR PATHOLOGY, INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS) AND THE SO-CALLED STRESS-RELATED PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, INCLUDING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS. CHRONIC STRESS HAS NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON BRAIN NEUROPLASTICITY, ESPECIALLY ON HIPPOCAMPAL NEUROGENESIS AND THESE EFFECTS MAY BE REVERSED BY ANTIDEPRESSANT TREATMENTS. SEVERAL EVIDENCES INDICATE THAT NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS BASED ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOGA PRACTICE MAY ADD SYNERGIZING BENEFITS TO CLASSICAL TREATMENTS (ANTIDEPRESSANT AND BENZODIAZEPINES) FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, REDUCING THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF CHRONIC STRESS. THE AIM OF THIS REVIEW IS TO PROVIDE A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF CURRENT KNOWLEDGE ON AL AND CHRONIC STRESS IN RELATION TO DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOGA PRACTICE. 2020 10 1337 21 HOW DOES YOGA REDUCE STRESS? A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF MECHANISMS OF CHANGE AND GUIDE TO FUTURE INQUIRY. YOGA IS INCREASINGLY USED IN CLINICAL SETTINGS FOR A VARIETY OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH ISSUES, PARTICULARLY STRESS-RELATED ILLNESSES AND CONCERNS, AND HAS DEMONSTRATED PROMISING EFFICACY. YET THE WAYS IN WHICH YOGA REDUCES STRESS REMAIN POORLY UNDERSTOOD. TO EXAMINE THE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE REGARDING THE MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH YOGA REDUCES STRESS, WE CONDUCTED A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE, INCLUDING ANY YOGA INTERVENTION THAT MEASURED STRESS AS A PRIMARY DEPENDENT VARIABLE AND TESTED A MECHANISM OF THE RELATIONSHIP WITH MEDIATION. OUR ELECTRONIC DATABASE SEARCH YIELDED 926 ABSTRACTS, OF WHICH 71 WERE CHOSEN FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND 5 WERE SELECTED FOR THE FINAL SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. THESE FIVE STUDIES EXAMINED THREE PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS (POSITIVE AFFECT, MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION) AND FOUR BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS (POSTERIOR HYPOTHALAMUS, INTERLEUKIN-6, C-REACTIVE PROTEIN AND CORTISOL). POSITIVE AFFECT, SELF-COMPASSION, INHIBITION OF THE POSTERIOR HYPOTHALAMUS AND SALIVARY CORTISOL WERE ALL SHOWN TO MEDIATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND STRESS. IT IS STRIKING THAT THE LITERATURE DESCRIBING POTENTIAL MECHANISMS IS GROWING RAPIDLY, YET ONLY SEVEN MECHANISMS HAVE BEEN EMPIRICALLY EXAMINED; MORE RESEARCH IS NECESSARY. ALSO, FUTURE RESEARCH OUGHT TO INCLUDE MORE RIGOROUS METHODOLOGY, INCLUDING SUFFICIENT POWER, STUDY RANDOMISATION AND APPROPRIATE CONTROL GROUPS. 2015 11 406 18 BIOLOGICAL MARKERS FOR THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. FROM THE LAST FEW DECADES, THERE ARE INCREASING INCIDENCES OF DISORDERS LIKE PREMATURE AGING, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, FIBROMYALGIA, AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IN ADDITION TO MEDICATION, RESEARCHERS HAVE FOUND THAT YOGA, A MIND-BODY THERAPY, CAN BE USED AS AN ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. YOGA COMBINES SPECIFIC PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING TECHNIQUES, RELAXATION AND MEDITATION THAT IMPROVE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OF THE BODY. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW IS TO COLLATE THE RESEARCH EVIDENCES CLAIMING HEALTH BENEFITS OF PERFORMING TRADITIONAL YOGIC PRACTICES. WHAT ARE THE BIOLOGICAL AND OTHER RELIABLE INDICATORS TO SUGGEST THAT DOING ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, AND MEDITATION COULD REDUCE OR TREAT WIDE RANGE OF LIFE STYLE DISORDERS ARE DISCUSSED. IMPORTANTLY, THESE INDICATORS ARE OTHERWISE USED TO ASSESS THE SEVERITY OF DISORDERS. IN MANY OF THE STUDY IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT YOGA IMPROVES THE REDOX HEALTH OF BODY WHOSE IMBALANCE HAS BEEN WELL PROVEN TO CAUSE MANY HEALTH COMPLICATIONS. THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES HAVE REVEALED THAT IT REVERSES MEMORY LOSS, REDUCE ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND STRESS, THE BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS OF DISEASE. HOWEVER, MOST STUDIES HAVE SEVERAL LIMITATIONS AND THEREFORE FURTHER RESEARCH INTO YOGA IS NEEDED TO VALIDATE THESE FINDINGS. 2019 12 2489 13 YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION IN THE TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS: DOES IT HELP? THIS ARTICLE EXPLORES THE USES OF YOGA AS AN EXPERIENTIAL ADJUNCT TO OTHER FORMS OF THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS IN RESIDENTIAL AND OUTPATIENT SETTINGS. SUPPORTED BY OTHER TREATMENT MODALITIES, YOGA CAN BE AN EFFECTIVE METHOD FOR INCREASING SELF-AWARENESS, REFLECTION AND THE ABILITY TO SELF-SOOTHE. LIKE OTHER INTERVENTIONS, YOGA HAS POTENTIAL MISUSES. THESE MISUSES ARE UNCOVERED WITH SUGGESTIONS MADE AS TO HOW THERAPISTS CAN SUPPORT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IN RESIDENTIAL AND OUTPATIENT SETTINGS. 2009 13 1587 10 MEDICAL YOGA THERAPY. MEDICAL YOGA IS DEFINED AS THE USE OF YOGA PRACTICES FOR THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS. BEYOND THE PHYSICAL ELEMENTS OF YOGA, WHICH ARE IMPORTANT AND EFFECTIVE FOR STRENGTHENING THE BODY, MEDICAL YOGA ALSO INCORPORATES APPROPRIATE BREATHING TECHNIQUES, MINDFULNESS, AND MEDITATION IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE MAXIMUM BENEFITS. MULTIPLE STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT YOGA CAN POSITIVELY IMPACT THE BODY IN MANY WAYS, INCLUDING HELPING TO REGULATE BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS, IMPROVE MUSCULOSKELETAL AILMENTS AND KEEPING THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM IN TUNE. IT ALSO HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE IMPORTANT PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS, AS THE PRACTICE OF YOGA CAN HELP TO INCREASE MENTAL ENERGY AND POSITIVE FEELINGS, AND DECREASE NEGATIVE FEELINGS OF AGGRESSIVENESS, DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. 2017 14 1590 14 MEDITATION AND YOGA CAN MODULATE BRAIN MECHANISMS THAT AFFECT BEHAVIOR AND ANXIETY-A MODERN SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE. MEDITATION AND YOGA TECHNIQUES ARE RECEIVING INCREASED ATTENTION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, DUE TO THE ACCUMULATION OF EVIDENCE BASED RESEARCH THAT PROVES THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT BENEFITS OF SUCH PRACTICES. BASED ON STUDIES CONDUCTED SO FAR, IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION TRIGGERS NEUROTRANSMITTERS THAT MODULATE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS SUCH AS ANXIETY. THIS PAPER WILL REVIEW THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION, THE ROLE OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS, AND STUDIES USING EEG AND FMRI. 2015 15 2366 14 WAR-RELATED MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND NEED FOR YOGA INTERVENTION STUDIES: A SCOPING REVIEW. CONFLICTS AND HUMANITARIAN CRISES LEAD TO SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, INCLUDING DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, AND COGNITIVE DECLINE. EXPOSURE TO THESE CIRCUMSTANCES IN EARLY LIFE CAN LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF DISORDERS SUCH AS MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, DEMENTIA, AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (AD), FOR WHICH NO TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE. IN THIS REVIEW, VARIOUS RESEARCH PAPERS HAVE BEEN COMPILED TO DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH OF POPULATION AFFECTED DUE TO WARS AND CONFLICTS AND HOW STRESS AND DEPRESSION CAN ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEMENTIA AND AD. DUE TO FAILURE OF DRUGS IN THE TREATMENT OF DEMENTIA AND AD, YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED APPROACH HAS BEEN PROPOSED FOR FUTURE INVESTIGATIONS. ALTHOUGH STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT YOGA AND MINDFULNESS CAN BE HELPFUL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN THE WAR-AFFLICTED AREAS, LIMITED MECHANISTIC STUDIES IN YOGA AND MINDFULNESS REMAIN THE CHIEF CAUSE PRECLUDING ITS CLINICAL APPLICATION IN SUCH WARZONES. THE MOLECULAR STUDIES IN THE FIELD OF YOGA CAN BE UNDERTAKEN BY TARGETING THESE WARZONES. THIS REVIEW PROVIDES A SCIENTIFIC EVALUATION OF MIND-BODY TECHNIQUES AS A JUSTIFICATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH REHABILITATION IN THE WAR-AFFLICTED ZONES IN FACE OF FAILED CLINICAL TRIALS FOR VARIOUS DRUGS. THIS MAY HELP REDUCE THE RISK OF DEVELOPING DEMENTIA AND AD IN THIS SUSCEPTIBLE POPULATION. 2021 16 2436 18 YOGA AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: A REVIEW OF BIOMARKER EVIDENCE. TRADITIONALLY, YOGA HAS BEEN USED AS A MEANS FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH BUT OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES OR SO ITS THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS HAVE BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY EXPLORED. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE USEFUL AS A MONO-THERAPY IN MILD TO MODERATE DEPRESSION AND AS AN ADJUVANT IN SEVERAL PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS INCLUDING SCHIZOPHRENIA, ANXIETY DISORDERS, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AND MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT. FURTHERMORE, SYSTEMATIC ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO UNDERSTAND THE BIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF YOGA IN THESE PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. GIVEN THAT NO PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER HAS STRONG AND ESTABLISHED BIOMARKERS, IT IS INTERESTING THAT PRELIMINARY RESEARCH HAS DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN CERTAIN IMPORTANT BIOMARKERS FOLLOWING REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE. IN THIS BRIEF REVIEW, WE PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON BIOCHEMICAL, NEURO-PHYSIOLOGICAL AND NEURO-IMAGING RELATED BIO-MARKERS IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. ALTHOUGH FINDINGS AND TRENDS ARE PROMISING, MUCH MORE RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO ESTABLISH A DEFINITE BIOLOGICAL BASIS FOR YOGA IN PSYCHIATRY. 2021 17 2630 19 YOGA FOR THE TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION: FIVE QUESTIONS TO MOVE THE EVIDENCE-BASE FORWARD. YOGA-BASED PRACTICES, DERIVED FROM ANCIENT EASTERN MIND-BODY PRACTICES, HAVE GROWN IN POPULARITY IN THE WEST OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES. INCREASING EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS (YBIS). HOWEVER, DESPITE YOGA'S PROMISE AS A POTENTIAL TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION, THE LITERATURE TO DATE IS MARKED BY SUBSTANTIAL METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS, WHICH REMAIN A BARRIER TO THE INTEGRATION OF YBIS INTO CONVENTIONAL CLINICAL CARE. WE HIGHLIGHT FIVE KEY AREAS OF STUDY THAT NEED FURTHER INVESTIGATION TO FILL CRUCIAL GAPS IN THE LITERATURE-BASE TO ADVANCE YOGA RESEARCH AND YOGA'S POTENTIAL AS AN EFFECTIVE EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION. 2019 18 1824 20 PSYCHO-NEURO-ENDOCRINE-IMMUNE MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF YOGA IN TYPE II DIABETES. YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO BENEFIT ALL THE COMPONENTS OF HEALTH VIZ. PHYSICAL, MENTAL, SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL WELL BEING BY INCORPORATING A WIDE VARIETY OF PRACTICES. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF TYPE II DM AND CO-MORBIDITIES IN TYPE II DM HAS BEEN CORRELATED WITH STRESS MECHANISMS. STRESS SUPPRESSES BODY'S IMMUNE SYSTEM AND NEURO-HUMORAL ACTIONS THEREBY AFF ECTING NORMAL PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE. IT WOULD NOT BE WRONG TO STATE THAT CORRELATION OF DIABETES WITH STRESS, ANXIETY AND OTHER PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS ARE BIDIRECTIONAL AND LEAD TO DIFFICULTY IN UNDERSTANDING THE INTERRELATED MECHANISMS. TYPE II DM CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD IN ISOLATION WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS SUCH AS STRESS, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, NEURO-ENDOCRINE AND IMMUNOLOGICAL FACTORS. THERE IS NO REVIEW WHICH TRIES TO UNDERSTAND THESE MECHANISMS EXCLUSIVELY. THE PRESENT LITERATURE REVIEW AIMS TO UNDERSTAND INTERRELATED PSYCHO-NEURO-ENDOCRINE AND IMMUNOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF YOGA IN TYPE II DIABETES MELLITUS. PUBLISHED LITERATURE CONCERNING MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF YOGA IN TYPE II DM EMPHASIZING PSYCHO-NEURO-ENDOCRINE OR IMMUNOLOGICAL RELATIONS WAS RETRIEVED FROM PUBMED USING KEY WORDS YOGA, TYPE II DIABETES MELLITUS, PSYCHOLOGICAL, NEURAL, ENDOCRINE, IMMUNE AND MECHANISM OF ACTION. THOSE STUDIES WHICH EXPLAINED THE PSYCHO-NEUROENDOCRINE AND IMMUNE MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF YOGA WERE INCLUDED AND REST WERE EXCLUDED. ALTHOUGH PRIMARY AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO EXPLAIN THESE MECHANISMS IN TYPE II DM, SOME STUDIES IN NON-DIABETIC POPULATION WHICH HAD A SIMILAR PATHWAY OF STRESS MECHANISM WAS INCLUDED BECAUSE MANY INSIGHTFUL STUDIES WERE AVAILABLE IN THAT AREA. SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED USING TERMS YOGA OR YOGIC AND DIABETES OR DIABETIC IN TITLE OR ABSTRACT FOR ENGLISH ARTICLES. OF THE 89 ARTICLES, WE EXCLUDED NON-ENGLISH ARTICLES (22), EDITORIALS (20) AND LETTERS TO EDITOR (10). 37 STUDIES WERE CONSIDERED FOR THIS REVIEW. THE POSTULATED MECHANISM OF ACTION OF YOGA IS THROUGH PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVATION AND THE ASSOCIATED ANTI STRESS MECHANISM. IT REDUCES PERCEIVED STRESS AND HPA AXIS ACTIVATION THEREBY IMPROVING OVERALL METABOLIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILES, INCREASING INSULIN SENSITIVITY, AND IMPROVING GLUCOSE TOLERANCE AND LIPID METABOLISM. YOGA HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON IMMUNE SYSTEM OF DIABETICS.- OVERALL, TYPE II DM IS INFLUENCED BY PSYCHO-NEURO-ENDOCRINE AND IMMUNE MECHANISMS WHERE YOGA HAS IMPORTANT POSITIVE ROLE IN COMBATING STRESSORS AND IMPROVING THESE SYSTEMS TO REGAIN HEALTH. 2015 19 646 17 DOES YOGA THERAPY REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION?: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW. THE AIM OF THIS ARTICLE WAS TO PRESENT A EVIDENCE-BASED INTEGRATIVE RESEARCH REVIEW THAT VALIDATES YOGA THERAPY AS AN EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE (BP). THE ARTICLE ALSO USES THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF DR HANS SELYE'S GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME. YOGA RESEARCHERS DEMONSTRATE THAT YOGA WORKS BECAUSE IT MODULATES THE PHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEM OF THE BODY, SPECIFICALLY ITS EFFECT ON THE HEART RATE. THIS REVIEW IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE YOGA PRESENTS AN EFFECTIVE METHOD OF TREATING HYPERTENSION THAT IS NONPHARMACOLOGIC AND THEREFORE THERE ARE NO ADVERSE EFFECTS AND THERE ARE OTHER VALUABLE HEALTH BENEFITS. RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT STRESS IS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO HIGH BP; HENCE, THE USE OF THE GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME AND THE MOST IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTE OF YOGA, THAT IS, IT IS A PHYSICAL AND MENTAL EXERCISE PROGRAM, THAT IS IN SYNC WITH THE PHILOSOPHY OF HOLISTIC NURSING CARE WHERE ONE TREATS THE WHOLE INDIVIDUAL AND NOT JUST THE DISEASE. THE REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED WITH A SEARCH OF COMPUTERIZED DATABASES SUCH AS OVID, ACADEMIC SEARCH PREMIER, CINAHL, MEDLINE, AND HEALTH SOURCE: NURSING/ACADEMIC EDITION, PSYCHINFO, AS WELL AS RELIABLE WEB SITES SUCH AS THE CDC.GOV, AMONG OTHERS. AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED, AND 10 STUDIES MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA. THEY INCLUDE A COMBINATION OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS, QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES, AND PILOT STUDIES. YOGA THERAPY IS A MULTIFUNCTIONAL EXERCISE MODALITY WITH NUMEROUS BENEFITS. NOT ONLY DOES YOGA REDUCE HIGH BP BUT IT HAS ALSO BEEN DEMONSTRATED TO EFFECTIVELY REDUCE BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVEL, CHOLESTEROL LEVEL, AND BODY WEIGHT, MAJOR PROBLEMS AFFECTING THE AMERICAN SOCIETY. THE COMPLETED INTEGRATIVE REVIEW PROVIDES GUIDELINES FOR NURSING IMPLEMENTATION AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT OF HIGH BP. 2012 20 2881 21 YOGA: A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE WITH THERAPEUTIC VALUE IN PSYCHIATRY. UNLABELLED: YOGA IS ONE OF THE SPIRITUAL PRACTICES DERIVED FROM THE ORTHODOX SCHOOL OF HINDU PHILOSOPHY. THE PRACTICES WERE CODIFIED BY PATANJALI UNDER THE TITLE OF ASHTANGA YOGA. ALTHOUGH YOGA WAS TRADITIONALLY SEEN AS A PRACTICE MEANT FOR ACHIEVING SELF-REALIZATION, IN RECENT YEARS THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT ATTENTION GIVEN TO THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICES ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. YOGA AS A THERAPY HAS PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE AS A SOLE OR ADDITIONAL INTERVENTION IN SEVERAL PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. CONCLUSIONS: THE LITERATURE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA CAN LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT SYMPTOMATIC IMPROVEMENTS IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, ALONG WITH NEUROBIOLOGICAL EFFECTS WHICH MAY UNDERLIE THESE CHANGES. THIS SUGGESTS THAT MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS SHOULD BE OPEN TO THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICES FOR THEIR PATIENTS, EITHER AS COMPLEMENTARY INTERVENTIONS TO MODERN TREATMENTS OR AS SOLE TREATMENT IN SOME DISORDERS. 2012