1 2035 97 TELE-YOGA FOR CHRONIC PAIN: CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. PAIN IS A PERVASIVE, DEBILITATING DISORDER THAT IS RESISTANT TO LONG-TERM PHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS. ALTHOUGH PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIES SUCH AS COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY DEMONSTRATE MODERATE EFFICACY, MANY INDIVIDUALS CONTINUE TO HAVE ONGOING DIFFICULTIES FOLLOWING TREATMENT. THERE IS A CURRENT TREND TO ESTABLISH COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH INTERVENTIONS FOR CHRONIC PAIN, FOR WHICH YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO HAVE EXCITING POTENTIAL. NEVERTHELESS, AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION WITHIN THE FIELD IS ACCESSIBILITY TO ADEQUATE CARE. TELEHEALTH CAN BE USED TO PROVIDE REAL-TIME INTERACTIVE VIDEO CONFERENCING LEADING TO INCREASED ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS LOCATED REMOTELY OR WHO OTHERWISE HAVE DIFFICULTY ACCESSING SERVICES, PERHAPS THROUGH ISSUES OF MOBILITY OR PROXIMITY OF ADEQUATE SERVICES. THIS ARTICLE ASSESSES THE CURRENT STATUS AND FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING TELE-YOGA FOR CHRONIC PAIN. METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ARE DISCUSSED. 2018 2 2202 24 THE ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES OF YOGA QUESTIONNAIRE (EPYQ): PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES. YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE HETEROGENEOUS AND VARY ALONG MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS. THESE DIMENSIONS MAY AFFECT MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OUTCOMES IN DIFFERENT WAYS OR THROUGH DIFFERENT MECHANISMS. HOWEVER, MOST STUDIES OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON HEALTH DO NOT ADEQUATELY DESCRIBE OR QUANTIFY THE COMPONENTS OF THE INTERVENTIONS BEING IMPLEMENTED. THIS LACK OF DETAIL PREVENTS RESEARCHERS FROM MAKING COMPARISONS ACROSS STUDIES AND LIMITS OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIVE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS. TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, WE DEVELOPED THE ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES OF YOGA QUESTIONNAIRE (EPYQ), WHICH ALLOWS RESEARCHERS TO OBJECTIVELY CHARACTERIZE THEIR INTERVENTIONS. WE PRESENT HERE THE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY DATA FROM THE FINAL PHASES OF THIS MEASURE-DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. ANALYSES IDENTIFIED FOURTEEN KEY DIMENSIONS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS MEASURED BY THE EPYQ: ACCEPTANCE/COMPASSION, BANDHAS, BODY AWARENESS, BREATHWORK, INSTRUCTOR MENTION OF HEALTH BENEFITS, INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION, MEDITATION AND MINDFULNESS, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL AWARENESS, PHYSICALITY, ACTIVE POSTURES, RESTORATIVE POSTURES, SOCIAL ASPECTS, SPIRITUALITY, AND YOGA PHILOSOPHY. THE EPYQ DEMONSTRATED GOOD RELIABILITY, AS ASSESSED BY INTERNAL CONSISTENCY AND TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY ANALYSIS, AND EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THE EPYQ IS A VALID MEASURE OF MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS OF YOGA. THE MEASURE IS READY FOR USE BY CLINICIANS AND RESEARCHERS. RESULTS INDICATE THAT, CURRENTLY, TRAINED OBJECTIVE RATERS SHOULD SCORE INTERVENTIONS TO AVOID REFERENCE FRAME ERRORS AND POTENTIAL RATING BIAS, BUT ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES MAY BE DEVELOPED. THE EPYQ WILL ALLOW RESEARCHERS TO LINK SPECIFIC YOGA DIMENSIONS TO IDENTIFIABLE HEALTH OUTCOMES AND OPTIMIZE THE DESIGN OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR SPECIFIC CONDITIONS. 2018 3 2203 26 THE ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES OF YOGA QUESTIONNAIRE: DEVELOPMENT AND METHODS. YOGA INTERVENTIONS HAVE CONSIDERABLE HETEROGENEITY, ARE MULTI-DIMENSIONAL, AND MAY IMPACT HEALTH IN DIFFERENT WAYS. HOWEVER, MOST RESEARCH REPORTS REGARDING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON HEALTH AND WELLBEING DO NOT ADEQUATELY DESCRIBE THE COMPONENTS OF THE YOGA INTERVENTIONS BEING USED. THUS, DRAWING COMPARISONS ACROSS STUDIES OR UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIVE EFFECTS OF SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ARE RARELY POSSIBLE. TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, WE CREATED THE ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES OF YOGA QUESTIONNAIRE (EPYQ) PROJECT, AN NCCAM-FUNDED SET OF STUDIES TO DEVELOP A TRANSLATIONAL TOOL FOR YOGA RESEARCHERS. HERE WE DESCRIBE THE METHODS AND DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESSES USED IN THE EPYQ PROJECT IN DETAIL. THE PROJECT CONSISTS OF FOUR MAIN PHASES. PHASE I WAS DESIGNED TO GAIN A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELEVANT ASPECTS OF YOGA BY CONDUCTING A COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONDUCTING FOCUS GROUPS WITH STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDING A WIDE VARIETY OF YOGA TEACHERS AND STUDENTS. IN PHASE II, A POOL OF POTENTIAL QUESTIONNAIRE ITEMS WAS DEVELOPED FOR THE PROTOTYPIC QUESTIONNAIRE USING INFORMATION FROM PHASE I. COGNITIVE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH THE PRELIMINARY EPYQ ITEMS TO ASSESS THE PERCEIVED CLARITY, MEANING, AND IMPORTANCE OF EACH ITEM. IN PHASE III, THE PROTOTYPIC QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADMINISTERED TO TWO LARGE SAMPLES OF YOGA STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS. MILITARY PERSONNEL AND VETERANS WHO PRACTICED OR TAUGHT YOGA (N = 329) WERE RECRUITED TO PARTICIPATE. FACTOR ANALYSIS AND ITEM RESPONSE THEORY WERE USED TO IDENTIFY FACTORS AND SELECT THE FINAL QUESTIONNAIRE ITEMS. PHASE IV IS ONGOING AND WILL COLLECT RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY DATA ON THE FINAL INSTRUMENT. RESULTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AVAILABLE IN 2016. THE EPYQ WILL PROVIDE AN OBJECTIVE TOOL FOR DESCRIBING THE AMOUNT OF VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS, EVENTUALLY ALLOWING RESEARCHERS TO LINK SPECIFIC YOGA COMPONENTS TO HEALTH BENEFITS, AND FACILITATING THE DESIGN OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR SPECIFIC HEALTH CONDITIONS. 2015 4 2130 25 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA TO PREVENT DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE 2: A PROTOCOL FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. BACKGROUND: TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM) IS BECOMING A LEADING PROBLEM WORLDWIDE. EMERGING REPORTS REVEAL ALARMING EVIDENCE OF INCREASING PREVALENCE OF T2DM THAT HAS REACHED PANDEMIC LEVELS. DESPITE THE SIGNIFICANT INCIDENCE, THERE ARE LIMITED RELIABLE DATA RESOURCES AND COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PEOPLE WHO ARE A PREDIABETIC OR HIGH RISK FOR DEVELOPING T2DM. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROTOCOL IS TO CONDUCT A FULL-SCALE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSES ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PEOPLE WHO ARE PREDIABETES OR HIGH RISK OF DEVELOPING T2DM. METHODS: THE ARTICLES ENROLLED IN THE STUDY WILL BE RETRIEVED FROM THE ONLINE DATABASES BETWEEN 2002 AND THE DATE THE SEARCHES ARE EXECUTED. THE SEARCHES WILL BE REPEATED JUST BEFORE THE FINAL ANALYSES AND FURTHER RELEVANT STUDIES FOR INCLUSION. WE WILL CONDUCT A BIBLIOGRAPHIC SEARCH IN DATABASES: MEDLINE/PUBMED, SCOPUS, COCHRANE LIBRARY, EBSCO, AND INDMED USING KEYWORDS INCLUDING PREDIABETES STATE, HIGH RISK FOR DIABETES, METABOLIC SYNDROME, AND YOGA. A DEFINED SEARCH STRATEGY WILL BE IMPLEMENTED ALONG WITH SELECTION CRITERIA TO OBTAIN FULL-TEXT ARTICLES OF RELEVANT STUDIES. THIS STUDY PROTOCOL WAS PREPARED ACCORDING TO THE PREFERRED REPORTING ITEMS FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS AND META-ANALYSIS FOR PROTOCOLS 2015 GUIDELINES. THERE WILL BE NO LANGUAGE RESTRICTIONS. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: THE PROPOSED STUDY WILL BE BASED ON PUBLISHED STUDIES AND PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ANONYMIZED DATA WITHOUT DIRECTLY INVOLVING HUMAN PARTICIPANTS AND THEREFORE REQUIRES NEITHER FORMAL HUMAN ETHICAL REVIEW NOR APPROVAL BY A HUMAN RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEE. WE PUBLISHED AN OUTLINE OF THE PROTOCOL IN THE INTERNATIONAL PROSPECTIVE REGISTER OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS (PROSPERO) IN 2018. WE PLAN TO DISSEMINATE THE FINDINGS OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS THROUGH PUBLICATION IN A PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL AND PRESENTATION AT RELEVANT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS. IN ADDITION, WE BELIEVE THE RESULTS OF THE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WILL HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE. WE WILL PREPARE POLICYMAKER SUMMARY USING A VALIDATED FORMAT, DISSEMINATE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND EMAIL DISCUSSION GROUPS. REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD 42018106657. 2019 5 1069 31 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH: A SHORT SUMMARY OF REVIEWS. THIS REPORT SUMMARIZES THE CURRENT EVIDENCE ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, BY FOCUSSING ON THE EVIDENCE DESCRIBED IN REVIEW ARTICLES. COLLECTIVELY, THESE REVIEWS SUGGEST A NUMBER OF AREAS WHERE YOGA MAY WELL BE BENEFICIAL, BUT MORE RESEARCH IS REQUIRED FOR VIRTUALLY ALL OF THEM TO FIRMLY ESTABLISH SUCH BENEFITS. THE HETEROGENEITY AMONG INTERVENTIONS AND CONDITIONS STUDIED HAS HAMPERED THE USE OF META-ANALYSIS AS AN APPROPRIATE TOOL FOR SUMMARIZING THE CURRENT LITERATURE. NEVERTHELESS, THERE ARE SOME META-ANALYSES WHICH INDICATE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIALS (RCT'S) OF RELATIVELY HIGH QUALITY INDICATING BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR PAIN-ASSOCIATED DISABILITY AND MENTAL HEALTH. YOGA MAY WELL BE EFFECTIVE AS A SUPPORTIVE ADJUNCT TO MITIGATE SOME MEDICAL CONDITIONS, BUT NOT YET A PROVEN STAND-ALONE, CURATIVE TREATMENT. LARGER-SCALE AND MORE RIGOROUS RESEARCH WITH HIGHER METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY AND ADEQUATE CONTROL INTERVENTIONS IS HIGHLY ENCOURAGED BECAUSE YOGA MAY HAVE POTENTIAL TO BE IMPLEMENTED AS A BENEFICIAL SUPPORTIVE/ADJUNCT TREATMENT THAT IS RELATIVELY COST-EFFECTIVE, MAY BE PRACTICED AT LEAST IN PART AS A SELF-CARE BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT, PROVIDES A LIFE-LONG BEHAVIOURAL SKILL, ENHANCES SELF-EFFICACY AND SELF-CONFIDENCE AND IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH ADDITIONAL POSITIVE SIDE EFFECTS. 2012 6 1294 24 GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR RANDOMIZED TRIALS. LITTLE GUIDANCE IS AVAILABLE TO ASSIST RESEARCHERS IN DEVELOPING TREATMENT PROTOCOLS FOR RESEARCH ON YOGA FOR HEALTH CONCERNS. BECAUSE YOGA IS A COMPLEX MULTIFACTORIAL MIND-BODY DISCIPLINE HISTORICALLY DEVELOPED FOR NONMEDICAL PURPOSES, NUMEROUS DECISIONS MUST BE MADE IN ORDER TO THOUGHTFULLY DEVELOP SUCH PROTOCOLS. IN THIS PAPER, A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH IS PROPOSED TO ASSIST RESEARCHERS IN SELECTING AN INTERVENTION THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE CONDITION UNDER CONSIDERATION AND EXPLICITLY DEVELOPED. RESEARCHERS NEED TO CONSIDER THE TYPE OR "STYLE" OF YOGA, THE COMPONENTS TO INCLUDE (E.G., BREATHING EXERCISES, POSTURES) AS WELL AS THE SPECIFIC PROTOCOL FOR EACH COMPONENT, THE DOSE TO BE DELIVERED (FREQUENCY, DURATION OF PRACTICE, AND THE TOTAL DURATION OF PRACTICE), AND ISSUES RELATED TO SELECTION OF INSTRUCTORS AND MONITORING THE FIDELITY TO THE INTERVENTION. EACH OF THESE DOMAINS AND THE KEY ISSUES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROTOCOLS IS DISCUSSED. FINALLY, SOME AREAS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH RELATED TO PROTOCOL DEVELOPMENT ARE RECOMMENDED. 2012 7 1300 33 HATHA YOGA FOR DEPRESSION: CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE FOR EFFICACY, PLAUSIBLE MECHANISMS OF ACTION, AND DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. BACKGROUND: THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO REVIEW THE EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFICACY OF HATHA YOGA FOR DEPRESSION AND POSSIBLE MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON DEPRESSION, AND TO OUTLINE DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. METHODS: LITERATURE REVIEW AND SYNTHESIS. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A LITERATURE SEARCH FOR CLINICAL TRIALS EXAMINING YOGA FOR DEPRESSION UNCOVERED EIGHT TRIALS: 5 INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS WITH CLINICAL DEPRESSION, AND 3 FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH ELEVATED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS. ALTHOUGH RESULTS FROM THESE TRIALS ARE ENCOURAGING, THEY SHOULD BE VIEWED AS VERY PRELIMINARY BECAUSE THE TRIALS, AS A GROUP, SUFFERED FROM SUBSTANTIAL METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS. WE WOULD ARGUE, HOWEVER, THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS TO CONSIDER CONSTRUCTING CAREFUL RESEARCH ON YOGA FOR DEPRESSION. FIRST, CURRENT STRATEGIES FOR TREATING DEPRESSION ARE NOT SUFFICIENT FOR MANY INDIVIDUALS, AND PATIENTS HAVE SEVERAL CONCERNS ABOUT EXISTING TREATMENTS. YOGA MAY BE AN ATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO OR A GOOD WAY TO AUGMENT CURRENT DEPRESSION TREATMENT STRATEGIES. SECOND, ASPECTS OF YOGA-INCLUDING MINDFULNESS PROMOTION AND EXERCISE-ARE THOUGHT TO BE "ACTIVE INGREDIENTS" OF OTHER SUCCESSFUL TREATMENTS FOR DEPRESSION. THIRD, THERE ARE PLAUSIBLE BIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND BEHAVIORAL MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON DEPRESSION. WE PROVIDE SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NEXT STEPS IN THE STUDY OF YOGA AS A TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION. 2010 8 61 31 A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF YOGA RESEARCH IN 2020. OBJECTIVES: ACCUMULATED EVIDENCE GARNERED IN THE LAST FEW DECADES HAS HIGHLIGHTED THE ROLE OF YOGA IN HEALTH AND DISEASE. THE OVERWHELMING MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY MEDIATED BY NONCOMMUNICABLE EPIDEMICS SUCH AS HEART DISEASE AND CANCER HAVE FOSTERED A SEARCH FOR MECHANISMS TO ATTENUATE THEM. DESPITE OVERWHELMING SUCCESS IN ACUTE CARE, THE EFFICACY OF MODERN MEDICINES HAS BEEN LIMITED ON THIS FRONT. YOGA IS ONE OF THE INTEGRATIVE THERAPIES THAT HAS COME TO LIGHT AS HAVING A SUBSTANTIAL ROLE IN PREVENTING AND MITIGATING SUCH DISORDERS. IT THUS SEEMS TRITE TO ANALYZE AND DISCUSS THE RESEARCH ADVANCEMENTS IN YOGA FOR 2020. THE PRESENT REVIEW ATTEMPTS TO DISTILL RECENT RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS FROM VOLUMINOUS LITERATURE GENERATED IN 2020. METHODS: THIS REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED ON THE ARTICLES PUBLISHED OR ASSIGNED TO AN ISSUE IN 2020. THE AUTHORS SEARCHED THE PUBMED DATABASE FOR CLINICAL STUDIES PUBLISHED IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, USING YOGA (INCLUDING MEDITATION) AS THE INTERVENTION, AND HAVING AN ADEQUATE DESCRIPTION OF THE INTERVENTION. THEN, THEY EXTRACTED DATA FROM EACH STUDY INTO A STANDARDIZED GOOGLE SHEET. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 1149 CITATIONS WERE RETRIEVED IN THE INITIAL SEARCH. OF THESE, 46 STUDIES MET ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND WERE FINALLY INCLUDED. THE STUDIES WERE PREDOMINANTLY ON MENTAL HEALTH AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, ADDRESSING VARIOUS ISSUES SUCH AS ANXIETY, POSTURAL BALANCE, MIGRAINE, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, AND CHILDHOOD NEGLECT. ANXIETY, STRESS, AND DEPRESSION WERE OTHER COMMON DENOMINATORS. EIGHT STUDIES WERE ON CARDIORESPIRATORY SYSTEMS, INCLUDING EXERCISE CAPACITY, CARDIAC REHABILITATION, MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION, AND HYPERTENSION. THREE STUDIES WERE ON DIABETES, EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF YOGA. FIVE STUDIES FOCUSED ON COGNITION, HEALTH STATUS, AND AUTONOMIC REGULATION AND FEW OTHERS INCLUDED CANCERS, INFERTILITY, ULCERATIVE COLITIS, URINARY INCONTINENCE, RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME, RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, CHRONIC PAIN, AND METABOLIC SYNDROME. FINALLY, MOST STUDIES WERE ON NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES WITH ONE EXCEPTION, HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS; TWO RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS WERE DEDICATED TO IT. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA HAS BEEN STUDIED UNDER A WIDE VARIETY OF CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN THE YEAR 2020. THIS LANDSCAPE REVIEW INTENDS TO PROVIDE AN IDEA OF THE ROLE OF YOGA IN VARIOUS CLINICAL CONDITIONS AND ITS FUTURE THERAPEUTIC IMPLICATIONS. 2022 9 2121 28 THE EFFECTIVENESS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF PREGNANCY YOGA INTERVENTIONS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW PROTOCOL. BACKGROUND: THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW IS TO SYSTEMATICALLY EXAMINE THE REPORTED CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS OF PREGNANCY YOGA. THE REVIEW WILL USE THE FITT (FREQUENCY, INTENSITY, TIME/DURATION AND TYPE) PRINCIPLE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO CHARACTERISE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN EVALUATED IN THE INCLUDED STUDIES. STUDIES WILL BE CATEGORISED AS EFFECTIVENESS OR EFFICACY STUDIES AND THIS CONTINUUM OF EFFICACY VERSUS EFFECTIVENESS WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE FULL REVIEW. METHODS/DESIGN: THE FOLLOWING ELECTRONIC DATABASES WILL BE SEARCHED USING A DETAILED SEARCH STRATEGY: MEDLINE, PSYCINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL, WHOLIS, AMED, SCIELO, ASSIA AND WEB OF SCIENCE. RANDOMISED CONTROL TRIALS AND QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES EXAMINING PREGNANCY YOGA AND REPORTING ON EFFECT WILL BE INCLUDED. TITLES, ABSTRACTS AND FULL ARTICLES WILL BE SCREENED BY TWO INVESTIGATORS INDEPENDENTLY TO IDENTIFY ELIGIBLE STUDIES. THE COCHRANE COLLABORATION'S RISK OF BIAS ASSESSMENT TOOL WILL BE USED TO ASSESS STUDY QUALITY. QUALITY OF THE EVIDENCE WILL BE EVALUATED USING THE GRADE CRITERIA. A STANDARDISED DATA EXTRACTION FORM WILL BE USED TO EXTRACT DATA. EFFECT SIZES WILL BE ESTIMATED USING MEAN DIFFERENCES FOR CONTINUOUS OUTCOMES, AND RELATIVE RISKS FOR DICHOTOMOUS OUTCOME. WHERE POSSIBLE, POOLING OF EFFECT ESTIMATES WILL BE DONE USING A RANDOM EFFECT MODEL. THE OUTCOMES OF INTEREST ARE QUALITY OF LIFE, STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, MODE OF BIRTH, LABOUR DURATION AND PAIN MANAGEMENT IN LABOUR. DISCUSSION: THIS REVIEW WILL SYNTHESISE THE BEST AVAILABLE EVIDENCE ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA DURING PREGNANCY AND PROVIDE VALUABLE HIGH-QUALITY INFORMATION FOR CLINICIANS AND HEALTH POLICYMAKERS. FINDINGS WILL BE DISSEMINATED THROUGH PUBLICATION IN A PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL AND PRESENTATION AT RELEVANT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS. THE REVIEW WILL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE APPROPRIATE VOLUME, INTENSITY AND TYPE OF PREGNANCY YOGA FOR MAXIMUM EFFECT AND MAY HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE RELATING TO PREGNANCY YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO, CRD42019119916. REGISTERED ON 11TH JANUARY 2019. 2019 10 1515 20 IS YOGA A SUITABLE TREATMENT FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: CURRENT OPINION. WE REVIEWED PUBLISHED LITERATURE REGARDING THE USE OF YOGA FOR MANAGING RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS TO DETERMINE WHETHER ADEQUATE EVIDENCE EXISTS TO SUGGEST ITS USEFULNESS AS A THERAPY. A SEARCH FOR PREVIOUS STUDIES INVOLVING YOGA AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS IN PUBMED YIELDED EIGHT REPORTS. THESE STUDIES REPORTED THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA), SUGGESTING THAT YOGA IS A USEFUL ADD-ON THERAPY FOR RA PATIENTS. HOWEVER, ALL STUDIES SHOWED LIMITATIONS WITH RESPECT TO SAMPLE SIZE, STUDY DESIGN, DESCRIPTION AND DURATION OF YOGA INTERVENTION, AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS AND STATISTICAL METHODS USED. ADDITIONALLY, THE STUDIES DID NOT ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING OBSERVED BENEFITS. HENCE, EVIDENCE SUGGESTS A DEFINITE ROLE OF YOGA IN RA IMPROVEMENT, REDUCING PAIN, IMPROVING FUNCTION, AND CREATING A POSITIVE MENTAL STATE. HOWEVER, DETAILED ANALYSIS AND ADDITIONAL STUDIES ARE NECESSARY TO VERIFY THESE OBSERVATIONS. 2012 11 2445 21 YOGA AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. YOGA HAS BEEN UTILIZED FOR PROMOTION OF HEALTH AND ALLEVIATING DISTRESS. IT HAS ALSO BEEN USED AS A THERAPEUTIC MEASURE IN THE FIELD OF MENTAL HEALTH, INCLUDING SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. THIS NARRATIVE REVIEW DISCUSSES THE LITERATURE PERTAINING TO USE OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. THE EVIDENCE BASE ESPECIALLY WITH REGARDS TO RANDOMIZED TRIALS IS PRESENTED. THE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS HOW YOGA MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN THE TREATMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS ARE EXPLORED. SUBSEQUENTLY, IMPLICATIONS OF YOGA IN CLINICAL PRACTICE ARE ELABORATED, FOLLOWED BY EXAMINATION OF THE ISSUES IN INTERPRETATION OF THE LITERATURE OF PUBLISHED YOGA RELATED STUDIES. 2017 12 588 26 DETERMINING PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGIC MARKERS OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR PERSONS DIAGNOSED WITH PTSD: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. THERE IS A GROWING BODY OF RESEARCH ON YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) ACCOMPANIED BY SPECULATIONS ON UNDERLYING PHYSIOLOGIC MECHANISMS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW IS TO IDENTIFY, QUALITATIVELY EVALUATE, AND SYNTHESIZE STUDIES OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR PTSD THAT MEASURED PHYSIOLOGIC OUTCOMES IN ORDER TO GAIN INSIGHTS INTO POTENTIAL MECHANISMS. THE FOCUS IS ON STUDIES EVALUATING YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR PTSD RATHER THAN FOR TRAUMA EXPOSURE, PTSD PREVENTION, OR SUBCLINICAL PTSD. MULTIPLE DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR PUBLICATIONS FROM THE PAST TWO DECADES USING TERMS DERIVED FROM THE QUESTION, "IN PEOPLE WITH PTSD, WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON OBJECTIVE OUTCOMES?" ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA INCLUDED YOGA-ONLY MODALITIES TESTED AS AN INTERVENTION FOR FORMALLY DIAGNOSED PTSD WITH AT LEAST ONE PHYSIOLOGIC OUTCOME. RESULTS OF THIS REVIEW CONFIRMED THAT, THOUGH MUCH OF THE PUBLISHED LITERATURE PROPOSES PHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING YOGA'S EFFECTS ON PTSD, VERY FEW STUDIES ( N = 3) HAVE ACTUALLY EVALUATED PHYSIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE. ADDITIONALLY, SEVERAL STUDIES HAD METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS. IN LIGHT OF THE LIMITED DATA SUPPORTING YOGA'S BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM DYSREGULATION, WE PRESENT A THEORETICAL MODEL OF THE PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGIC PROCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH PTSD AND THE EFFECTS YOGA MAY HAVE ON THESE PROCESSES TO GUIDE FUTURE RESEARCH. GAPS IN THE LITERATURE REMAIN FOR MECHANISMS RELATED TO ACTIVATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL AXIS AND INFLAMMATION. ADDITIONAL RIGOROUS MECHANISTIC STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO GUIDE DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR PTSD TO AUGMENT EXISTING EVIDENCE-BASED PTSD TREATMENTS. 2018 13 259 28 ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF THE ONLINE DELIVERY OF HATHA YOGA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. OBJECTIVES: HATHA YOGA HAS DRAMATICALLY INCREASED IN POPULARITY IN THE UNITED STATES AND A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE POINTS TO YOGA'S ABILITY TO SUCCESSFULLY MANAGE BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. CONCURRENTLY, THE DELIVERY OF TELEHEALTH INTERVENTIONS ALSO CONTINUES TO RISE. THE ONLINE-DELIVERY OF YOGA LIES AT THIS INTERSECTION, AND TO DATE, NO STUDY HAS SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEWED THE EXISTING LITERATURE OF EMPIRICAL STUDIES INVOLVING THE ONLINE DELIVERY OF YOGA. DESIGN: THIS STUDY SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEWS THE LITERATURE FOR EVIDENCE ON THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF ONLINE YOGA INTERVENTIONS AND PROVIDES A QUALITATIVE SYNTHESIS. A TOTAL OF 10 ARTICLES WHICH REPRESENT EIGHT UNIQUE EMPIRICAL STUDIES WERE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL REVIEW. RESULTS: ACROSS THE EIGHT STUDIES, PARTICIPANTS EXPRESSED OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH AN ONLINE YOGA INTERVENTION. ONLINE YOGA WAS FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE, BASED ON ATTENDANCE AND PRACTICE RATES, AND ACCEPTABLE. ALTHOUGH GROUPS VARY IN DEGREE OF INITIAL ENGAGEMENT. RESULTS ALSO FOUND PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE THAT ONLINE YOGA CAN HELP MANAGE SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH A RANGE OF DISORDERS. CONCLUSIONS: UNDERSTANDING THIS INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO DELIVERING YOGA INTERVENTIONS WILL ALLOW FUTURE RESEARCH TO INCLUDE ONLINE YOGA AS A LOWER-COST, NON-INVASIVE INTERVENTION FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, AS WELL AS PROVIDE PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE INTEGRATION OF ONLINE YOGA INTERVENTIONS INTO ROUTINE CLINICAL CARE. 2021 14 477 30 CLINICAL APPLICATIONS OF YOGA FOR THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. OBJECTIVE: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE EVIDENCE FOR CLINICAL APPLICATIONS OF YOGA AMONG THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION. METHODS: WE CONDUCTED AN ELECTRONIC LITERATURE SEARCH INCLUDING CINAHL, COCHRANE CENTRAL REGISTER OF CONTROLLED TRIALS (CENTRAL), EMBASE, MEDLINE, PSYCINFO, AND MANUAL SEARCH OF RETRIEVED ARTICLES FROM INCEPTION OF EACH DATABASE UNTIL DECEMBER 2008. RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) AND NONRANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (NRCTS) WERE SELECTED THAT INCLUDED YOGA OR YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS AGED 0 TO 21 YEARS. DATA WERE EXTRACTED AND ARTICLES CRITICALLY REVIEWED USING A MODIFIED JADAD SCORE AND DESCRIPTIVE METHODOLOGICAL CRITERIA, WITH SUMMARIZATION IN TABLES. RESULTS: THIRTY-FOUR CONTROLLED STUDIES PUBLISHED FROM 1979 TO 2008 WERE IDENTIFIED, WITH 19 RCTS AND 15 NRCTS. MANY STUDIES WERE OF LOW METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY. CLINICAL AREAS FOR WHICH YOGA HAS BEEN STUDIED INCLUDE PHYSICAL FITNESS, CARDIORESPIRATORY EFFECTS, MOTOR SKILLS/STRENGTH, MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS, BEHAVIOR AND DEVELOPMENT, IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME, AND BIRTH OUTCOMES FOLLOWING PRENATAL YOGA. NO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE REPORTED IN TRIALS REVIEWED. ALTHOUGH A LARGE MAJORITY OF STUDIES WERE POSITIVE, METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS SUCH AS RANDOMIZATION METHODS, WITHDRAWAL/DROPOUTS, AND DETAILS OF YOGA INTERVENTION PRECLUDE CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE. CONCLUSIONS: THERE ARE LIMITED DATA ON THE CLINICAL APPLICATIONS OF YOGA AMONG THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION. MOST PUBLISHED CONTROLLED TRIALS WERE SUGGESTIVE OF BENEFIT, BUT RESULTS ARE PRELIMINARY BASED ON LOW QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF TRIALS. FURTHER RESEARCH OF YOGA FOR CHILDREN BY USING A HIGHER STANDARD OF METHODOLOGY AND REPORTING IS WARRANTED. 2009 15 2732 27 YOGA ON OUR MINDS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF YOGA FOR NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. BACKGROUND: THE DEMAND FOR CLINICALLY EFFICACIOUS, SAFE, PATIENT ACCEPTABLE, AND COST-EFFECTIVE FORMS OF TREATMENT FOR MENTAL ILLNESS IS GROWING. SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED BENEFIT FROM YOGA IN SPECIFIC PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS AND A GENERAL SENSE OF WELL-BEING. OBJECTIVE: TO SYSTEMATICALLY EXAMINE THE EVIDENCE FOR EFFICACY OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF SELECTED MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. METHODS: ELECTRONIC SEARCHES OF THE COCHRANE CENTRAL REGISTER OF CONTROLLED TRIALS AND THE STANDARD BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABASES, MEDLINE, EMBASE, AND PSYCINFO, WERE PERFORMED THROUGH APRIL 2011 AND AN UPDATED IN JUNE 2011 USING THE KEYWORDS YOGA AND PSYCHIATRY OR DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY OR SCHIZOPHRENIA OR COGNITION OR MEMORY OR ATTENTION AND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT). STUDIES WITH YOGA AS THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE AND ONE OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED TERMS AS THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE WERE INCLUDED AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA WERE APPLIED. RESULTS: THE SEARCH YIELDED A TOTAL OF 124 TRIALS, OF WHICH 16 MET RIGOROUS CRITERIA FOR THE FINAL REVIEW. GRADE B EVIDENCE SUPPORTING A POTENTIAL ACUTE BENEFIT FOR YOGA EXISTS IN DEPRESSION (FOUR RCTS), AS AN ADJUNCT TO PHARMACOTHERAPY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA (THREE RCTS), IN CHILDREN WITH ADHD (TWO RCTS), AND GRADE C EVIDENCE IN SLEEP COMPLAINTS (THREE RCTS). RCTS IN COGNITIVE DISORDERS AND EATING DISORDERS YIELDED CONFLICTING RESULTS. NO STUDIES LOOKED AT PRIMARY PREVENTION, RELAPSE PREVENTION, OR COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS VERSUS PHARMACOTHERAPY. CONCLUSION: THERE IS EMERGING EVIDENCE FROM RANDOMIZED TRIALS TO SUPPORT POPULAR BELIEFS ABOUT YOGA FOR DEPRESSION, SLEEP DISORDERS, AND AS AN AUGMENTATION THERAPY. LIMITATIONS OF LITERATURE INCLUDE INABILITY TO DO DOUBLE-BLIND STUDIES, MULTIPLICITY OF COMPARISONS WITHIN SMALL STUDIES, AND LACK OF REPLICATION. BIOMARKER AND NEUROIMAGING STUDIES, THOSE COMPARING YOGA WITH STANDARD PHARMACO- AND PSYCHOTHERAPIES, AND STUDIES OF LONG-TERM EFFICACY ARE NEEDED TO FULLY TRANSLATE THE PROMISE OF YOGA FOR ENHANCING MENTAL HEALTH. 2012 16 2632 28 YOGA FOR TRAUMA AND RELATED MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS: A META-REVIEW WITH CLINICAL AND SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE PROVIDERS HAVE EXPRESSED GROWING INTEREST IN THE BENEFITS OF YOGA TO HELP INDIVIDUALS COPE WITH THE EFFECTS OF TRAUMA, INCLUDING ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD). DESPITE THE GROWING POPULARITY AND STRONG APPEAL OF YOGA, PROVIDERS MUST BE MINDFUL OF THE EVIDENCE REGARDING THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN TREATING TRAUMA EFFECTS AS WELL AS TRAUMA-RELATED MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS AND ILLNESSES. THEREFORE, OUR RESEARCH TEAM SOUGHT TO ANSWER TWO QUESTIONS: (A) WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE REGARDING YOGA AS A TREATMENT FOR TRAUMA EFFECTS, INCLUDING ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND PTSD AND (B) WHAT ARE THE CLINICAL AND SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USING YOGA WITH TRAUMA-EXPOSED INDIVIDUALS? OUR INITIAL SCANS IDENTIFIED A SUBSTANTIAL BODY OF RESEARCH, INCLUDING REVIEWS. RATHER THAN REPLICATE EARLIER EFFORTS, WE UNDERTOOK A SYSTEMATIC META-REVIEW OF 13 LITERATURE REVIEWS, ONE OF WHICH INCLUDED A META-ANALYSIS. WE DETERMINED THE 13 REVIEWS EXAMINED 185 DISTINCT STUDIES. FINDINGS SHOW THAT THE EVIDENCE REGARDING YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR THE EFFECTS OF TRAUMA AS WELL AS THE MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS AND ILLNESSES OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH TRAUMA IS ENCOURAGING BUT PRELIMINARY. OVERALL, THE BODY OF RESEARCH IS LACKING IN RIGOR AS WELL AS SPECIFICITY REGARDING TRAUMA. REVIEW RESULTS ALSO ONLY ALLOW FOR THE RECOMMENDATION OF YOGA AS AN ANCILLARY TREATMENT. FURTHER, THE REVIEWS HAD CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCES IN THEIR METHODS AND LIMITATIONS. NONETHELESS, THE RESULTS YIELDED FINDINGS CONCERNING HOW CLINICIANS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS CAN USE YOGA IN THEIR OWN PRACTICES, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT STEP FOR BUILDING AN EVIDENCE BASE IN THIS AREA. 2018 17 2454 31 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. METABOLIC SYNDROME (MS) IS ASSOCIATED WITH A SEDENTARY AND STRESSFUL LIFESTYLE AND AFFECTS UNDERACTIVE PEOPLE DISPROPORTIONATELY. YOGA IS CONSIDERED TO BE A LOW-IMPACT MIND-BODY STRESS-RELIEVING EXERCISE, AND RESEARCHERS ARE INCREASING THEIR FOCUS ON THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR MANAGING METABOLIC DISORDERS. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR PHYSICIANS AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS TO UNDERSTAND THE THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF YOGA INTERVENTION, IN TERMS OF ITS TYPE, DURATION AND FREQUENCY ON VARIOUS MS RISK FACTORS. THE PRESENT REVIEW SUMMARIZES THE CURRENT SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MS RISK FACTORS SUCH AS GLUCOSE HOMEOSTASIS MARKERS, LIPID PROFILE, ADIPOCYTOKINES AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS, AND DISCUSSES THE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS OF ACTION. MEDLINE, PUBMED, SCOPUS AND COCHRANE LIBRARY WERE SEARCHED FROM THEIR INCEPTION UP TO DECEMBER 2019, USING THE KEYWORDS "METABOLIC SYNDROME," "DIABETES," "CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES," "OBESITY" AND "YOGA." THE LITERATURE SUMMARIZED IN THIS REVIEW HAVE SHOWN MIXED EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MS RISK FACTORS AND DO NOT PROVIDE ROBUST EVIDENCE FOR ITS EFFICACY. MORE RIGOROUS RESEARCH AND WELL-DESIGNED TRIALS THAT HAVE A HIGHER STANDARD OF METHODOLOGY AND EVALUATE YOGA'S LONG-TERM IMPACTS ON MS ARE NEEDED. UNDERSTANDING YOGA'S BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF ACTION ON VARIOUS METABOLIC PATHWAYS IS ALSO NEEDED. 2021 18 1280 24 GENERIC YOGA MODULES FOR CLINICAL AND RESEARCH SETTINGS-NEED OF THE HOUR. YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS OFFER SIGNIFICANT PROMISE IN HEALTHCARE. HOWEVER, META-ANALYSES OF VARIOUS YOGA TRIALS SUGGEST THAT COMPARISONS OF TRIALS ARE EITHER NOT POSSIBLE OR DIFFICULT DUE TO HETEROGENEITY IN THERAPEUTIC YOGA INTERVENTIONS. ALSO, IN VIEW OF EMERGING EVIDENCE FOR THE ROLE OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA, IT IS IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFICITY AND VALIDITY OF VARIOUS YOGA COMPONENTS BEING USED IN DIFFERENT TRIALS. EFFORTS IN THIS DIRECTION WILL BE FRUITFUL ONLY IF A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH IS ADOPTED TO DEVELOP YOGA PROGRAMS FOR VARIOUS AILMENTS. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR A "GENERIC YOGA" CONCEPT FOR DESIGNING A THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM FOR PARTICULAR HEALTH ISSUES, WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF PROMOTING SCIENTIFIC GROWTH OF THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS OF YOGA AND WIDESPREAD APPLICATION OF STANDARDIZED THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAMS WITHIN A BIOMEDICAL FRAMEWORK. THIS GENERIC THERAPEUTIC YOGA WILL ESSENTIALLY HIGHLIGHT THE DEVELOPMENT-VALIDATION PROCESS OF UNCOPYRIGHTED YOGA PROGRAMS; THEIR COMPONENTS, BENEFITS, AND POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECTS; AND REQUIREMENT FOR NEED-BASED MODIFICATIONS. 2021 19 2422 28 YOGA AND MINDFULNESS AS THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS FOR STROKE REHABILITATION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. AIM. THIS PAPER REPORTS A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF THE EVIDENCE ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BEHAVIORAL THERAPIES SUCH AS YOGA AND MINDFULNESS PRACTICES FOR STROKE REHABILITATION. BACKGROUND. THE EXPERIENCE OF STROKE CAN HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH AND ON QUALITY OF LIFE. YOGA AND RELEVANT PRACTICES ARE PROMISING THERAPIES THAT HAVE BEEN USED WITH PATIENTS WITH A VARIETY OF CONDITIONS. IN ORDER TO DRAW CONCLUSIONS ON EFFECTIVENESS FOR STROKE PATIENTS, THE EVIDENCE REQUIRES SYSTEMATIC ASSESSMENT. METHODS. A COMPREHENSIVE SEARCH OF MAJOR BIOMEDICAL AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE DATABASES WAS CONDUCTED. RELEVANT RESEARCH WAS CATEGORIZED BY STUDY TYPE AND APPRAISED ACCORDING TO STUDY DESIGN. RESULTS. FIVE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIALS AND FOUR SINGLE CASE STUDIES WERE FOUND. ADDITIONALLY, ONE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH STUDY WAS IDENTIFIED. STUDIES REPORTED POSITIVE RESULTS, INCLUDING IMPROVEMENTS IN COGNITION, MOOD, AND BALANCE AND REDUCTIONS IN STRESS. MODIFICATIONS TO DIFFERENT YOGA PRACTICES MAKE COMPARISON BETWEEN STUDIES DIFFICULT, AND A LACK OF CONTROLLED STUDIES PRECLUDES ANY FIRM CONCLUSIONS ON EFFICACY. CONCLUSION. YOGA AND MINDFULNESS COULD BE CLINICALLY VALUABLE SELF-ADMINISTERED INTERVENTION OPTIONS FOR STROKE REHABILITATION. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO EVALUATE THESE SPECIFIC PRACTICES AND THEIR SUITABILITY IN STROKE REHABILITATION. 2013 20 2481 21 YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR CANCER: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. OBJECTIVES: CANCER IS AN IMPORTANT PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN, WITH MILLIONS OF PATIENTS AFFECTED WORLDWIDE. GIVEN THE PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND PHYSIOLOGIC CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH CANCER, HOLISTIC THERAPIES ARE NEEDED TO TREAT ALL ASPECT OF THE DISEASE. DESIGN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AS A TREATMENT OPTION FOR CANCER SINCE 2010. INCLUDED STUDIES WERE PUBLISHED FROM JANUARY 2010 TO JULY 2012 AND WERE INDEXED IN MEDLINE, CINAHL, AND ALT HEALTHWATCH. RESULTS: THIRTEEN STUDIES MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA. EIGHT OF THESE STUDIES WERE PERFORMED IN THE UNITED STATES, AND ONE EACH WAS CONDUCTED IN SLOVENIA, ITALY, THE UNITED KINGDOM, CANADA, AND TURKEY. CONCLUSIONS: THE EVIDENCE FOR EFFICACY OF YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR CANCER IS MIXED, ALTHOUGH GENERALLY POSITIVE. LIMITATIONS OF THE REVIEWED INTERVENTIONS INCLUDED A MIXED USE OF INSTRUMENTS, WEAK QUANTITATIVE DESIGNS, SMALL SAMPLE SIZES, AND A LACK OF THEORY-BASED STUDIES. 2013