1 666 118 EFFECT OF A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION ON FEAR OF FALLING AND BALANCE IN OLDER ADULTS: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE WHETHER FEAR OF FALLING (FOF) AND BALANCE IMPROVED AFTER A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION AMONG OLDER ADULTS. DESIGN: A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION SINGLE-ARMED PILOT STUDY. SETTING: A RETIREMENT COMMUNITY IN A MEDIUM-SIZED UNIVERSITY TOWN IN THE MIDWEST. PARTICIPANTS: A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF ADULTS (N=14) OVER THE AGE OF 65 YEARS WHO ALL ENDORSED AN FOF. INTERVENTION: EACH PARTICIPANT TOOK PART IN A BIWEEKLY 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. THE YOGA SESSIONS INCLUDED BOTH PHYSICAL POSTURES AND BREATHING EXERCISES. POSTURES WERE COMPLETED IN SITTING AND STANDING POSITIONS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: WE MEASURED FOF WITH THE ILLINOIS FOF MEASURE AND BALANCE WITH THE BERG BALANCE SCALE. UPPER- AND LOWER-BODY FLEXIBILITY WERE MEASURED WITH THE BACK SCRATCH TEST AND CHAIR SIT AND REACH TEST, RESPECTIVELY. RESULTS: FOF DECREASED BY 6%, STATIC BALANCE INCREASED BY 4% (P=.045), AND LOWER-BODY FLEXIBILITY INCREASED BY 34%. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT YOGA MAY BE A PROMISING INTERVENTION TO MANAGE FOF AND IMPROVE BALANCE, THEREBY REDUCING FALL RISK FOR OLDER ADULTS. REHABILITATION THERAPISTS MAY WISH TO EXPLORE YOGA AS A MODALITY FOR BALANCE AND FALLS PROGRAMMING; HOWEVER, FUTURE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO CONFIRM THE USE OF YOGA IN SUCH PROGRAMMING. 2010 2 2101 40 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON BALANCE AND FEAR OF FALLING IN OLDER ADULTS. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON BALANCE AND FEAR OF FALLING IN OLDER ADULTS. DESIGN: RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. SETTING: JAHANDIDEGAN CENTER IN SHIRAZ, SOUTHERN IRAN. PARTICIPANTS: FORTY PERSONS (17 MEN AND 23 WOMEN) BETWEEN THE AGES OF 60-74 YEARS WITH A MODIFIED FALLS EFFICACY SCALE (MFES) SCORE <8 AND A BERG BALANCE SCALE (BBS) SCORE <45. AFTER COMPLETING THE MFES QUESTIONNAIRE AND BBS MEASUREMENT, THE PARTICIPANTS WERE DIVIDED INTO INTERVENTION AND CONTROL GROUPS. BBS MEASUREMENT AND THE MFES QUESTIONNAIRE WERE COMPLETED AGAIN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INTERVENTION. INTERVENTION: THE INTERVENTION GROUP PARTICIPATED IN 2 YOGA PRACTICE SESSIONS PER WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS. THE CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED NO INTERVENTION. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: FEAR OF FALLING WAS MEASURED WITH THE MFES AND BALANCE WAS MEASURED WITH THE BBS. RESULTS: WE FOUND SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN BOTH VARIABLES (P < .0001). MEAN DIFFERENCES BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION FOR THE BBS FOR YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS WERE 10.19 AND -1.16, RESPECTIVELY. MEAN DIFFERENCES BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION FOR THE MFES FOR YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS WERE 1.62 AND -0.21, RESPECTIVELY. CONCLUSION: YOGA IS A POTENTIAL INTERVENTION TO REDUCE FEAR OF FALLING AND IMPROVE BALANCE IN OLDER ADULTS. 2016 3 12 52 "MERGING YOGA AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY (MY-OT): A FEASIBILITY AND PILOT STUDY". OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND BENEFITS OF THE MERGING YOGA AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY (MY-OT) INTERVENTION. DESIGN: THIS IS THE PRIMARY ANALYSIS OF A NON-CONTROLLED PRETEST-POSTTEST PILOT STUDY TO UNDERSTAND THE FEASIBILITY AND IMPACT OF MY-OT ON BALANCE, BALANCE SELF-EFFICACY, AND FALL RISK FACTOR MANAGEMENT IN PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC STROKE. SETTING: UNIVERSITY RESEARCH LABORATORY. PARTICIPANTS: PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC STROKE WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY IF THEY: HAD SUSTAINED A FALL OR HAD FEAR OF FALLING, WERE ABLE TO STAND, AND HAND IMPAIRED BALANCE AND WERE AT RISK FOR FALLS (/=60 YEARS OLD) WITHOUT MOBILITY-IMPAIRING NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE, DEMENTIA, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE/SYMPTOMS DURING MODERATE EXERCISE, POORLY CONTROLLED HYPERTENSION, OR BALANCE-IMPAIRING DRUG USE. PARTICIPANTS WERE DIVIDED INTO A TAI CHI GROUP, AN IYENGAR YOGA GROUP, AND A CONTROL GROUP (EIGHT MALES AND EIGHT FEMALES PER GROUP), USING A RESTRICTED RANDOMIZATION SCHEME GENERATED BY SOFTWARE. WHILE THE FORMER TWO UNDERTOOK 16-WEEK EXERCISE PROGRAMS, THE CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED GENERAL EDUCATION. MAXIMUM CONCENTRIC STRENGTH WAS MEASURED WITH AN ISOKINETIC DYNAMOMETER. THE ONE-LEGGED STAND WITH EYES CLOSED, "8 FEET UP AND GO," AND ACTIVITIES-SPECIFIC BALANCE CONFIDENCE (ABC) SCALE WERE USED TO ASSESS STATIC BALANCE, DYNAMIC BALANCE, AND BALANCE CONFIDENCE IN DAILY ACTIVITIES, RESPECTIVELY. RESULTS: BOTH PROGRAMS IMPROVED ALL MEASURES SIGNIFICANTLY WITH TAI CHI BEING MORE EFFECTIVE FOR INCREASING KNEE FL EXOR STRENGTH (P=0.045) AND EXTENSOR STRENGTH (P=0.032) AND ABC SCORE (P=0.034); IYENGAR YOGA WAS MORE EFFECTIVE FOR IMPROVING STATIC BALANCE (P=0.014) AND DYNAMIC BALANCE (P=0.025; ALL P VALUES HERE VS. THE OTHER PROGRAM). CONCLUSIONS: TAI CHI AND IYENGAR YOGA CAN IMPROVE STRENGTH, BALANCE, AND BALANCE CONFIDENCE AMONG OLDER PEOPLE. BOTH ARE SUITABLE EXERCISE CHOICES FOR OLDER ADULTS. 2021 19 1276 30 FUNCTIONAL IMPROVEMENTS IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE FOLLOWING A RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF YOGA. INDIVIDUALS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE (PD) EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS IN MOTOR FUNCTION, FUNCTIONAL GAIT, POSTURAL STABILITY, AND BALANCE. THESE LIMITATIONS OFTEN LEAD TO HIGHER INCIDENCES OF FALLS, WHICH HAVE SIGNIFICANT COMPLICATIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH PD. YOGA MAY IMPROVE THESE FUNCTIONAL DEFICITS IN INDIVIDUALS WITH PD. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE CHANGES IN MOTOR FUNCTION, FUNCTIONAL GAIT, POSTURAL STABILITY, AND BALANCE CONTROL FOR COMMUNITY DWELLING INDIVIDUALS WITH PD. THIS RANDOMIZED, WAIT-LIST CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY EXAMINED THE INFLUENCE OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION FOR PEOPLE WITH PD WHO MET THE FOLLOWING INCLUSION CRITERIA: ENDORSING A FEAR OF FALLING, BEING ABLE TO SPEAK ENGLISH, SCORING 4/6 ON THE MINIMENTAL STATE EXAM, AND BEING WILLING TO ATTEND THE INTERVENTION TWICE WEEKLY FOR 8-WEEKS. PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP (N=15) EXPERIENCED IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTOR FUNCTION, POSTURAL STABILITY, FUNCTIONAL GAIT, AND FREEZING GAIT, AS WELL AS REDUCTIONS IN FALL RISK. PARTICIPANTS IN THE WAIT-LIST CONTROL (N=12) ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED IN POSTURAL STABILITY, ALTHOUGH THEIR FALL RISK WAS NOT REDUCED. INDIVIDUALS IN THE YOGA GROUP SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THEIR FALL RISK. AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION MAY REDUCE FALL RISK AND IMPROVE POSTURAL STABILITY, AND FUNCTIONAL AND FREEZING GAIT IN INDIVIDUALS WITH PD. THIS CLINICAL TRIAL IS REGISTERED AS PROTOCOL RECORD PRO00041068 IN CLINICALTRIALS.GOV. 2018 20 1314 23 HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE CHANGES AFTER THE MERGING YOGA AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE PROGRAM: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY. BACKGROUND: TO UNDERSTAND CHANGES IN HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL) AFTER THE MERGING YOGA AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE (MY-OT FOR PD) PROGRAM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: WE USED A MIXED-METHODS CONVERGENT DESIGN AND ADMINISTERED THE PARKINSON'S DISEASE QUESTIONNAIRE-8 (PDQ-8), A MEASURE OF HRQOL, WITH 17 PARTICIPANTS. WE CONSIDERED SCORES 8 WEEKS BEFORE MY-OT FOR PD, JUST BEFORE, AND UPON COMPLETION. ADDITIONALLY, WE COMPLETED TWO FOCUS GROUPS FOLLOWING THE PROGRAM WITH 16 PARTICIPANTS TO ASSESS QUALITATIVE CHANGES IN HRQOL. RESULTS: THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN PDQ-8 SCORES BETWEEN TIME POINTS, F(2,32) = 1.60, P = 0.22, PARTIAL ETA(2) = 0.09. PARTICIPANTS DID DISCUSS IMPROVEMENTS IN ALL 8 HRQOL DOMAINS, FREQUENTLY REGARDING MOBILITY AND ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING. CONCLUSION: RESULTS DIVERGED, WITH QUANTITATIVE RESULTS SHOWING NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN HRQOL AND QUALITATIVE RESULTS INDICATING PARTICIPANT PERCEIVED IMPROVEMENTS IN ALL DOMAINS OF THE PDQ-8. THE PROGRAM SHOULD BE EXPLORED FURTHER, AND LONGITUDINAL FOLLOW-UP COMPLETED. 2020