1 786 170 EFFECT OF YOGA BREATHING (PRANAYAMA) ON EXERCISE TOLERANCE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE: A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: PULMONARY REHABILITATION IMPROVES EXERCISE TOLERANCE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD). HOWEVER, MANY PATIENTS DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO PULMONARY REHABILITATION PROGRAMS. WE HYPOTHESIZED THAT AN ALTERNATIVE TO PULMONARY REHABILITATION TO IMPROVE EXERCISE TOLERANCE IS THE PRACTICE OF PRANAYAMA, OR YOGA BREATHING, WHICH COULD BE DONE INDEPENDENTLY AT HOME. WE ALSO SOUGHT TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOGA NONPROFESSIONALS COULD ADEQUATELY TEACH PRANAYAMA TO PATIENTS. DESIGN: PROOF-OF-CONCEPT, RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, CONTROLLED PILOT TRIAL. SETTINGS/LOCATION: TWO ACADEMIC PULMONARY PRACTICES. SUBJECTS: FORTY-THREE PATIENTS WITH SYMPTOMATIC, MODERATE-TO-SEVERE COPD. INTERVENTIONS: TWELVE WEEKS OF PRANAYAMA PLUS EDUCATION VERSUS EDUCATION ALONE. TWO YOGA PROFESSIONALS TRAINED THE RESEARCH COORDINATORS TO CONDUCT ALL PRANAYAMA TEACHING AND MONITORED THE QUALITY OF THE TEACHING AND THE PRACTICE OF PRANAYAMA BY STUDY PARTICIPANTS. OUTCOME MEASURES: THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS A CHANGE IN THE 6-MIN WALK DISTANCE (6MWD). SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED CHANGES IN LUNG FUNCTION, MARKERS OF OXIDATIVE STRESS AND SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION, AND MEASURES OF DYSPNEA AND QUALITY OF LIFE. RESULTS: THE 6MWD INCREASED IN THE PRANAYAMA GROUP (LEAST SQUARE MEAN [95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL] = 28 M [-5 TO 61]) AND DECREASED IN THE CONTROL GROUP (-15 M [-47 TO 16]), WITH A NEARLY SIGNIFICANT TREATMENT EFFECT (P = 0.06) IN FAVOR OF PRANAYAMA. PRANAYAMA ALSO RESULTED IN SMALL IMPROVEMENTS IN INSPIRATORY CAPACITY AND AIR TRAPPING. BOTH GROUPS HAD SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN VARIOUS MEASURES OF SYMPTOMS, BUT NO OVERALL DIFFERENCES IN RESPIRATORY SYSTEM IMPEDANCE OR MARKERS OF OXIDATIVE STRESS OR SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION. CONCLUSION: THIS PILOT STUDY SUCCESSFULLY DEMONSTRATED THAT PRANAYAMA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED EXERCISE TOLERANCE IN PATIENTS WITH COPD. LAY PERSONNEL WERE ABLE TO ADEQUATELY TEACH PATIENTS TO PRACTICE PRANAYAMA. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT PRANAYAMA MAY HAVE SIGNIFICANT CLINICAL BENEFITS FOR SYMPTOMATIC PATIENTS WITH COPD, A CONCEPT THAT NEEDS TO BE CONFIRMED IN FUTURE, LARGER CLINICAL TRIALS. 2017 2 501 63 COMMUNITY BASED YOGA CLASSES FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES: AN EXPLORATORY RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A POPULAR THERAPY FOR DIABETES BUT ITS EFFICACY IS CONTESTED. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF RESEARCHING COMMUNITY BASED YOGA CLASSES IN TYPE 2 DIABETES WITH A VIEW TO INFORMING THE DESIGN OF A DEFINITIVE, MULTI-CENTRE TRIAL METHODS: THE STUDY DESIGN WAS AN EXPLORATORY RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL WITH IN-DEPTH PROCESS EVALUATION. THE SETTING WAS TWO MULTI-ETHNIC BOROUGHS IN LONDON, UK; ONE WITH AVERAGE AND ONE WITH LOW MEAN SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION SCORE. CLASSES WERE HELD AT A SPORTS CENTRE OR GP SURGERY. PARTICIPANTS WERE 59 PEOPLE WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES NOT TAKING INSULIN, RECRUITED FROM GENERAL PRACTICE LISTS OR OPPORTUNISTICALLY BY GENERAL PRACTICE STAFF. THE INTERVENTION GROUP WERE OFFERED 12 WEEKS OF A TWICE-WEEKLY 90-MINUTE YOGA CLASS; THE CONTROL GROUP WAS A WAITING LIST FOR THE YOGA CLASSES. BOTH GROUPS RECEIVED ADVICE AND LEAFLETS ON HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND WERE ENCOURAGED TO EXERCISE. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS HBA1C. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED ATTENDANCE, WEIGHT, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, LIPID LEVELS, BLOOD PRESSURE, UKPDS CARDIOVASCULAR RISK SCORE, DIABETES-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (ADDQOL), AND SELF-EFFICACY. PROCESS MEASURES WERE ATTENDANCE AT YOGA SESSIONS, SELF-REPORTED FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE BETWEEN TAUGHT SESSIONS, AND QUALITATIVE DATA (INTERVIEWS WITH PATIENTS AND THERAPISTS, ETHNOGRAPHIC OBSERVATION OF THE YOGA CLASSES, AND ANALYSIS OF DOCUMENTS INCLUDING MINUTES OF MEETINGS, CORRESPONDENCE, AND EXERCISE PLANS). RESULTS: DESPITE BROAD INCLUSION CRITERIA, AROUND TWO-THIRDS OF THE PATIENTS ON GP DIABETIC REGISTERS PROVED INELIGIBLE, AND 90% OF THE REMAINDER DECLINED TO PARTICIPATE. MEAN AGE OF PARTICIPANTS WAS 60 +/- 10 YEARS. ATTENDANCE AT YOGA CLASSES WAS AROUND 50%. NOBODY DID THE EXERCISES REGULARLY AT HOME. YOGA TEACHERS FELT THAT MOST PARTICIPANTS WERE UNSUITABLE FOR 'STANDARD' YOGA EXERCISES BECAUSE OF LIMITED FLEXIBILITY, LACK OF BASIC FITNESS, CO-MORBIDITY, AND LACK OF CONFIDENCE. THERE WAS A SMALL FALL IN HBA1C IN THE YOGA GROUP WHICH WAS NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT AND WHICH WAS NOT SUSTAINED SIX MONTHS LATER, AND NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN OTHER OUTCOME MEASURES. CONCLUSION: THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN TYPE 2 DIABETES SUGGESTED IN SOME PREVIOUS STUDIES WERE NOT CONFIRMED. POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS (APART FROM LACK OF EFFICACY) INCLUDE RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES; PRACTICAL AND MOTIVATIONAL BARRIERS TO CLASS ATTENDANCE; PHYSICAL AND MOTIVATIONAL BARRIERS TO ENGAGING IN THE EXERCISES; INADEQUATE INTENSITY AND/OR DURATION OF YOGA INTERVENTION; AND INSUFFICIENT PERSONALISATION OF EXERCISES TO INDIVIDUAL NEEDS. ALL THESE FACTORS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED WHEN DESIGNING FUTURE TRIALS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NATIONAL RESEARCH REGISTER (1410) AND CURRENT CONTROLLED TRIALS (ISRCTN63637211). 2009 3 1104 41 EFFECTS OF YOGA VERSUS SHAM YOGA ON OXIDATIVE STRESS, GLYCEMIC STATUS, AND ANTHROPOMETRY IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS: A SINGLE-BLINDED RANDOMIZED PILOT STUDY. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN A BENEFICIAL ROLE OF YOGA IN TRE A T I N G TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. THE PRESENT STUDY PROCEEDS IN THE FIELD BY PROVIDING AN ACTIVE CONTROL. WE AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF 3 MONTHS OF YOGA ON OXIDATIVE STRESS, GLYCEMIC STATUS, AND ANTHROPOMETRY IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. FORTY PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE EITHER YOGA (N = 20) OR SHAM YOGA (N = 20) AS A CONTROL. YOGA INCLUDED POSTURES AND BREATHING EXERCISES, AND NONAEROBIC STRETCHING EXERCISE COMPRISED THE CONTROL. SIGNIFICANT WITHIN-GROUP DIFFERENCES IN MALONDIALDEHYDE, VITAMIN C, SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE, FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE, GLYCOSYLATED HEMOGLOBIN, BODY MASS INDEX, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, AND BLOOD PRESSURE WERE EVIDENT IN BOTH GROUPS. YOGA PARTICIPANTS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN REDUCED GLUTATHIONE COMPARED TO CONTROLS. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS WERE OBSERVED IN ANY OTHER OUTCOME VARIABLES. YOGA AND SHAM YOGA HAD IDENTICAL EFFECTS ON OXIDATIVE STRESS, GLYCEMIC STATUS, AND ANTHROPOMETRY IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. LEVELS OF REDUCED GLUTATHIONE IMPROVED ONLY IN THE YOGA GROUP. THIS RESEARCH NEEDS TO BE CONFIRMED BY LARGER AND SUFFICIENTLY POWERED STUDIES. 2020 4 2508 65 YOGA BREATHING FOR CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY-ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE: RESULTS OF A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: MANY DEBILITATING SYMPTOMS ARISE FROM CANCER AND ITS TREATMENT THAT ARE OFTEN UNRELIEVED BY ESTABLISHED METHODS. PRANAYAMA, A SERIES OF YOGIC BREATHING TECHNIQUES, MAY IMPROVE CANCER-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN STUDIED FOR THIS PURPOSE. OBJECTIVES: A PILOT STUDY WAS PERFORMED TO EVALUATE FEASIBILITY AND TO TEST THE EFFECTS OF PRANAYAMA ON CANCER-ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. DESIGN: THIS WAS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL COMPARING PRANAYAMA TO USUAL CARE. SETTING: THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AT A UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER. SUBJECTS: PATIENTS RECEIVING CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY WERE RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE PRANAYAMA IMMEDIATELY OR AFTER A WAITING PERIOD (CONTROL GROUP). INTERVENTIONS: THE PRANAYAMA INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF FOUR BREATHING TECHNIQUES TAUGHT IN WEEKLY CLASSES AND PRACTICED AT HOME. THE TREATMENT GROUP RECEIVED PRANAYAMA DURING TWO CONSECUTIVE CYCLES OF CHEMOTHERAPY. THE CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED USUAL CARE DURING THEIR FIRST CYCLE, AND RECEIVED PRANAYAMA DURING THEIR SECOND CYCLE OF CHEMOTHERAPY. OUTCOME MEASURES: FEASIBILITY, CANCER-ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS (FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, STRESS), AND QUALITY OF LIFE WERE THE OUTCOMES. RESULTS: CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS NEARLY 100% IN BOTH GROUPS. SIXTEEN (16) PARTICIPANTS WERE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL INTENT-TO-TREAT ANALYSES. THE REPEATED-MEASURES ANALYSES DEMONSTRATED THAT ANY INCREASE IN PRANAYAMA DOSE, WITH DOSE MEASURED IN THE NUMBER OF HOURS PRACTICED IN CLASS OR AT HOME, RESULTED IN IMPROVED SYMPTOM AND QUALITY-OF-LIFE SCORES. SEVERAL OF THESE ASSOCIATIONS--SLEEP DISTURBANCE (P=0.04), ANXIETY (P=0.04), AND MENTAL QUALITY OF LIFE (P=0.05)--REACHED OR APPROACHED STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA BREATHING WAS A FEASIBLE INTERVENTION AMONG PATIENTS WITH CANCER RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY. PRANAYAMA MAY IMPROVE SLEEP DISTURBANCE, ANXIETY, AND MENTAL QUALITY OF LIFE. A DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIP WAS FOUND BETWEEN PRANAYAMA USE AND IMPROVEMENTS IN CHEMOTHERAPY-ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. THESE FINDINGS NEED TO BE CONFIRMED IN A LARGER STUDY. 2012 5 1215 46 EXPLORING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES AFTER CANCER TREATMENT: A STUDY PROTOCOL. BACKGROUND: FOLLOWING CANCER TREATMENT, ADULTS COMMONLY REPORT WORSENED PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES (PROS) SUCH AS ANXIETY, STRESS, DEPRESSION, PERSISTENT AND UPSETTING COGNITIVE COMPLAINTS, UNRELENTING FATIGUE, AND REDUCED QUALITY OF LIFE. POORER PROS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH DISRUPTED AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM FUNCTIONING AS MEASURED BY HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV), BOTH OF WHICH HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH GREATER MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY. INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE HRV AND PROS AMONG ADULTS FOLLOWING CANCER TREATMENT ARE NEEDED. YOGA THERAPY HOLDS PROMISE AS AN INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE HRV AND PROS. THEREFORE, WE CONDUCTED A SINGLE-SUBJECT EXPLORATORY EXPERIMENTAL STUDY TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON HRV AND SPECIFIC PROS (IE, CANCER-RELATED FATIGUE, ANXIETY, COGNITIVE FUNCTION, DEPRESSION, STRESS, QUALITY OF LIFE) IN ADULTS TREATED FOR CANCER. TO REDUCE PUBLICATION BIAS, IMPROVE REPRODUCIBILITY, AND SERVE AS A REFERENCE FOR FORTHCOMING REPORTING OF STUDY RESULTS, WE PRESENT THE STUDY PROTOCOL FOR THIS STUDY HEREIN. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE ADULTS WHO COMPLETED CANCER TREATMENT THAT WERE RECRUITED FROM THE OTTAWA INTEGRATIVE CANCER CENTRE. CONSENTING AND ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED ONE 1:1 YOGA THERAPY SESSION (IE, 1 PARTICIPANT, 1 YOGA THERAPIST) AND 6 WEEKLY GROUP-BASED YOGA THERAPY SESSIONS (IE, 2-3 PARTICIPANTS, 1 YOGA THERAPIST). PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED ASSESSMENTS 7 TIMES: 3 TIMES PRIOR TO THE PROGRAM (IE, -6 WEEKS, -3 WEEKS, IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE 1:1 YOGA THERAPY SESSION), IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE 1:1 YOGA THERAPY SESSION, PRIOR TO THE FIRST GROUP-BASED YOGA THERAPY SESSION, AFTER THE LAST GROUP-BASED YOGA THERAPY SESSION, AND AT A 6-WEEK FOLLOW-UP. HIERARCHICAL LINEAR MODELING WILL BE USED TO TEST THE AVERAGE EFFECTS OF THE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM ACROSS PARTICIPANTS. DISCUSSION: THIS STUDY WILL EXPLORE SEVERAL NOVEL HYPOTHESES, INCLUDING WHETHER YOGA THERAPY CAN IMPROVE HRV AND/OR SPECIFIC PROS AMONG ADULTS TREATED FOR CANCER ACUTELY (IE, DURING A 1:1 YOGA THERAPY SESSION) AND/OR THROUGH REPEATED EXPOSURE (IE, AFTER COMPLETING 6 WEEKS OF GROUP-BASED YOGA THERAPY). ALTHOUGH THE FINDINGS WILL REQUIRE CONFIRMATION OR REFUTATION IN FUTURE TRIALS, THEY MAY PROVIDE INITIAL EVIDENCE THAT YT MAY BENEFIT ADULTS TREATED FOR CANCER. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN REGISTRY, ISRCTN64763228. REGISTERED ON DECEMBER 12, 2021. THIS TRIAL WAS REGISTERED RETROSPECTIVELY. URL OF TRIAL REGISTRY RECORD: HTTPS://WWW.ISRCTN.COM/ISRCTN64763228. 2022 6 2441 37 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 7 258 44 ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF A 12-WEEK YOGA VS. EDUCATIONAL FILM PROGRAM FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME (RLS): STUDY PROTOCOL FOR A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME (RLS) IS A COMMON AND BURDENSOME SLEEP DISORDER ASSOCIATED WITH PROFOUND IMPAIRMENT OF HEALTH, WELL-BEING, AND QUALITY OF LIFE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE MEDICATIONS USED FOR RLS MANAGEMENT CARRY RISK OF SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, INCLUDING AUGMENTATION OF SYMPTOMS. YOGA, AN ANCIENT MIND-BODY DISCIPLINE DESIGNED TO PROMOTE PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND MENTAL WELL-BEING, MAY OFFER A VIABLE, LOW-RISK NEW TREATMENT. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THIS PILOT, PARALLEL-ARM, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) ARE TO ASSESS THE ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF A 12-WEEK YOGA VS. EDUCATIONAL FILM PROGRAM FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF RLS. METHODS: FORTY-FOUR ADULTS WITH CONFIRMED MODERATE TO SEVERE RLS WILL BE RECRUITED AND RANDOMIZED TO A 12-WEEK YOGA (N = 22) OR STANDARDIZED EDUCATIONAL FILM PROGRAM (N = 22). YOGA GROUP PARTICIPANTS WILL ATTEND TWO 75-MIN IYENGAR YOGA CLASSES PER WEEK FOR THE FIRST 4 WEEKS, THEN ONE 75-MIN CLASS PER WEEK FOR THE REMAINING 8 WEEKS, AND WILL COMPLETE A 30-MIN HOMEWORK ROUTINE ON NON-CLASS DAYS. EDUCATIONAL FILM GROUP PARTICIPANTS WILL ATTEND ONE 75-MIN CLASS PER WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS AND COMPLETE A DAILY RLS TREATMENT LOG; CLASSES WILL INCLUDE INFORMATION ON: RLS MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING SLEEP HYGIENE PRACTICES; OTHER SLEEP DISORDERS; AND COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES LIKELY TO BE OF INTEREST TO THOSE PARTICIPATING IN A YOGA AND SLEEP EDUCATION STUDY. YOGA AND TREATMENT LOGS WILL BE COLLECTED WEEKLY. FEASIBILITY OUTCOMES WILL INCLUDE RECRUITMENT, ENROLLMENT, AND RANDOMIZATION RATES, RETENTION, ADHERENCE, AND PROGRAM SATISFACTION. PROGRAM EVALUATION AND YOGA-DOSING QUESTIONNAIRES WILL BE COLLECTED AT WEEK 12; DATA ON EXPLORATORY OUTCOMES (E.G., RLS SYMPTOM SEVERITY (IRLS), SLEEP QUALITY (PSQI), MOOD (POMS, PSS), AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (SF-36)) WILL BE GATHERED AT BASELINE AND WEEK 12. DISCUSSION: THIS STUDY WILL LAY THE ESSENTIAL GROUNDWORK FOR A PLANNED LARGER RCT TO DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF A YOGA PROGRAM FOR REDUCING SYMPTOMS AND ASSOCIATED BURDEN OF RLS. IF THE FINDINGS OF THE CURRENT TRIAL AND THE SUBSEQUENT LARGER RCTS ARE POSITIVE, THIS STUDY WILL ALSO HELP SUPPORT A NEW APPROACH TO CLINICAL TREATMENT OF THIS CHALLENGING DISORDER, HELP FOSTER IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING OF RLS ETIOLOGY, AND ULTIMATELY CONTRIBUTE TO REDUCING THE INDIVIDUAL, SOCIETAL, AND ECONOMIC BURDEN ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CONDITION. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV, ID: NCT03570515 . RETROSPECTIVELY REGISTERED ON 1 FEBRUARY 2017. 2019 8 503 36 COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA FOR WOMEN UNDERGOING SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY. BACKGROUND: WOMEN WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS (SUD) RECEIVE MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT (MAT) WITH BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS AND COUNSELING FOR RECOVERY. EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE USE OF YOGA FOR SUD; HOWEVER FEW STUDIES SPECIFICALLY FEATURE WOMEN. OBJECTIVES: COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA MAY ADD TO HEALTH PROMOTION THROUGH PREFERABLE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR WOMEN IN RECOVERY. THE AIMS OF THIS STUDY ARE TO EXPLORE DEMOGRAPHICS AND QUANTITATIVE MEASURES RELEVANT TO RECOVERY AND CAPTURE AND UNDERSTAND THE SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE OF ONE SESSION OF YOGA. STUDY DESIGN: THE STUDY DESIGN INVOLVES DESCRIPTIVE/CROSS-SECTIONAL. METHODOLOGY: WOMEN IN AN INPATIENT SUD CENTER ATTENDING WEEKLY OPTIONAL OFF-SITE YOGA FOR RECOVERY WERE RECRUITED TO CAPTURE FIRST-TIME ATTENDANCE. SURVEY DATA INCLUDED MEDICAL OUTCOMES SURVEY 12-ITEM SHORT-FORM (SF-12), TORONTO MINDFULNESS SCALE (TMS), AND BRIEF RESILIENCE SCALE (BRS), DEMOGRAPHICS, AND NARRATIVE REFLECTIONS. RECRUITMENT OPPORTUNITIES OCCURRED WEEKLY DURING ONGOING HOUR-LONG CLASSES. RESULTS: TWENTY-NINE WOMEN (AVERAGE AGE 36.6) WITH PRIMARILY OPIATE-BASED ADDICTIONS COMPLETED SURVEYS. SF-12 WAS BELOW THE NORMATIVE VALUE OF 50 FOR BOTH SUBSCALES. BRS SCORES SHOWED AVERAGES ON THE LOW END OF NORMAL RESILIENCY. THE FREQUENCY OF RESPONSES TO WRITING PROMPTS CONFIRMED PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING THROUGH YOGA INTERVENTION. WOMEN SHARED POTENTIAL RELAPSE PREVENTION SPECIFICALLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE MINDFULNESS COMPONENT OF THE INTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: THE SF-12, BRS, AND TMS ARE BRIEF, VALID, AND RELIABLE AND CAN BE EASILY INCORPORATED IN CLINICAL PRACTICE OR FUTURE RESEARCH. SUBOPTIMAL SF-12 SCORES WERE FOUND IN WOMEN WITH SUD AND, THEREFORE IMPORTANT TO NOTE IN THE CONTEXT OF RECOVERY TO OPTIMIZE TREATMENT. SUBJECTIVE REPORTS FROM THE PARTICIPANTS FIND COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA AN ENJOYABLE AND BENEFICIAL TYPE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. YOGA MAY BE A VIABLE OPTION FOR COMPREHENSIVE MIND-BODY INTERVENTION FOR THIS POPULATION. 2021 9 176 43 A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF KUNDALINI YOGA IN MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT. BACKGROUND: GLOBAL POPULATION AGING WILL RESULT IN INCREASING RATES OF COGNITIVE DECLINE AND DEMENTIA. THUS, EFFECTIVE, LOW-COST, AND LOW SIDE-EFFECT INTERVENTIONS FOR THE TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF COGNITIVE DECLINE ARE URGENTLY NEEDED. OUR STUDY IS THE FIRST TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF KUNDALINI YOGA (KY) TRAINING ON MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT (MCI). METHODS: OLDER PARTICIPANTS (>/=55 YEARS OF AGE) WITH MCI WERE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER A 12-WEEK KY INTERVENTION OR MEMORY ENHANCEMENT TRAINING (MET; GOLD-STANDARD, ACTIVE CONTROL). COGNITIVE (I.E. MEMORY AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING) AND MOOD (I.E. DEPRESSION, APATHY, AND RESILIENCE) ASSESSMENTS WERE ADMINISTERED AT BASELINE, 12 WEEKS AND 24 WEEKS. RESULTS: AT BASELINE, 81 PARTICIPANTS HAD NO SIGNIFICANT BASELINE GROUP DIFFERENCES IN CLINICAL OR DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS. AT 12 WEEKS AND 24 WEEKS, BOTH KY AND MET GROUPS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN MEMORY; HOWEVER, ONLY KY SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING. ONLY THE KY GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND RESILIENCE AT WEEK 12. CONCLUSION: KY GROUP SHOWED SHORT- AND LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENTS IN EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING AS COMPARED TO MET, AND BROADER EFFECTS ON DEPRESSED MOOD AND RESILIENCE. THIS OBSERVATION SHOULD BE CONFIRMED IN FUTURE CLINICAL TRIALS OF YOGA INTERVENTION FOR TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF COGNITIVE DECLINE (NCT01983930). 2017 10 1556 43 LONG-TERM CHANGES OF SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND FATIGUE IN CANCER PATIENTS 6 MONTHS AFTER THE END OF YOGA THERAPY. BACKGROUND: SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND CANCER-RELATED FATIGUE ARE COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH CANCER. CANCER PATIENTS INCREASINGLY USE COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS, SUCH AS YOGA, TO COPE WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENTS. IN THE PRESENT ARTICLE, LONG-TERM CHANGES OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND FATIGUE IN CANCER ARE EXAMINED 6 MONTHS AFTER A YOGA INTERVENTION. METHOD: WE USED AN OBSERVATIONAL DESIGN BASED ON A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY IN CANCER PATIENTS WITH MIXED DIAGNOSES TO EVALUATE LONG-TERM CHANGES OF SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND FATIGUE 6 MONTHS AFTER THE END OF YOGA THERAPY. WE MEASURED ANXIETY SYMPTOMS WITH THE GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER SCALE (GAD-7), DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS WITH THE PATIENT HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE-2 (PHQ-2), AND FATIGUE WITH THE EUROPEAN ORGANIZATION FOR RESEARCH AND TREATMENT OF CANCER QUALITY OF LIFE QUESTIONNAIRE-FATIGUE SCALE (EORTC QLQ-FA13). YOGA THERAPY WAS PROVIDED IN YOGA CLASSES OF 60 MINUTES EACH ONCE A WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS IN TOTAL. THE EXERCISES PROVIDED CONTAINED BOTH BODY AND BREATHING ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS MEDITATION. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 58 PATIENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. SIX MONTHS AFTER THE END OF YOGA THERAPY, SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND FATIGUE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED COMPARED WITH BASELINE. HOWEVER, SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AND FATIGUE SLIGHTLY INCREASED DURING THE FOLLOW-UP PERIOD, WHEREAS SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION REMAINED STABLE. CONCLUSION: OUR RESULTS ARE PROMISING AND SUPPORT THE INTEGRATION OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS IN SUPPORTIVE CANCER TREATMENT CONCEPTS BUT SHOULD BE CONFIRMED BY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON CANCER PATIENTS SHOULD BE THE SUBJECT OF FURTHER RESEARCH. 2019 11 2699 54 YOGA INTERVENTION FOR ADULTS WITH MILD-TO-MODERATE ASTHMA: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: PRELIMINARY STUDIES INVESTIGATING YOGA AND BREATH WORK FOR TREATING ASTHMA HAVE BEEN PROMISING. SEVERAL RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS HAVE SHOWN A BENEFIT FROM YOGA POSTURES AND BREATHING VS CONTROL, BUT THE CONTROL IN THESE CASES INVOLVED NO INTERVENTION OTHER THAN USUAL CARE. THIS STUDY ADVANCES THE FIELD BY PROVIDING AN ACTIVE CONTROL. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS AND FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA AND BREATH WORK INTERVENTION FOR IMPROVING CLINICAL INDICES AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADULTS WITH MILD-TO-MODERATE ASTHMA. METHODS: A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED, DOUBLE-MASKED CLINICAL TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED BETWEEN OCTOBER 1, 2001, AND MARCH 31, 2003. RANDOM ASSIGNMENT WAS MADE TO EITHER A 4-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION THAT INCLUDED POSTURES AND BREATH WORK OR A STRETCHING CONTROL CONDITION. OUTCOME MEASURES WERE EVALUATED AT 4, 8, 12, AND 16 WEEKS AND INCLUDED THE MINI ASTHMA QUALITY OF LIFE QUESTIONNAIRE, RESCUE INHALER USE, SPIROMETRY, SYMPTOM DIARIES, AND HEALTH CARE UTILIZATION. RESULTS: SIXTY-TWO PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO THE INTERVENTION AND CONTROL GROUPS, AND 45 COMPLETED THE FINAL FOLLOW-UP MEASURES. INTENTION-TO-TREAT ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED. SIGNIFICANT WITHIN-GROUP DIFFERENCES IN POSTBRONCHODILATOR FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN 1 SECOND AND MORNING SYMPTOM SCORES WERE APPARENT IN BOTH GROUPS AT 4 AND 16 WEEKS; HOWEVER, NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS WERE OBSERVED ON ANY OUTCOME MEASURES. CONCLUSIONS: IYENGAR YOGA CONFERRED NO APPRECIABLE BENEFIT IN MILD-TO-MODERATE ASTHMA. CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH YOGA IS OF BENEFIT IN ASTHMA MANAGEMENT, IF ANY, REMAIN TO BE DETERMINED. 2005 12 173 49 A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY ON ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH STATUS, DEPRESSION, AND ANXIETY IN COAL MINERS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE FOLLOWING YOGA TRAINING. CONTEXT: PSYCHOLOGICAL COMORBIDITIES ARE PREVALENT IN COAL MINERS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE DISEASE REDUCING THEIR HEALTH STATUS. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO ALLEVIATE DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY ASSOCIATED WITH OTHER CHRONIC DISEASES BUT IN COPD NOT BEEN FULLY INVESTIGATED. AIM: THIS STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE THE ROLE OF YOGA ON HEALTH STATUS, DEPRESSION, AND ANXIETY IN COAL MINERS WITH COPD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS WAS A RANDOMIZED TRIAL WITH TWO STUDY ARMS (YOGA AND CONTROL), WHICH ENROLLED 81 COAL MINERS, RANGING FROM 36 TO 60 YEARS WITH STAGE II AND III STABLE COPD. BOTH GROUPS WERE EITHER ON CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT OR COMBINATION OF CONVENTIONAL CARE WITH YOGA PROGRAM FOR 12 WEEKS. RESULTS: DATA WERE COLLECTED THROUGH STANDARDIZED QUESTIONNAIRES; COPD ASSESSMENT TEST, BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY AND STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY AT THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF THE INTERVENTION. THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.001) IMPROVEMENTS ON ALL SCALES WITHIN THE GROUP, ALL SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT (P < 0.001) FROM CHANGES OBSERVED IN THE CONTROLS. NO SIGNIFICANT PREPOST CHANGES WERE OBSERVED IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: YOGA PROGRAM LED TO GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH STATUS THAN DID CONVENTIONAL CARE. YOGA SEEMS TO BE A SAFE, FEASIBLE, AND EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH COPD. THERE IS A NEED TO CONDUCT MORE COMPREHENSIVE, HIGH-QUALITY, EVIDENCE-BASED STUDIES TO SHED LIGHT ON THE CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN THESE CHRONIC CONDITIONS AND IDENTIFY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS. 2016 13 116 43 A PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA MEDITATION PROTOCOL FOR PATIENTS WITH MEDICALLY REFRACTORY EPILEPSY. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFICACY OF A YOGA MEDITATION PROTOCOL (YMP) AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH DRUG-RESISTANT CHRONIC EPILEPSY. DESIGN: THE DESIGN WAS A PROSPECTIVE, NONRANDOMIZED, OPEN-LABEL, ADD-ON TRIAL WITH A 12-WEEK BASELINE PERIOD, FOLLOWED BY A 12-WEEK SUPERVISED YMP ADMINISTRATION PHASE. THE FREQUENCY OF COMPLEX PARTIAL SEIZURES (CPS) WAS ASSESSED AT 3, 6, AND 12 MONTHS OF THE TREATMENT PERIOD. SETTING: THE SETTING WAS A COMPREHENSIVE EPILEPSY CARE CENTER ATTACHED TO A TERTIARY REFERRAL MEDICAL INSTITUTION SITUATED ON THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF THE INDIAN PENINSULA. SUBJECTS: THE SUBJECTS WERE 20 PATIENTS (14 MALES AND 6 FEMALES, AGE RANGE 15 TO 47 YEARS, MEDIAN 27 YEARS) WITH UNEQUIVOCALLY ESTABLISHED DIAGNOSES OF EPILEPSY WITH AT LEAST 4 CPS (WITH OR WITHOUT SECONDARY GENERALIZATION) DURING THE PRECEDING 3 MONTHS. INTERVENTION: INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF A YMP 20 MINUTES TWICE DAILY (MORNINGS AND EVENINGS) AT HOME, AND SUPERVISED SESSIONS OF A YMP EVERY WEEK FOR 3 MONTHS. CONTINUATION OF THE YMP BEYOND 3 MONTHS WAS OPTIONAL. OUTCOME MEASURE: THE OUTCOME MEASURE WAS THE SEIZURE FREQUENCY AT 3, 6, AND 12 MONTHS OF THE TREATMENT PERIOD. THE SUBJECTS WITH > OR = 50% REDUCTION IN MONTHLY SEIZURE RATE FROM BASELINE WERE CLASSIFIED AS RESPONDERS, AND SUBJECTS WITH <50% SEIZURE REDUCTION AS NONRESPONDERS. RESULTS: AT 3 MONTHS, A REDUCTION IN SEIZURE FREQUENCY WAS NOTED IN ALL EXCEPT 1 PATIENT, SIX OF WHOM HAD > OR = 50% SEIZURE REDUCTION. OF 16 PATIENTS WHO CONTINUED THE YMP BEYOND 3 MONTHS, 14 PATIENTS RESPONDED AT 6 MONTHS; 6 OF THEM WERE SEIZURE-FREE FOR 3 MONTHS. ALL EIGHT PATIENTS WHO CONTINUED THE YMP BEYOND 6 MONTHS RESPONDED; THREE OF THEM WERE SEIZURE FREE FOR 6 MONTHS. CONCLUSIONS: IF CONFIRMED THROUGH RANDOMIZED TRIALS INVOLVING A LARGER NUMBER OF PATIENTS, THIS YMP MAY BECOME A COST-EFFECTIVE AND ADVERSE EFFECT-FREE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH DRUG-RESISTANT EPILEPSIES. 2006 14 1370 46 IMPACT OF A STRUCTURED YOGA PROGRAM ON BLOOD PRESSURE REDUCTION AMONG HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS: STUDY PROTOCOL FOR A PRAGMATIC RANDOMIZED MULTICENTER TRIAL IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SETTINGS IN NEPAL. BACKGROUND: HYPERTENSION CONTROL REMAINS A MAJOR GLOBAL CHALLENGE. THE BEHAVIORAL APPROACHES RECOMMENDED FOR BLOOD PRESSURE REDUCTION ARE STRESS REDUCTION, INCREASED EXERCISE AND HEALTHY DIETARY HABITS. SOME STUDY FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA HAS A BENEFICIAL EFFECT IN REDUCING BLOOD PRESSURE. HOWEVER, THE ROLE OF YOGA ON BLOOD PRESSURE HAS RECEIVED LITTLE ATTENTION IN EXISTING HEALTH CARE PRACTICES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. THIS STUDY WILL BE CONDUCTED IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE FACILITIES IN NEPAL TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A PRAGMATIC YOGA INTERVENTION TO COMPLEMENT STANDARD PRACTICE IN FURTHER REDUCING BLOOD PRESSURE. METHODS: THIS WILL BE MULTICENTRIC, TWO ARMS, RANDOMIZED, NONBLINDED, PRAGMATIC TRIAL. IT WILL BE CONDUCTED IN SEVEN DISTRICT AYURVEDA HEALTH CENTERS (DAHCS) IN NEPAL BETWEEN JULY 2017 AND JUNE 2018. THE STUDY PARTICIPANTS WILL CONSIST OF HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS WITH OR WITHOUT ANTIHYPERTENSIVE MEDICATION ATTENDING TO THE OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT (OPD). ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY PARTICIPANTS WILL BE RANDOMIZED TO TREATMENT OR CONTROL GROUPS BY USING A STRATIFIED BLOCK RANDOMIZATION. AT THE STUDY SITE, THE TREATMENT ARM PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE AN INTERVENTION CONSISTING OF FIVE DAYS OF STRUCTURED YOGA TRAINING AND PRACTICE OF THE SAME PACKAGE AT HOME WITH A RECOMMENDATION OF FIVE DAYS A WEEK FOR THE FOLLOWING 90 DAYS. BOTH THE INTERVENTION AND CONTROL GROUPS WILL RECEIVE TWO HOURS OF HEALTH EDUCATION ON LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME OF THIS TRIAL WILL BE THE CHANGE IN SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE AND IT WILL BE ASSESSED AFTER 90 DAYS OF THE INTERVENTION. DISCUSSION: THIS STUDY WILL ESTABLISH THE EXTENT TO WHICH A YOGA INTERVENTION PACKAGE CAN HELP REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS. IF PROVEN EFFECTIVE, STUDY FINDINGS MAY BE USED TO RECOMMEND THE GOVERNING BODIES AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS FOR THE INTEGRATION OF YOGA IN THE NATIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM FOR THE TREATMENT AND CONTROL OF HYPERTENSION. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY- INDIA (CTRI); CTRI REG. NO- CTRI/2017/02/007822 . REGISTERED ON 10/02/2017. 2018 15 2677 44 YOGA IN SCHIZOPHRENIA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT ON GENERAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQL) FOR PEOPLE WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. METHOD: RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) WERE CONSIDERED WHETHER THEY INVESTIGATED A YOGA INTERVENTION IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. THE SELECTION OF STUDIES, DATA EXTRACTION AND QUALITY ASSESSMENT WERE PERFORMED INDEPENDENTLY BY TWO REVIEWERS. RESULTS: ONLY THREE RCTS MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA. LOWER POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SYNDROME SCALE (PANSS) TOTAL SCORES AND SUBSCALE SCORES FOR POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS WERE OBTAINED AFTER YOGA COMPARED WITH EXERCISE OR WAITING LIST CONTROL CONDITIONS. IN THE SAME WAY, THE PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HRQL AS MEASURED WITH THE ABBREVIATED VERSION OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION QUALITY OF LIFE QUESTIONNAIRE (WHOQOL-BREF) INCREASED MORE SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER YOGA THAN AFTER EXERCISE OR WAITING LIST CONTROL CONDITIONS. NONE OF THE RCTS ENCOUNTERED ADVERSE EVENTS. DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS COULD, HOWEVER, NOT BE DETERMINED. CONCLUSION: ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF RCTS INCLUDED IN THIS REVIEW WAS LIMITED, RESULTS INDICATED THAT YOGA THERAPY CAN BE AN USEFUL ADD-ON TREATMENT TO REDUCE GENERAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS. IN THE SAME WAY, HRQL IMPROVED IN THOSE ANTIPSYCHOTIC-STABILISED PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA FOLLOWING YOGA. 2012 16 1854 54 RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF A 12 WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION ON NEGATIVE AFFECTIVE STATES, CARDIOVASCULAR AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN POST-CARDIAC REHABILITATION PATIENTS. BACKGROUND: NEGATIVE AFFECTIVE STATES SUCH AS ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND STRESS ARE SIGNIFICANT RISK FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, PARTICULARLY IN CARDIAC AND POST-CARDIAC REHABILITATION POPULATIONS.YOGA IS A BALANCED PRACTICE OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE, BREATHING CONTROL AND MEDITATION THAT CAN REDUCE PSYCHOSOCIAL SYMPTOMS AS WELL AS IMPROVE CARDIOVASCULAR AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION. IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO POSITIVELY AFFECT MULTIPLE DISEASE PATHWAYS AND MAY PROVE TO BE A PRACTICAL ADJUNCT TO CARDIAC REHABILITATION IN FURTHER REDUCING CARDIAC RISK FACTORS AS WELL AS IMPROVING SELF-EFFICACY AND POST-CARDIAC REHABILITATION ADHERENCE TO HEALTHY LIFESTYLE BEHAVIOURS. METHOD AND DESIGN: THIS IS A PARALLEL ARM, MULTI-CENTRE, RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL THAT WILL ASSESS THE OUTCOMES OF POST- PHASE 2 CARDIAC REHABILITATION PATIENTS ASSIGNED TO A YOGA INTERVENTION IN COMPARISON TO A NO-TREATMENT WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS RANDOMISED TO THE YOGA GROUP WILL ENGAGE IN A 12 WEEK YOGA PROGRAM COMPRISING OF TWO GROUP BASED SESSIONS AND ONE SELF-ADMINISTERED HOME SESSION EACH WEEK. GROUP BASED SESSIONS WILL BE LED BY AN EXPERIENCED YOGA INSTRUCTOR. THIS WILL INVOLVE TEACHING BEGINNER STUDENTS A HATHA YOGA SEQUENCE THAT INCORPORATES ASANA (POSES AND POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (BREATHING CONTROL) AND MEDITATION. THE PRIMARY OUTCOMES OF THIS STUDY ARE NEGATIVE AFFECTIVE STATES OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND STRESS ASSESSED USING THE DEPRESSION ANXIETY STRESS SCALE. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDE MEASURES OF QUALITY OF LIFE, AND CARDIOVASCULAR AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION. THE CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOMES WILL INCLUDE BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, HEART RATE VARIABILITY, PULSE WAVE VELOCITY, CAROTID INTIMA MEDIA THICKNESS MEASUREMENTS, LIPID/GLUCOSE PROFILES AND C-REACTIVE PROTEIN ASSAYS. ASSESSMENTS WILL BE CONDUCTED PRIOR TO (WEEK 0), MID-WAY THROUGH (WEEK 6) AND FOLLOWING THE INTERVENTION PERIOD (WEEK 12) AS WELL AS AT A FOUR WEEK FOLLOW-UP (WEEK 16). DISCUSSION: THIS STUDY WILL DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON NEGATIVE AFFECTIVE STATES, CARDIOVASCULAR AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN POST-PHASE 2 CARDIAC REHABILITATION PATIENTS. THE FINDINGS MAY PROVIDE EVIDENCE TO INCORPORATE YOGA INTO STANDARDISED CARDIAC REHABILITATION PROGRAMS AS A PRACTICAL ADJUNCT TO IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT OF PSYCHOSOCIAL SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS IN ADDITION TO IMPROVING PATIENTS' COGNITIVE AND CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTIONS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN12612000358842. 2014 17 2452 42 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR ADULTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES: DESIGN AND RATIONALE OF THE HEALTHY, ACTIVE, AND IN CONTROL (HA1C) STUDY. DIABETES IS THE SEVENTH LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES. FOR MOST PATIENTS, MEDICATION ALONE IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO ACHIEVE GLYCEMIC CONTROL; ATTENTION MUST ALSO BE PAID TO MULTIPLE HEALTHY BEHAVIORS INCLUDING DIET, REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND STRESS MANAGEMENT. YOGA, A MINDFULNESS PRACTICE WITH EMPHASIS ON RELAXATION, MEDITATION, AND DEEP BREATHING, MAY HAVE SPECIAL RELEVANCE TO PEOPLE WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM). YOGA PRACTICE MAY POSITIVELY AFFECT STRESS AND OTHER SELF-CARE TASKS THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVED GLYCEMIC CONTROL. THE HEALTHY, ACTIVE, AND IN CONTROL (HA1C) STUDY IS DESIGNED TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA AMONG ADULT PATIENTS WITH T2DM. IN THIS PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, ADULTS WITH T2DM WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER A 12-WEEK IYENGAR YOGA INTERVENTION GIVEN TWICE WEEKLY, OR A TWICE-WEEKLY 12-WEEK PROGRAM OF TRADITIONAL EXERCISE (E.G., WALKING, STATIONARY CYCLING). ASSESSMENTS ARE CONDUCTED AT THE END OF TREATMENT (12 WEEKS) AND AT 3 AND 6 MONTHS POSTINTERVENTION. THE HA1C STUDY WILL ASSESS FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY (E.G., ATTENDANCE/RETENTION RATES, SATISFACTION WITH PROGRAM), GLYCEMIC OUTCOMES (E.G., HBA1C, FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE, POSTPRANDIAL BLOOD GLUCOSE), AND CHANGES IN PHYSIOLOGICAL (E.G., SALIVARY CORTISOL) AND BEHAVIORAL FACTORS (E.G., PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, DIET) RELEVANT TO THE MANAGEMENT OF T2DM. FOCUS GROUPS ARE CONDUCTED AT THE END OF THE INTERVENTION TO EXPLORE PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCE WITH THE PROGRAM AND THEIR PERCEPTION OF THE POTENTIAL UTILITY OF YOGA FOR DIABETES MANAGEMENT. 2018 18 2538 42 YOGA FOR ADULT WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PTSD: A LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP STUDY. INTRODUCTION: YOGA-THE INTEGRATIVE PRACTICE OF PHYSICAL POSTURES AND MOVEMENT, BREATH EXERCISES, AND MINDFULNESS-MAY SERVE AS A USEFUL ADJUNCTIVE COMPONENT OF TRAUMA-FOCUSED TREATMENT TO BUILD SKILLS IN TOLERATING AND MODULATING PHYSIOLOGIC AND AFFECTIVE STATES THAT HAVE BECOME DYSREGULATED BY TRAUMA EXPOSURE. A PREVIOUS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT AMONG 60 WOMEN WITH CHRONIC, TREATMENT-RESISTANT POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) AND ASSOCIATED MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS STEMMING FROM PROLONGED OR MULTIPLE TRAUMA EXPOSURES. AFTER 10 SESSIONS OF YOGA, PARTICIPANTS EXHIBITED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN PTSD SYMPTOM SEVERITY AND GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF LOSS OF PTSD DIAGNOSIS, SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN ENGAGEMENT IN NEGATIVE TENSION REDUCTION ACTIVITIES (E.G., SELF-INJURY), AND GREATER REDUCTIONS IN DISSOCIATIVE AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS WHEN COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL (A SEMINAR IN WOMEN'S HEALTH). THE CURRENT STUDY IS A LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENT OF PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETED THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS FROM THE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 YEARS AFTER STUDY COMPLETION TO ASSESS WHETHER THE INITIAL INTERVENTION AND/OR YOGA PRACTICE AFTER TREATMENT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH ADDITIONAL CHANGES. FORTY-NINE WOMEN COMPLETED THE LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEWS. HIERARCHICAL REGRESSION ANALYSIS WAS USED TO EXAMINE WHETHER TREATMENT GROUP STATUS IN THE ORIGINAL STUDY AND FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE AFTER THE STUDY PREDICTED GREATER CHANGES IN SYMPTOMS AND PTSD DIAGNOSIS. RESULTS: GROUP ASSIGNMENT IN THE ORIGINAL RANDOMIZED STUDY WAS NOT A SIGNIFICANT PREDICTOR OF LONGER-TERM OUTCOMES. HOWEVER, FREQUENCY OF CONTINUING YOGA PRACTICE SIGNIFICANTLY PREDICTED GREATER DECREASES IN PTSD SYMPTOM SEVERITY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOM SEVERITY, AS WELL AS A GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF A LOSS OF PTSD DIAGNOSIS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA APPEARS TO BE A USEFUL TREATMENT MODALITY; THE GREATEST LONG-TERM BENEFITS ARE DERIVED FROM MORE FREQUENT YOGA PRACTICE. 2016 19 2293 42 THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF ADD-ON YOGASANA INTERVENTION IN STABILIZED OUTPATIENT SCHIZOPHRENIA: RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED COMPARISON WITH EXERCISE AND WAITLIST. BACKGROUND: SCHIZOPHRENIA IS A HIGHLY DISABLING ILLNESS. PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN YOGA TO BE A FEASIBLE ADD-ON THERAPY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. AIMS: THE CURRENT STUDY AIMED TO TEST THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AS AN ADD-ON TREATMENT IN OUTPATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: THE STUDY DONE AT A TERTIARY PSYCHIATRY CENTER USED A SINGLE BLIND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED DESIGN WITH ACTIVE CONTROL AND WAITLIST GROUPS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CONSENTING PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA WERE RANDOMIZED INTO YOGA, EXERCISE, OR WAITLIST GROUP. THEY CONTINUED TO RECEIVE PHARMACOLOGICAL THERAPY THAT WAS UNCHANGED DURING THE STUDY. PATIENTS IN THE YOGA OR EXERCISE GROUP WERE OFFERED SUPERVISED DAILY PROCEDURES FOR ONE MONTH. ALL PATIENTS WERE ASSESSED BY A BLIND RATER AT THE START OF THE INTERVENTION AND AT THE END OF 4 MONTHS. RESULTS: KENDALL TAU, A NONPARAMETRIC STATISTICAL TEST, SHOWED THAT SIGNIFICANTLY MORE PATIENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP IMPROVED IN POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SYNDROME SCALE (PANSS) NEGATIVE AND TOTAL PANSS SCORES AS WELL AS SOCIAL FUNCTIONING SCORES COMPARED WITH THE EXERCISE AND WAITLIST GROUP. ODDS RATIO ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT THE LIKELIHOOD OF IMPROVEMENT IN YOGA GROUP IN TERMS OF NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS WAS ABOUT FIVE TIMES GREATER THAN EITHER THE EXERCISE OR WAITLIST GROUPS. CONCLUSION: IN SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS WITH SEVERAL YEARS OF ILLNESS AND ON STABILIZED PHARMACOLOGICAL THERAPY, ONE-MONTH TRAINING FOLLOWED BY THREE MONTHS OF HOME PRACTICES OF YOGA AS AN ADD-ON TREATMENT OFFERED SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE OVER EXERCISE OR TREATMENT AS USUAL. YOGA HOLDS PROMISE AS A COMPLEMENTARY INTERVENTION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SCHIZOPHRENIA. 2012 20 282 56 ADHERENCE TO YOGA AND EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS IN A 6-MONTH CLINICAL TRIAL. BACKGROUND: TO DETERMINE FACTORS THAT PREDICT ADHERENCE TO A MIND-BODY INTERVENTION IN A RANDOMIZED TRIAL. DESIGN: WE ANALYZED ADHERENCE DATA FROM A 3-ARM TRIAL INVOLVING 135 GENERALLY HEALTHY SENIORS 65-85 YEARS OF AGE RANDOMIZED TO A 6-MONTH INTERVENTION CONSISTING OF: AN IYENGAR YOGA CLASS WITH HOME PRACTICE, AN EXERCISE CLASS WITH HOME PRACTICE, OR A WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED COGNITIVE FUNCTION, MOOD, FATIGUE, ANXIETY, HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, AND PHYSICAL MEASURES. ADHERENCE TO THE INTERVENTION WAS OBTAINED BY CLASS ATTENDANCE AND BIWEEKLY HOME PRACTICE LOGS. RESULTS: THE DROP-OUT RATE WAS 13%. AMONG THE COMPLETERS OF THE TWO ACTIVE INTERVENTIONS, AVERAGE YOGA CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS 77% AND HOME PRACTICE OCCURRED 64% OF ALL DAYS. AVERAGE EXERCISE CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS 69% AND HOME EXERCISE OCCURRED 54% OF ALL DAYS. THERE WERE NO CLEAR EFFECTS OF ADHERENCE ON THE SIGNIFICANT STUDY OUTCOMES (QUALITY OF LIFE AND PHYSICAL MEASURES). CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH BASELINE MEASURES OF DEPRESSION, FATIGUE, AND PHYSICAL COMPONENTS OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN BASELINE MEASURES WERE ALSO FOUND BETWEEN STUDY COMPLETERS AND DROP-OUTS IN THE ACTIVE INTERVENTIONS. ADHERENCE WAS NOT RELATED TO AGE, GENDER, OR EDUCATION LEVEL. CONCLUSION: HEALTHY SENIORS HAVE GOOD ATTENDANCE AT CLASSES WITH A PHYSICALLY ACTIVE INTERVENTION. HOME PRACTICE TAKES PLACE OVER HALF OF THE TIME. DECREASED ADHERENCE TO A POTENTIALLY BENEFICIAL INTERVENTION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DECREASE THE EFFECT OF THE INTERVENTION IN A CLINICAL TRIAL BECAUSE SUBJECTS WHO MIGHT SUSTAIN THE GREATEST BENEFIT WILL RECEIVE A LOWER DOSE OF THE INTERVENTION AND SUBJECTS WITH HIGHER ADHERENCE RATES MAY BE FUNCTIONING CLOSER TO MAXIMUM ABILITY BEFORE THE INTERVENTION. STRATEGIES TO MAXIMIZE ADHERENCE AMONG SUBJECTS AT GREATER RISK FOR LOW ADHERENCE WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR FUTURE TRIALS, ESPECIALLY COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENTS REQUIRING GREATER EFFORT THAN SIMPLE PILL-TAKING. 2007