1 851 129 EFFECT OF YOGA ON SLEEP QUALITY AND NEUROENDOCRINE IMMUNE RESPONSE IN METASTATIC BREAST CANCER PATIENTS. BACKGROUND: STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT DISTRESS AND ACCOMPANYING NEUROENDOCRINE STRESS RESPONSES AS IMPORTANT PREDICTOR OF SURVIVAL IN ADVANCED BREAST CANCER PATIENTS. SOME PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION STUDIES HAVE SHOWN HAVE MODULATION OF NEUROENDOCRINE-IMMUNE RESPONSES IN ADVANCED BREAST CANCER PATIENTS. IN THIS STUDY, WE EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PERCEIVED STRESS, SLEEP, DIURNAL CORTISOL, AND NATURAL KILLER (NK) CELL COUNTS IN PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC CANCER. METHODS: IN THIS STUDY, 91 PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER WHO SATISFIED SELECTION CRITERIA AND CONSENTED TO PARTICIPATE WERE RECRUITED AND RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE "INTEGRATED YOGA BASED STRESS REDUCTION PROGRAM" (N = 45) OR STANDARD "EDUCATION AND SUPPORTIVE THERAPY SESSIONS" (N = 46) OVER A 3 MONTH PERIOD. PSYCHOMETRIC ASSESSMENTS FOR SLEEP QUALITY WERE DONE BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. BLOOD DRAWS FOR NK CELL COUNTS WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. SALIVA SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING THE ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE ON POSTMEASURES USING RESPECTIVE BASELINE MEASURE AS A COVARIATE. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN SCALES OF SYMPTOM DISTRESS (P < 0.001), SLEEP PARAMETERS (P = 0.02), AND IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF SLEEP (P = 0.001) AND INSOMNIA RATING SCALE SLEEP SCORE (P = 0.001) FOLLOWING INTERVENTION. THERE WAS A DECREASE IN MORNING WAKING CORTISOL IN YOGA GROUP (P = 0.003) ALONE FOLLOWING INTERVENTION. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN NK CELL PERCENT (P = 0.03) FOLLOWING INTERVENTION IN YOGA GROUP COMPARED TO CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS SUGGEST MODULATION OF NEUROENDOCRINE RESPONSES AND IMPROVEMENT IN SLEEP IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED BREAST CANCER FOLLOWING YOGA INTERVENTION. 2017 2 1087 53 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY COMPARES THE EFFECTS OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA PROGRAM WITH BRIEF SUPPORTIVE THERAPY ON DISTRESSFUL SYMPTOMS IN BREAST CANCER OUTPATIENTS UNDERGOING ADJUVANT RADIOTHERAPY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: EIGHTY-EIGHT STAGE II AND III BREAST CANCER OUTPATIENTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO RECEIVE YOGA (N = 44) OR BRIEF SUPPORTIVE THERAPY (N = 44) PRIOR TO THEIR RADIOTHERAPY TREATMENT. INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF YOGA SESSIONS LASTING 60 MIN DAILY WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP WAS IMPARTED SUPPORTIVE THERAPY ONCE IN 10 DAYS DURING THE COURSE OF THEIR ADJUVANT RADIOTHERAPY. ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED ROTTERDAM SYMPTOM CHECK LIST AND EUROPEAN ORGANIZATION FOR RESEARCH IN THE TREATMENT OF CANCER-QUALITY OF LIFE (EORTC QOL C30) SYMPTOM SCALE. ASSESSMENTS WERE DONE AT BASELINE AND AFTER 6 WEEKS OF RADIOTHERAPY TREATMENT. RESULTS: A GLM REPEATED-MEASURES ANOVA SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS (P = 0.01), FATIGUE (P = 0.007), INSOMNIA (P = 0.001), AND APPETITE LOSS (P = 0.002) OVER TIME IN THE YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO CONTROLS. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE ACTIVITY LEVEL (P = 0.02) IN THE YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO CONTROLS. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND FATIGUE, NAUSEA AND VOMITING, PAIN, DYSPNEA, INSOMNIA, APPETITE LOSS, AND CONSTIPATION. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE ACTIVITY LEVEL AND FATIGUE, NAUSEA AND VOMITING, PAIN, DYSPNEA, INSOMNIA, AND APPETITE LOSS. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS SUGGEST BENEFICIAL EFFECTS WITH YOGA INTERVENTION IN MANAGING CANCER-AND TREATMENT-RELATED SYMPTOMS IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS. 2009 3 2654 36 YOGA IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE AND BENEFIT FINDING IN WOMEN UNDERGOING RADIOTHERAPY FOR BREAST CANCER. THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES IN WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER UNDERGOING RADIOTHERAPY. SIXTY-ONE WOMEN WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER A YOGA OR A WAIT-LIST GROUP. YOGA CLASSES WERE TAUGHT BIWEEKLY DURING THE 6 WEEKS OF RADIOTHERAPY. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED MEASURES OF QOL, FATIGUE, BENEFIT FINDING (FINDING MEANING IN THE CANCER EXPERIENCE), INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS, SLEEP DISTURBANCES, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, AND ANXIETY BEFORE RADIOTHERAPY AND THEN AGAIN 1 WEEK, 1 MONTH, AND 3 MONTHS AFTER THE END OF RADIOTHERAPY. GENERAL LINEAR MODEL ANALYSES REVEALED THAT COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP, THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER GENERAL HEALTH PERCEPTION (P = .005) AND PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING SCORES (P = .04) 1 WEEK POSTRADIOTHERAPY; HIGHER LEVELS OF INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS 1 MONTH POSTRADIOTHERAPY (P = .01); AND GREATER BENEFIT FINDING 3 MONTHS POSTRADIOTHERAPY (P = .01). THERE WERE NO OTHER GROUP DIFFERENCES IN OTHER QOL SUBSCALES FOR FATIGUE, DEPRESSION, OR SLEEP SCORES. EXPLORATORY ANALYSES INDICATED THAT INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS 1 MONTH AFTER RADIOTHERAPY WERE SIGNIFICANTLY POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH BENEFIT FINDING 3 MONTHS AFTER RADIOTHERAPY (R = .36, P = .011). OUR RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE YOGA PROGRAM WAS ASSOCIATED WITH STATISTICALLY AND CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN ASPECTS OF QOL. 2010 4 1080 34 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON QUALITY OF SLEEP OF WOMEN WITH PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME. OBJECTIVE: WOMEN WITH PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS) COMMONLY COMPLAIN OF SLEEP DISTURBANCES, SPECIFICALLY IN THE LUTEAL PHASE OF THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE. THEREFORE, THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON QUALITY OF SLEEP OF WOMEN EXPERIENCING PMS WAS INVESTIGATED. MATERIAL AND METHODS: WOMEN (AGED 20-45 Y) MONITORED FOR PMS, WHO WERE REFERRED TO THE PRIVATE OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY CLINICS IN TABRIZ, IRAN, WERE REFERRED TO THE PRIVATE OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY CLINICS IN TABRIZ, IRAN. AFTERWARD, 62 WOMEN, WERE SELECTED AND DIVIDED INTO 2 GROUPS, RANDOMLY: 31 SUBJECTS IN YOGA THE YOGA GROUP AND 31 IN THE CONTROL GROUP. SUBJECTS IN YOGA PERFORMED FOR 10 WK IN 3 SESSIONS, WITH EACH SESSION LASTING 60 MIN. SUBJECTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT PERFORM ANY YOGA. SUBJECTS COMPLETED A DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONNAIRE AND THE PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX QUESTIONNAIRE BEFORE AND AFTER YOGA IN BOTH GROUPS. RESULTS: AFTER YOGA INTERVENTION, SUBJECTS SIGNIFICANTLY EXPRESSED IMPROVEMENT IN SLEEPING (P < .05). BASED ON THE MANN-WHITNEY U TEST, A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS OBSERVED IN THE SUBDOMAINS OF BOTH GROUPS ON QUALITY OF SLEEP (P < .01), SLEEP LATENCY (P < .01), AND SLEEP EFFICIENCY (P < .05). CONCLUSION: YOGA REDUCED THE DISTURBANCES OF SLEEP IN THE SUBJECTS WITH PMS, WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY IMPROVED THE EFFICIENCY OF THEIR SLEEP. THEREFORE, WE CONCLUDE THAT YOGA CAN BE PRESCRIBED FOR IMPROVING SLEEP DISTURBANCES IN WOMEN WITH PMS AND MEDICAL THERAPY WILL PROBABLY BE NEEDED IN SEVERE SITUATIONS. 2019 5 2737 40 YOGA POSITIVELY AFFECTED DEPRESSION AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN WOMEN WITH PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL. WOMEN WITH PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS) OFTEN COMPLAIN ABOUT DEPRESSION WHEN THEIR MENSTRUAL CYCLE BEGINS. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON WOMEN WITH PMS SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION DURING MENSTRUAL CYCLE. METHODS: THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED FROM APRIL TO OCTOBER 2015 IN TABRIZ, IRAN. ALL SUBJECTS (20-45 YEARS OLD), WHO WERE FREQUENTLY REFERRED TO THE PRIVATE OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY CLINICS, WERE INITIALLY MONITORED FOR PMS AND DEPRESSION. SUBJECTS COMPLETED THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY-II (BDI-II) QUESTIONNAIRES BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. IN ADDITION, SUBJECTS WERE MONITORED FOR ELIGIBLE AND INELIGIBLE CRITERIA. IN THIS STUDY 62 SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED FOR THE YOGA GROUP AND CONTROL GROUPS. SUBJECTS PRACTICED YOGA OVER TWO MONTHS IN THREE SESSIONS, THE DURATION OF EACH SESSION WAS 60MIN. RESULTS: THE GENERAL SCORE OF THE DEPRESSION AFTER YOGA INTERVENTION WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP (P<0.036) AND YOGA GROUP BEFORE INTERVENTION (P<0.001). THE DIASTOLIC PRESSURE DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER YOGA INTERVENTION (P<0.029). YOGA DECREASED THE STATE OF DEPRESSION AND DIASTOLIC PRESSURE OF THE SUBJECTS WITH PMS COMPLAINING FROM DEPRESSION. CONCLUSION: WE CONCLUDE THAT YOGA HAS STRONG EFFECTS ON DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AND BLOOD PRESSURE, THEREFORE IT CAN BE USED AS A COMPLEMENTARY OR ALTERNATIVE REMEDY FOR PMS PATIENTS. 2019 6 1036 69 EFFECTS OF YOGA IN MANAGING FATIGUE IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: CANCER-RELATED FATIGUE IS WIDELY PREVALENT IN CANCER PATIENTS AND AFFECTS QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADVANCED CANCER PATIENTS. FATIGUE IS CAUSED DUE TO BOTH PSYCHOLOGIC DISTRESS AND PHYSIOLOGICAL SEQUEL FOLLOWING CANCER PROGRESSION AND ITS TREATMENT. IN THIS STUDY, WE EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGIC INTERVENTION IN MANAGING FATIGUE IN METASTATIC BREAST CANCER PATIENTS. METHODS: NINETY-ONE PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER WERE RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE INTEGRATED YOGA PROGRAM (N = 46) OR SUPPORTIVE THERAPY AND EDUCATION (N = 45) OVER A 3-MONTH PERIOD. ASSESSMENTS SUCH AS PERCEIVED STRESS, FATIGUE SYMPTOM INVENTORY, DIURNAL SALIVARY CORTISOL, AND NATURAL KILLER CELL COUNTS WERE CARRIED OUT BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. ANALYSIS WAS DONE USING AN INTENTION-TO-TREAT APPROACH. POSTMEASURES FOR THE ABOVE OUTCOMES WERE ASSESSED USING ANCOVA WITH RESPECTIVE BASELINE MEASURE AS A COVARIATE. RESULTS: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA REDUCES PERCEIVED STRESS (P = 0.001), FATIGUE FREQUENCY (P < 0.001), FATIGUE SEVERITY (P < 0.001), INTERFERENCE (P < 0.001), AND DIURNAL VARIATION (P < 0.001) WHEN COMPARED TO SUPPORTIVE THERAPY. THERE WAS A POSITIVE CORRELATION OF CHANGE IN FATIGUE SEVERITY WITH 9 A.M. SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA REDUCES FATIGUE IN ADVANCED BREAST CANCER PATIENTS. 2017 7 974 56 EFFECTS OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA PROGRAM ON SELF-REPORTED DEPRESSION SCORES IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. AIM: TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PROGRAM WITH SUPPORTIVE THERAPY ON SELF-REPORTED SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: NINETY-EIGHT BREAST CANCER PATIENTS WITH STAGE II AND III DISEASE FROM A CANCER CENTER WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO RECEIVE YOGA (N = 45) AND SUPPORTIVE THERAPY (N = 53) OVER A 24-WEEK PERIOD DURING WHICH THEY UNDERWENT SURGERY FOLLOWED BY ADJUVANT RADIOTHERAPY (RT) OR CHEMOTHERAPY (CT) OR BOTH. THE STUDY STOPPAGE CRITERIA WAS PROGRESSIVE DISEASE RENDERING THE PATIENT BEDRIDDEN OR ANY PHYSICAL MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURY RESULTING FROM INTERVENTION OR LESS THAN 60% ATTENDANCE TO YOGA INTERVENTION. SUBJECTS UNDERWENT YOGA INTERVENTION FOR 60 MIN DAILY WITH CONTROL GROUP UNDERGOING SUPPORTIVE THERAPY DURING THEIR HOSPITAL VISITS. BECK'S DEPRESSION INVENTORY (BDI) AND SYMPTOM CHECKLIST WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE, AFTER SURGERY, BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER RT AND SIX CYCLES OF CT. WE USED ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE (INTENT-TO-TREAT) TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF INTERVENTION ON DEPRESSION SCORES AND PEARSON CORRELATION ANALYSES TO EVALUATE THE BIVARIATE RELATIONSHIPS. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 69 PARTICIPANTS CONTRIBUTED DATA TO THE CURRENT ANALYSIS (YOGA, N = 33, AND CONTROLS, N = 36). THERE WAS 29% ATTRITION IN THIS STUDY. THE RESULTS SUGGEST AN OVERALL DECREASE IN SELF-REPORTED DEPRESSION WITH TIME IN BOTH THE GROUPS. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN DEPRESSION SCORES IN THE YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO CONTROLS FOLLOWING SURGERY, RT, AND CT (P < 0.01). THERE WAS A POSITIVE CORRELATION (P < 0.001) BETWEEN DEPRESSION SCORES WITH SYMPTOM SEVERITY AND DISTRESS DURING SURGERY, RT, AND CT. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS SUGGEST POSSIBLE ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFECTS WITH YOGA INTERVENTION IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT. 2015 8 329 46 ANXIOLYTIC EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM IN EARLY BREAST CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY COMPARES THE ANXIOLYTIC EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM AND SUPPORTIVE THERAPY IN BREAST CANCER OUTPATIENTS UNDERGOING CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT AT A CANCER CENTRE. METHODS: NINETY-EIGHT STAGE II AND III BREAST CANCER OUTPATIENTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO RECEIVE YOGA (N=45) OR BRIEF SUPPORTIVE THERAPY (N=53) PRIOR TO THEIR PRIMARY TREATMENT I.E., SURGERY. ONLY THOSE SUBJECTS WHO RECEIVED SURGERY FOLLOWED BY ADJUVANT RADIOTHERAPY AND SIX CYCLES OF CHEMOTHERAPY WERE CHOSEN FOR ANALYSIS FOLLOWING INTERVENTION (YOGA, N=18, CONTROL, N=20). INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF YOGA SESSIONS LASTING 60MIN DAILY WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP WAS IMPARTED SUPPORTIVE THERAPY DURING THEIR HOSPITAL VISITS AS A PART OF ROUTINE CARE. ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED SPEILBERGER'S STATE TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY AND SYMPTOM CHECKLIST. ASSESSMENTS WERE DONE AT BASELINE, AFTER SURGERY, BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER RADIOTHERAPY AND CHEMOTHERAPY. RESULTS: A GLM-REPEATED MEASURES ANOVA SHOWED OVERALL DECREASE IN BOTH SELF-REPORTED STATE ANXIETY (P<0.001) AND TRAIT ANXIETY (P=0.005) IN YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO CONTROLS. THERE WAS A POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN ANXIETY STATES AND TRAITS WITH SYMPTOM SEVERITY AND DISTRESS DURING CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT INTERVALS. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA CAN BE USED FOR MANAGING TREATMENT-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND ANXIETY IN BREAST CANCER OUTPATIENTS. 2009 9 962 48 EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM ON CORTISOL RHYTHM AND MOOD STATES IN EARLY BREAST CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING ADJUVANT RADIOTHERAPY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. UNLABELLED: OBJECTIVES. THIS STUDY COMPARES THE EFFECTS OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA PROGRAM WITH BRIEF SUPPORTIVE THERAPY IN BREAST CANCER OUTPATIENTS UNDERGOING ADJUVANT RADIOTHERAPY AT A CANCER CENTER. METHODS: EIGHTY-EIGHT STAGE II AND III BREAST CANCER OUTPATIENTS ARE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO RECEIVE YOGA (N = 44) OR BRIEF SUPPORTIVE THERAPY (N = 44) PRIOR TO RADIOTHERAPY TREATMENT. ASSESSMENTS INCLUDE DIURNAL SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS 3 DAYS BEFORE AND AFTER RADIOTHERAPY AND SELF-RATINGS OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND STRESS COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER 6 WEEKS OF RADIOTHERAPY. RESULTS: ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE REVEALS SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN ANXIETY (P < .001), DEPRESSION (P = .002), PERCEIVED STRESS (P < .001), 6 A.M. SALIVARY CORTISOL (P = .009), AND POOLED MEAN CORTISOL (P = .03) IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED WITH CONTROLS. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN MORNING SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVEL AND ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. CONCLUSION: YOGA MIGHT HAVE A ROLE IN MANAGING SELF-REPORTED PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND MODULATING CIRCADIAN PATTERNS OF STRESS HORMONES IN EARLY BREAST CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING ADJUVANT RADIOTHERAPY. 2009 10 963 34 EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM ON MENSTRUAL CRAMPS AND MENSTRUAL DISTRESS IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA: A SINGLE-BLIND, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM ON MENSTRUAL CRAMPS AND MENSTRUAL DISTRESS IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. DESIGN: SINGLE-BLIND, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. PARTICIPANTS: 40 RANDOMLY SELECTED UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS, WITH 20 EACH ASSIGNED TO AN EXERCISE OR A CONTROL GROUP. INTERVENTION: THE PARTICIPANTS ENGAGED IN A YOGA PROGRAM FOR 60 MINUTES ONCE A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. THE PROGRAM CONSISTED OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE COMBINED WITH RELAXATION AND MEDITATION. OUTCOME MEASURES: MENSTRUAL CRAMPS AND MENSTRUAL DISTRESS LEVELS WERE MEASURED BY USING THE VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE FOR PAIN AND THE MENSTRUAL DISTRESS QUESTIONNAIRE, RESPECTIVELY. DATA WERE ANALYZED BY USING THE KOLMOGOROV-SMIRNOV AND SHAPIRO-WILK NORMALITY TESTS, T-TEST, CHI-SQUARE TEST, LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSIS, AND MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (SPSS PROGRAM). RESULTS: MENSTRUAL PAIN INTENSITY (GROUP DIFFERENCE, -0.94; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL [CI], -1.47 TO -0.42; P = 0.001) AND MENSTRUAL DISTRESS (GROUP DIFFERENCE, -1.13; 95% CI, -1.43 TO -0.82; P < 0.0001) SCORES DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THESE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS MAY REDUCE MENSTRUAL CRAMPS AND MENSTRUAL DISTRESS IN FEMALE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. 2016 11 881 37 EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES AND C-REACTIVE PROTEIN IN EMPLOYEES OF SMALL-SCALE INDUSTRIES. OBJECTIVE: THE PRESENT STUDY INTENDS TO SEE THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICES ON LIPID PROFILE, INTERLEUKIN (IL)-6, TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR (TNF)-ALPHA, AND HIGH-SENSITIVITY-C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (HS-CRP) AMONG APPARENTLY HEALTHY ADULTS EXPOSED TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IN THE PRESENT STUDY, 48 PARTICIPANTS AGED 30-58 YEARS (41.5 +/- 5.2) WHO WERE EXPOSED TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS, THAT IS, EXPERIMENTAL AND WAIT-LIST CONTROL. ALL THE PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED FOR LIPID PROFILE, IL-6, TNF-ALPHA, AND HS-CRP AT THE BASELINE AND AFTER COMPLETION OF 3 MONTHS OF YOGA TRAINING INTERVENTION. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP UNDERWENT YOGA TRAINING INTERVENTION FOR 1 H FOR 6 DAYS A WEEK FOR 3 MONTHS, WHEREAS CONTROL GROUP CONTINUED WITH THEIR DAILY ACTIVITIES EXCEPT YOGA TRAINING. DATA ANALYSIS WAS DONE USING STATISTICAL SOFTWARE SPSS VERSION 20.0. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING PAIRED T-TESTS AND INDEPENDENT T-TEST. RESULTS: THE RESULTS OF WITHIN GROUP COMPARISON REVEALED HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN CHOLESTEROL (P < 0.001), HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (P < 0.001), LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (LDL)(P < 0.01), HS-CRP (P < 0.01), IL-6 (P < 0.001), AND TNF-ALPHA (P < 0.001) IN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP. COMPARISON BETWEEN EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUP REVEALED SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN CHOLESTEROL (P < 0.01), LDL (P < 0.05), IL-6 (P < 0.01), TNF-ALPHA (P < 0.01), AND HS-CRP (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: A YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION SEEMS TO BE A HIGHLY PROMISING ALTERNATIVE THERAPY WHICH FAVORABLY ALTERS INFLAMMATORY MARKERS AND METABOLIC RISK FACTORS. 2017 12 1761 34 POSITIVE THERAPEUTIC AND NEUROTROPIC EFFECTS OF YOGA IN DEPRESSION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY. CONTEXT: THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF YOGA IN DEPRESSION IS RECOGNIZED. NEUROPLASTIC EFFECTS OF ANTIDEPRESSANT THERAPIES ARE INFERRED BY ELEVATIONS IN BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF). ROLE OF YOGA IN BOTH THESE EFFECTS HAS NOT BEEN STUDIED. MATERIALS AND METHODS: NON-SUICIDAL, CONSECUTIVE OUT-PATIENTS OF DEPRESSION WERE OFFERED YOGA EITHER ALONE OR WITH ANTIDEPRESSANTS. THE DEPRESSION SEVERITY WAS RATED ON HAMILTON DEPRESSION RATING SCALE (HDRS) BEFORE AND AT 3 MONTHS. SERUM BDNF LEVELS WERE MEASURED AT THE SAME TIME POINTS. REPEATED-MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WAS PERFORMED TO LOOK AT CHANGE ACROSS GROUPS WITH RESPECT TO HDRS SCORES AND BDNF LEVELS OVER 3 MONTHS OF FOLLOW-UP. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHANGE IN SERUM BDNF LEVELS AND CHANGE IN HDRS SCORES WAS ASSESSED USING THE PEARSON'S CORRELATION COEFFICIENT. RESULTS: BOTH YOGA GROUPS WERE BETTER THAN DRUGS-ONLY GROUP WITH RESPECT TO REDUCTION IN HDRS SCORES. SERUM BDNF ROSE IN THE TOTAL SAMPLE IN THE 3-MONTH PERIOD. THIS WAS NOT, HOWEVER, DIFFERENT ACROSS TREATMENT GROUPS. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN FALL IN HDRS AND RISE IN SERUM BDNF LEVELS IN YOGA-ONLY GROUP (R=0.702; P=0.001), BUT NOT IN THOSE RECEIVING YOGA AND ANTIDEPRESSANTS OR ANTIDEPRESSANTS-ALONE. CONCLUSIONS: NEUROPLASTIC MECHANISMS MAY BE RELATED TO THE THERAPEUTIC MECHANISMS OF YOGA IN DEPRESSION. 2013 13 1461 59 INFLUENCE OF YOGA ON MOOD STATES, DISTRESS, QUALITY OF LIFE AND IMMUNE OUTCOMES IN EARLY STAGE BREAST CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING SURGERY. CONTEXT: BREAST CANCER PATIENTS AWAITING SURGERY EXPERIENCE HEIGHTENED DISTRESS THAT COULD AFFECT POSTOPERATIVE OUTCOMES. AIMS: THE AIM OF OUR STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA INTERVENTION ON MOOD STATES, TREATMENT-RELATED SYMPTOMS, QUALITY OF LIFE AND IMMUNE OUTCOMES IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING SURGERY. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: NINETY-EIGHT RECENTLY DIAGNOSED STAGE II AND III BREAST CANCER PATIENTS WERE RECRUITED FOR A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM WITH SUPPORTIVE THERAPY PLUS EXERCISE REHABILITATION ON POSTOPERATIVE OUTCOMES FOLLOWING SURGERY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SUBJECTS WERE ASSESSED PRIOR TO SURGERY AND FOUR WEEKS THEREAFTER. PSYCHOMETRIC INSTRUMENTS WERE USED TO ASSESS SELF-REPORTED ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, TREATMENT-RELATED DISTRESS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. BLOOD SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED FOR ENUMERATION OF T LYMPHOCYTE SUBSETS (CD4 %, CD8 % AND NATURAL KILLER (NK) CELL % COUNTS) AND SERUM IMMUNOGLOBULINS (IGG, IGA AND IGM). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: WE USED ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE TO COMPARE INTERVENTIONS POSTOPERATIVELY. RESULTS: SIXTY-NINE PATIENTS CONTRIBUTED DATA TO THE CURRENT ANALYSIS (YOGA N = 33, CONTROL N = 36). THE RESULTS SUGGEST A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE STATE (P = 0.04) AND TRAIT (P = 0.004) OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION (P = 0.01), SYMPTOM SEVERITY (P = 0.01), DISTRESS (P < 0.01) AND IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF LIFE (P = 0.01) IN THE YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO THE CONTROLS. THERE WAS ALSO A SIGNIFICANTLY LESSER DECREASE IN CD 56% (P = 0.02) AND LOWER LEVELS OF SERUM IGA (P = 0.001) IN THE YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO CONTROLS FOLLOWING SURGERY. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS SUGGEST POSSIBLE BENEFITS FOR YOGA IN REDUCING POSTOPERATIVE DISTRESS AND PREVENTING IMMUNE SUPPRESSION FOLLOWING SURGERY. 2008 14 2508 40 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 15 2303 40 TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF AEROBIC EXERCISE AND YOGA ON PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME. BACKGROUND: EIGHTY PERCENT OF WOMEN DURING THEIR REPRODUCTIVE AGE EXPERIENCE SOME SYMPTOMS ATTRIBUTED TO PREMENSTRUAL PHASE OF THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE. PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS) IS CHARACTERIZED BY EMOTIONAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS THAT OCCUR DURING LATE LUTEAL PHASE OF MENSTRUAL CYCLE AND ARE RELIEVED AFTER THE ONSET OF MENSTRUATION. AEROBIC EXERCISE AND YOGA ARE ONE OF THE WAYS TO REDUCE THESE SYMPTOMS. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF AEROBIC EXERCISE AND YOGA ON PMS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A TOTAL OF 72 PARTICIPANTS OF PMS, REFERRED FOR PHYSIOTHERAPY TREATMENT (MEAN AGE 28 YEARS), WERE ENROLLED AND ALLOCATED INTO TWO GROUPS (GROUP A AND B) BY SIMPLE COMPUTERIZED RANDOMIZATION. PATIENTS IN GROUP A RECEIVED AEROBIC EXERCISE AND IN GROUP B RECEIVED YOGA MOVEMENTS FOR 40 MIN, 3 TIMES A WEEK FOR 1 MONTH. THE PAIN INTENSITY (VISUAL ANALOG SCALE) AND PMS SCALE WERE MEASURED BEFORE, AT THE END OF 15 DAYS, AND 1 MONTH OF TREATMENT PROGRAM. RESULTS: DATA WERE ANALYZED BY PAIRED T-TEST, UNPAIRED T-TEST, AND ONE-WAY ANOVA; AND THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT BOTH AEROBIC EXERCISE AND YOGA MOVEMENTS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED PAIN INTENSITY AND PMS SYMPTOMS. SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PMS SYMPTOMS WAS FOUND IN PATIENTS TREATED WITH YOGA COMPARED TO AEROBIC EXERCISE; HOWEVER, NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND IN PAIN INTENSITY BETWEEN THESE TWO GROUPS (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: IT IS CONCLUDED THAT BOTH AEROBIC EXERCISE AND YOGA MOVEMENTS ARE EFFECTIVE IN TREATING PMS; HOWEVER, YOGA IS MORE EFFECTIVE IN RELIEVING THE SYMPTOMS OF PMS THAN AEROBIC EXERCISE. 2019 16 720 39 EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA PRACTICE ON FATIGUE AND DIURNAL SALIVARY CORTISOL CONCENTRATION IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. PURPOSE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF REGULAR IYENGAR YOGA PRACTICE ON MEASURES OF SELF-PERCEIVED PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTION AND DIURNAL SALIVARY CORTISOL SECRETION IN STAGE II-IV BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS (N = 18). DATA SOURCES: WOMEN WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO ATTEND YOGA PRACTICE FOR 90 MIN TWICE WEEKLY FOR 8 WEEKS (N = 9) OR TO A WAIT-LISTED, NONINTERVENTIONAL CONTROL GROUP (N = 9). TRADITIONAL IYENGAR YOGA ROUTINES THAT PROGRESSIVELY INCREASED IN DIFFICULTY AS PARTICIPANTS GAINED STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY WERE USED. AT BASELINE AND AFTER THE 8-WEEK STUDY PERIOD, WOMEN COMPLETED SELF-REPORT INSTRUMENTS TO DOCUMENT VARIOUS ASPECTS OF PSYCHOSOCIAL AND PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING, AND COLLECTED SALIVARY SAMPLES FOR CORTISOL ANALYSIS FOUR TIMES DURING THE DAY FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS. CONCLUSIONS: THE YOGA GROUP HAD LOWER MORNING AND 5 P.M. SALIVARY CORTISOL AND IMPROVED EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND FATIGUE SCORES. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS ARE AT RISK FOR CHRONIC PSYCHOSOCIAL DISTRESS THAT MAY ALTER ACTIVITY OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL AXIS, RESULTING IN ABERRANT REGULATION OF CORTISOL SECRETION AND INCREASED RISK OF IMMUNE DYSFUNCTION AND CANCER PROGRESSION. REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE MAY BE A LOW-RISK, COST-EFFECTIVE WAY TO IMPROVE PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING, FATIGUE, AND REGULATION OF CORTISOL SECRETION IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. THESE FINDINGS REQUIRE VALIDATION WITH A LARGER RANDOMIZED STUDY. 2011 17 2553 32 YOGA FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS AFTER COMPLETING CANCER TREATMENT. SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER MAY EXPERIENCE PERSISTENT SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, AND BALANCE IMPAIRMENT. YOGA IS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY THAT IMPROVES FATIGUE, SLEEP, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. USING A ONE GROUP, REPEATED MEASURES DESIGN, WE EVALUATED THE FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA PROGRAM AND ASSESSED IF CANCER SURVIVOR PARTICIPANTS AGES 10 TO 17 YEARS (N = 13) HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LESS FATIGUE AND ANXIETY, AND BETTER BALANCE AND SLEEP, AFTER A 6-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION COMPARED WITH A 6-WEEK PRE-INTERVENTION WAIT PERIOD. STUDY RECRUITMENT WAS CHALLENGING WITH A 32% ENROLLMENT RATE; YOGA ATTENDANCE WAS 90%. NONE OF THE SCORES FOR ANXIETY, FATIGUE, SLEEP, AND BALANCE HAD SIGNIFICANT CHANGES DURING THE WAIT PERIOD. AFTER THE 6-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM, CHILDREN (N = 7) HAD A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN ANXIETY SCORE (P = .04) WHILE ADOLESCENT SCORES (N = 7) SHOWED A DECREASING TREND (P = .10). SCORES FOR FATIGUE, SLEEP, AND BALANCE REMAINED STABLE POST-INTERVENTION. FATIGUE AND BALANCE SCORES WERE BELOW NORMS FOR HEALTH CHILDREN/ADOLESCENTS WHILE SLEEP AND ANXIETY SCORES WERE SIMILAR TO HEALTHY PEERS. 2016 18 764 37 EFFECT OF THE INFORMATION SUPPORT METHOD COMBINED WITH YOGA EXERCISE ON THE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND SLEEP QUALITY OF MENOPAUSAL WOMEN. BACKGROUND: MENOPAUSE IS A SPECIAL STAGE IN A WOMAN'S LIFE, BUT NO SAFE CLINICAL TREATMENT EXISTS AGAINST MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. TO ANALYZE THE EFFECT OF THE INFORMATION SUPPORT METHOD COMBINED WITH YOGA EXERCISE ON THE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND SLEEP QUALITY OF MENOPAUSAL WOMEN. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: FROM JUNE 2019 TO DECEMBER 2019, MENOPAUSAL WOMEN WHO WERE NEWLY RECRUITED IN THREE YOGA CLUBS IN THREE CITIES IN EAST CHINA WERE SELECTED AS THE PARTICIPANTS BY CONVENIENCE SAMPLING. A TOTAL OF 52 WOMEN WERE IN THE EXPERIMENT GROUP AND 54 WERE IN THE CONTROL GROUP. IN 24 WEEKS, THE EXPERIMENT GROUP ENGAGED IN YOGA EXERCISE FOR 60 MINUTES EACH TIME, THREE TIMES A WEEK. THEY GROUP WAS GIVEN PROFESSIONAL POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL INFORMATION SUPPORT AT THE SAME TIME. THE KUPPERMAN MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOM DISTRESS SCALE, SELF-RATING DEPRESSION SCALE (SDS), SELF-RATING ANXIETY SCALE (SAS), AND PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX (PSQI) WERE USED BEFORE THE EXPERIMENT, THREE MONTHS INTO THE EXPERIMENT, AND SIX MONTHS INTO THE EXPERIMENT TO MONITOR THE INTERVENTION EFFECT ON THE PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: AFTER THE INTERVENTION, THE SYMPTOMS OF DISTRESS AMONG MENOPAUSAL WOMEN IN THE EXPERIMENT GROUP AND THE KUPPERMAN SCORE OF THE EXPERIMENT GROUP REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY. REPEATED MEASURES OF ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WERE CONDUCTED IN THE TWO GROUPS (P<0.001). AFTER THE INTERVENTION, THE DEPRESSION SCORE OF THE EXPERIMENT GROUP DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS IN REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE IN THE SDS SCORE (P<0.001). AFTER THE INTERVENTION, THE ANXIETY SCORE OF THE EXPERIMENT GROUP REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY, AND REPEATED MEASURES OF ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE IN THE SAS SCORE WERE CONDUCTED IN THE TWO GROUPS (P<0.001). AFTER THE INTERVENTION, THE SLEEP QUALITY OF THE EXPERIMENT GROUP IMPROVED, AND REPEATED MEASURES OF ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE IN SLEEP QUALITY WERE CONDUCTED IN THE TWO GROUPS (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: THE INFORMATION SUPPORT METHOD COMBINED WITH YOGA EXERCISE CAN ALLEVIATE THE DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY OF MENOPAUSAL WOMEN, IMPROVE THEIR SLEEP QUALITY, AND REDUCE THEIR SYMPTOMS OF MENOPAUSAL DISTRESS. 2020 19 519 31 COMPARING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA & ORAL CALCIUM ADMINISTRATION IN ALLEVIATING SYMPTOMS OF PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME IN MEDICAL UNDERGRADUATES. INTRODUCTION: MEDICAL UNDERGRADUATES ARE HEAVILY BURDENED BY THEIR CURRICULUM. THE FEMALES, IN ADDITION, SUFFER FROM VIVID AFFECTIVE OR SOMATIC PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS) SYMPTOMS SUCH AS BLOATING, MASTALGIA, INSOMNIA, FATIGUE, MOOD SWINGS, IRRITABILITY, AND DEPRESSION. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS PROPOSED TO ATTENUATE THE SYMPTOMS OF PMS BY SIMPLE LIFESTYLE MEASURES LIKE YOGA AND/OR ORAL CALCIUM. METHODS: 65 MEDICAL FEMALE STUDENTS (18-22 YEARS) WITH A REGULAR MENSTRUAL CYCLE WERE ASKED TO SELF-RATE THEIR SYMPTOMS, ALONG WITH THEIR SEVERITY, IN A VALIDATED QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE MENSTRUAL CYCLES. FIFTY-EIGHT STUDENTS WERE FOUND TO HAVE PMS. TWENTY GIRLS WERE GIVEN YOGA TRAINING (45 MINUTES DAILY, FIVE DAYS A WEEK, FOR THREE MONTHS). ANOTHER GROUP OF 20 WAS GIVEN ORAL TABLETS OF CALCIUM CARBONATE DAILY (500 MG, FOR THREE MONTHS) AND REST 18 GIRL SERVED AS CONTROL GROUP. DATA WERE ANALYZED BY SPSS VER.13 SOFTWARE. RESULTS: THE YOGA AND CALCIUM GROUPS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN NUMBER AND SEVERITY OF PREMENSTRUAL SYMPTOMS WHEREAS IN THE CONTROL GROUP THERE WAS NOT THE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE. CONCLUSION: ENCOURAGING A REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA OR TAKING A TABLET OF CALCIUM DAILY IN THE MEDICAL SCHOOLS CAN DECREASE THE SYMPTOMS OF PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME. 2016 20 790 38 EFFECT OF YOGA EXERCISE ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND UPPER EXTREMITY VOLUME AMONG WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER RELATED LYMPHEDEMA: A PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE: THIS PILOT STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF AN 8-WEEKS-YOGA INTERVENTION ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND UPPER EXTREMITY EDEMA VOLUME IN WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER RELATED LYMPHEDEMA. METHODS: THIS WAS A CONTROLLED TRIAL WITH PRE-POST DESIGN. A TOTAL OF 40 WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER RELATED LYMPHEDEMA WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO AN INTERVENTION OR CONTROL GROUPS. THE INTERVENTION GROUP PARTICIPATED IN A YOGA EXERCISE CLASS FOR 8 WEEKS, IN A TWICE A WEEK INSTRUCTOR-LED PRACTICE AND ONCE A WEEK HOME PRACTICE. OUTCOMES WERE EORTC QLQ_C30 TO MEASURE QUALITY OF LIFE, AND WATER DISPLACEMENT VOLUME-METER TO MEASURE UPPER EXTREMITY EDEMA VOLUME. THE OUTCOMES WERE EVALUATED AT BASELINE, 4TH AND 8TH WEEK. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING SPSS. RESULTS: FOUR WEEKS AFTER THE INTERVENTION, A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS OBSERVED BETWEEN THE GROUPS WITH RESPECT TO ROLE FUNCTIONING OF QUALITY OF LIFE (P=0.03). EIGHT WEEKS AFTER THE INTERVENTION, A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS OBSERVED BETWEEN GROUPS CONCERNING PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING OF QUALITY OF LIFE (P<0.05). THE CHANGING TREND IN PHYSICAL, ROLE, EMOTIONAL, AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING HAD INCREASED, AND IN SOME SCALES SUCH AS FATIGUE, PAIN, INSOMNIA, AND FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES THE SCORES WERE REDUCED IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP. REGARDING EDEMA VOLUME, NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND BETWEEN BOTH GROUPS ON THE 4TH AND 8TH WEEK AFTER THE INTERVENTION (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: AS YOGA EXERCISE MIGHT IMPROVE PHYSICAL, ROLE, AND EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING OF QUALITY OF LIFE AS WELL AS REDUCE FATIGUE, PAIN, AND INSOMNIA, USING THIS INTERVENTION CAN BE SUGGESTED AMONGST WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER RELATED LYMPHEDEMA. 2019