1 2209 110 THE GEOMETRIC CURVATURE OF THE SPINE DURING THE SIRSHASANA, THE YOGA'S HEADSTAND. THIS STUDY ANALYSED THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE GEOMETRIC CURVATURE OF THE SPINE DURING SIRSHASANA. THE POSITION OF DORSAL RETROREFLECTIVE MARKERS WAS COMPUTED VIA STEREOPHOTOGRAMMETRIC ANALYSIS IN SIX MALES AND FIVE FEMALES (29.4 +/- 8.8 YEARS, 63.0 +/- 11.4 KG, 1.66 +/- 0.08 M [AVERAGE +/- STANDARD DEVIATION]). THE SPINAL POINTS WERE PROJECTED ONTO THE SAGITTAL AND FRONTAL PLANES OF THE TRUNK, A POLYNOMIAL WAS FITTED TO THE DATA AND THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRIC CURVATURE WAS QUANTIFIED. THE INFERIOR LUMBAR LORDOSIS DECREASED COMPARED TO THE ORTHOSTATIC POSITION AND GAIT, WHICH MAY FAVOUR THE POSTERIOR PROTRUSION OF THE LUMBAR SPINAL NUCLEUS PULPOSUS IN PEOPLE WITH POSTERIOR HERNIATION. THE LATERAL DEVIATION AT THE MIDDLE OF THE THORACIC SPINE INCREASES DURING SIRSHASANA, WHICH MAY REFLECT INCREASED DIFFICULTIES FOR POSTURAL CONTROL AND SPINAL LOADS. IT COULD BE USEFUL FOR PROMOTING POSITIVE SPINAL STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL CHRONIC ADAPTATIONS FOR HEALTHY PARTICIPANTS, IF THE YOGA PROGRAMME IS CAREFULLY PLANNED AND THE SPINAL ALIGNMENT IS CAREFULLY MONITORED DURING A HEADSTAND. HOWEVER, IT MAY AGGRAVATE SOME SPINAL DISEASES, ESPECIALLY SCOLIOSIS.	2017	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
2 1990  28 SPINAL CURVATURES OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPARED TO CONTROL PARTICIPANTS-A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY. PURPOSE: THE ANGLES OF THORACIC KYPHOSIS AND LUMBAR LORDOSIS DETERMINE THE SPINAL ALIGNMENT IN THE SAGITTAL PLANE. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO COMPARE THE THORACIC KYPHOSIS AND LUMBAR LORDOSIS OF MALE AND FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS WITH NON-PRACTICING PARTICIPANTS AND TO DETERMINE THE POSSIBLE DEPENDENCIES BETWEEN SAGITTAL SPINAL CURVATURES AND SOMATIC PARAMETERS, TIME SPENT ON YOGA EXERCISE, AND UNDERTAKING OTHER PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. METHODS: THE STUDY INVOLVED 576 WOMEN AND 91 MEN AGES 18-68 YEARS (MEAN = 38.5 +/- 9) WHO WERE PRACTICING YOGA, AND 402 WOMEN AND 176 MEN AGES 18-30 YEARS (MEAN = 20.2 +/- 1.3) AS A CONTROL GROUP. THE ANGLES OF THORACIC KYPHOSIS AND LUMBAR LORDOSIS WERE MEASURED USING A PLURIMETER-V GRAVITY INCLINOMETER. RESULTS: THE TWO-WAY ANOVA DEMONSTRATED THE INFLUENCE OF GROUP (P < .0001) AND SEX (P = .03) ON THE ANGLE OF THORACIC KYPHOSIS, AS WELL AS THE INFLUENCE OF GROUP (P < .0001) AND SEX (P < .0001) ON THE ANGLE OF LUMBAR LORDOSIS. IT WAS NOTED THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD LESS PRONOUNCED THORACIC KYPHOSIS AND LUMBAR LORDOSIS AND WERE MORE OFTEN CHARACTERIZED BY NORMAL OR SMALLER THORACIC KYPHOSIS AND LUMBAR LORDOSIS THAN STUDENTS FROM THE CONTROL GROUP. IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS, THE ANGLE OF THORACIC KYPHOSIS WAS POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH AGE, BODY MASS, BMI, AND UNDERTAKING OTHER FORMS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. THE ANGLE OF LUMBAR LORDOSIS WAS NEGATIVELY CORRELATED WITH BODY HEIGHT AND BODY MASS. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA EXERCISES CAN AFFECT THE SHAPE OF THE ANTERIOR-POSTERIOR CURVES OF THE SPINE AND MAY BE AN EFFICIENT TRAINING METHOD FOR SHAPING PROPER POSTURE IN ADULTS.	2021	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
3 1498  20 INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE CHANGES AND OCULAR BIOMETRY DURING SIRSASANA (HEADSTAND POSTURE) IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. PURPOSE: TO STUDY THE INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE (IOP) CHANGES IN SIRSASANA (HEADSTAND POSTURE) DONE BY EXPERIENCED YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND CORRELATE THE OCULAR BIOMETRIC PARAMETERS WITH THE IOP CHANGES, AND TO SCREEN FOR THE PREVALENCE OF OCULAR HYPERTENSION IN THIS GROUP OF SUBJECTS. DESIGN: PROSPECTIVE CASE OBSERVATIONAL SERIES. PARTICIPANTS: SEVENTY-FIVE SUBJECTS (50 ASIAN INDIANS AND 25 CAUCASIANS) FROM A YOGA TRAINING INSTITUTE VOLUNTEERED FOR THE STUDY. METHODS: ALL PARTICIPANTS UNDERWENT A DETAILED OPHTHALMIC EXAMINATION ALONG WITH OCULAR BIOMETRY AND CORNEAL PACHYMETRY. INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE WAS RECORDED USING A TONOPEN BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE SIRSASANA. CHANGES WERE COMPARED USING THE PAIRED T TEST. AGE, AXIAL LENGTH, ANTERIOR CHAMBER DEPTH, LENS THICKNESS, CORNEAL CURVATURE, CORNEAL THICKNESS, RACE, AND THE LENGTH OF TIME FOR WHICH THE PRACTITIONER WAS PERFORMING YOGA WERE CORRELATED WITH THE INDUCED IOP DIFFERENCE IN A RANDOMLY SELECTED EYE USING PEARSON'S CORRELATION COEFFICIENT WITH BONFERRONI CORRECTION FOR MULTIPLE COMPARISONS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: OCULAR BIOMETRY AND INDUCED IOP DIFFERENCE. RESULTS: THE MEAN INCREASE IN IOP AT BASELINE AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER ASSUMING SIRSASANA WAS 15.1+/-4.1 MMHG (R = 0.07; P = 0.999) AND AFTER 5 MINUTES WAS 15.8+/-4.6 MMHG (R = -0.25; P = 0.357). THE INDUCED INCREASE IN IOP DURING THE POSTURE WAS TWICE THE BASELINE IOP. THERE WAS NO CORRELATION BETWEEN AGE, OCULAR BIOMETRY, AND ULTRASOUND PACHYMETRY WHEN COMPARED WITH THE INDUCED IOP DIFFERENCE. ONE SUBJECT (1.33%) WAS FOUND TO HAVE BASELINE IOP OF MORE THAN 21 MMHG. CONCLUSION: THERE WAS A UNIFORM 2-FOLD INCREASE IN THE IOP DURING SIRSASANA, WHICH WAS MAINTAINED DURING THE POSTURE IN ALL AGE GROUPS IRRESPECTIVE OF THE OCULAR BIOMETRY AND ULTRASOUND PACHYMETRY. WE DID NOT DEMONSTRATE A HIGHER PREVALENCE OF OCULAR HYPERTENSIVES IN THIS COHORT OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS NOR DID THE RISK FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO GLAUCOMA SHOW ANY CORRELATION WITH MAGNITUDE OF IOP RAISE DURING THE POSTURE.	2006	
                                                                                                                                                                                 
4 2656  28 YOGA IMPROVES UPPER-EXTREMITY FUNCTION AND SCAPULAR POSTURING IN PERSONS WITH HYPERKYPHOSIS. OBJECTIVE: HYPERKYPHOSIS (EXCESS THORACIC SPINE CURVATURE) IS ASSOCIATED WITH UPPER-EXTREMITY FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS AND ALTERED SCAPULAR POSTURING. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO QUANTIFY THE CHANGES IN UPPER-EXTREMITY FUNCTION AND SCAPULAR POSTURING FOLLOWING A 6-MONTH YOGAINTERVENTION IN PERSONS WITH HYPERKYPHOSIS. METHODS: TWENTY-ONE OLDER ADULTS WITH HYPERKYPHOSIS (75.5+7.4 YRS) ENROLLED IN THE UCLA YOGA FOR KYPHOSIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, ELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS UNCONTROLLED, PREPOST SUBSTUDY OF UPPER-EXTREMITY FUNCTION. THEY WERE MEASURED AT BASELINE AND AFTER A 24-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. MAXIMUM VERTICAL REACH AND TIMED BOOK TESTS WERE USED TO EVALUATE UPPER-EXTREMITY FUNCTION. SCAPULAR POSTURING WAS QUANTIFIED USING A MOTION ANALYSIS SYSTEM AND DATA WAS OBTAINED UNDER 4 CONDITIONS: 1) QUIET-STANDING, 2) NORMAL WALKING, 3) FAST WALKING, AND 4) SEATED. PAIRED T-TESTS WERE USED TO TEST FOR CHANGES BETWEEN BASELINE AND 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP MEASURES AND COHEN'S D WAS CALCULATED TO EXAMINE EFFECT SIZES. RESULTS: FOLLOWING THE 6-MONTH YOGA INTERVENTION, PARTICIPANTS IMPROVED THEIR BOOK TEST PERFORMANCE BY 26.4% (P < 0.001; D = 1.5). SCAPULAR PROTRACTION DECREASED BY 2.9% DURING THE STATIC-SITTING CONDITION (P < 0.001; D = 0.5) AND THE OVERALL EXCURSION OF THE SCAPULAE DECREASED FOR BOTH FAST (25.0%, P < 0.05; D = 0.6) AND SELF-SELECTED WALKING (29.4%, P < 0.01; D = 0.9). THERE WERE NO CHANGES IN MAXIMUM VERTICAL REACH. CONCLUSION: SUBJECTS DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WITH SMALL TO LARGE EFFECT SIZES IN THE TIMED BOOK TEST AND SCAPULAR POSTURING TO A LESS PROTRACTED POSITION DURING BOTH STATIC AND DYNAMIC CONDITIONS AFTER THE INTERVENTION. THESE ADAPTATIONS ARE LIKELY TO REDUCE THE RISK OF SCAPULAR IMPINGEMENT AND HELP PRESERVE FUNCTIONAL INDEPENDENCE IN OLDER ADULTS.	2012	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
5 1816  15 PROGRESSIVE OPTIC NEUROPATHY IN CONGENITAL GLAUCOMA ASSOCIATED WITH THE SIRSASANA YOGA POSTURE. THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE A CASE OF PROGRESSIVE OPTIC NEUROPATHY IN A PATIENT WITH CONGENITAL GLAUCOMA WHO HAD ROUTINELY PRACTICED THE SIRSASANA (HEADSTAND) YOGA POSTURE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. OPHTHALMIC EXAMINATION INCLUDED BEST-CORRECTED VISUAL ACUITY, ANTERIOR SEGMENT EXAMINATION, INDIRECT OPHTHALMOSCOPY, ULTRASOUND PACHYMETRY FOR CENTRAL CORNEAL THICKNESS, AND INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER MAINTAINING THE SIRSASANA POSTURE FOR 5 MINUTES. INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY DURING THE SIRSASANA POSTURE. TRANSIENT ELEVATION IN INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE DURING YOGA EXERCISES MAY LEAD TO PROGRESSIVE GLAUCOMATOUS OPTIC NEUROPATHY, ESPECIALLY IN SUSCEPTIBLE PATIENTS WITH CONGENITAL GLAUCOMA.	2008	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
6 1813  20 PROGRESSION OF GLAUCOMA ASSOCIATED WITH THE SIRSASANA (HEADSTAND) YOGA POSTURE. THIS ARTICLE REPORTS A CASE OF PROGRESSIVE GLAUCOMATOUS OPTIC NEUROPATHY AND VISUAL FIELD LOSS THAT OCCURRED IN A PATIENT WHO PRACTICED THE SIRSASANA (HEADSTAND) YOGA POSTURE ON A DAILY BASIS FOR MANY YEARS. VISUAL FIELD ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED THROUGH STANDARD AUTOMATED PERIMETRY. INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE (IOP) WAS MEASURED THROUGH PNEUMOTONOMETRY IN THE SITTING POSITION AND IN THE HEAD-DOWN POSITION. STEREO-OPTIC DISC PHOTOGRAPHS WERE OBTAINED. IOP INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE HEAD-DOWN POSITION. OPTIC DISC EVALUATION REVEALED A NEW DISC HEMORRHAGE IN THE LEFT EYE. VISUAL FIELD ANALYSIS OVER A PERIOD OF 2 Y SHOWED PROGRESSION OF A SUPERIOR ARCUATE DEFECT IN THE LEFT EYE. TRANSIENT INCREASES IN IOP ASSOCIATED WITH THE YOGA HEADSTAND POSTURE MAY LEAD TO PROGRESSIVE GLAUCOMATOUS OPTIC NERVE DAMAGE AND VISUAL FIELD LOSS.	2006	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
7 1499  17 INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE RISE IN SUBJECTS WITH AND WITHOUT GLAUCOMA DURING FOUR COMMON YOGA POSITIONS. PURPOSE: TO MEASURE CHANGES IN INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE (IOP) IN ASSOCIATION WITH YOGA EXERCISES WITH A HEAD-DOWN POSITION. METHODS: THE SINGLE CENTER, PROSPECTIVE, OBSERVATIONAL STUDY INCLUDED 10 SUBJECTS WITH PRIMARY OPEN-ANGLE GLAUCOMA AND 10 NORMAL INDIVIDUALS, WHO PERFORMED THE YOGA EXERCISES OF ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA, UTTANASANA, HALASANA AND VIPARITA KARANI FOR TWO MINUTES EACH. IOP WAS MEASURED BY PNEUMATONOMETRY AT BASELINE AND DURING AND AFTER THE EXERCISES. RESULTS: ALL YOGA POSES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH A SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.01) RISE IN IOP WITHIN ONE MINUTE AFTER ASSUMING THE YOGA POSITION. THE HIGHEST IOP INCREASE (P < 0.01) WAS MEASURED IN THE ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA POSITION (IOP INCREASE FROM 17 +/- 3.2 MMHG TO 28 +/- 3.8 MMHG IN GLAUCOMA PATIENTS; FROM 17 +/- 2.8 MMHG TO 29 +/- 3.9 MMHG IN NORMAL INDIVIDUALS), FOLLOWED BY THE UTTANASANA POSITION (17 +/- 3.9 MMHG TO 27 +/- 3.4 MMHG (GLAUCOMA PATIENTS) AND FROM 18 +/- 2.5 MMHG TO 26 +/- 3.6 MMHG NORMAL INDIVIDUALS)), THE HALASANA POSITION (18 +/- 2.8 MMHG TO 24 +/- 3.5 MMHG (GLAUCOMA PATIENTS); 18 +/- 2.7 MMHG TO 22 +/- 3.4 MMHG (NORMAL INDIVIDUALS)), AND FINALLY THE VIPARITA KIRANI POSITION (17 +/- 4 MMHG TO 21 +/- 3.6 MMHG (GLAUCOMA PATIENTS); 17 +/- 2.8 TO 21 +/- 2.4 MMHG (NORMAL INDIVIDUALS)). IOP DROPPED BACK TO BASELINE VALUES WITHIN TWO MINUTES AFTER RETURNING TO A SITTING POSITION. OVERALL, IOP RISE WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN GLAUCOMA AND NORMAL SUBJECTS (P = 0.813), ALL THOUGH GLAUCOMA EYES TENDED TO HAVE MEASUREMENTS 2 MM HG HIGHER ON AVERAGE. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA EXERCISES WITH HEAD-DOWN POSITIONS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH A RAPID RISE IN IOP IN GLAUCOMA AND HEALTHY EYES. IOP RETURNED TO BASELINE VALUES WITHIN 2 MINUTES. FUTURE STUDIES ARE WARRANTED ADDRESSING WHETHER YOGA EXERCISE ASSOCIATED IOP CHANGES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SIMILAR CHANGES IN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID PRESSURE AND WHETHER THEY INCREASE THE RISK OF GLAUCOMA PROGRESSION. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV #NCT01915680.	2015	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
8 2522  20 YOGA DECREASES KYPHOSIS IN SENIOR WOMEN AND MEN WITH ADULT-ONSET HYPERKYPHOSIS: RESULTS OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: TO ASSESS WHETHER A SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED YOGA INTERVENTION CAN REDUCE HYPERKYPHOSIS. DESIGN: A 6-MONTH, TWO-GROUP, RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED, SINGLE-MASKED TRIAL. SETTING: COMMUNITY RESEARCH UNIT. PARTICIPANTS: ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEEN WOMEN AND MEN AGED 60 AND OLDER WITH A KYPHOSIS ANGLE OF 40 DEGREES OR GREATER. MAJOR EXCLUSIONS WERE SERIOUS MEDICAL COMORBIDITY, USE OF ASSISTIVE DEVICE, INABILITY TO HEAR OR SEE ADEQUATELY FOR PARTICIPATION, AND INABILITY TO PASS A PHYSICAL SAFETY SCREEN. INTERVENTION: THE ACTIVE TREATMENT GROUP ATTENDED HOUR-LONG YOGA CLASSES 3 DAYS PER WEEK FOR 24 WEEKS. THE CONTROL GROUP ATTENDED A MONTHLY LUNCHEON AND SEMINAR AND RECEIVED MAILINGS. MEASUREMENTS: PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE CHANGE (BASELINE TO 6 MONTHS) IN DEBRUNNER KYPHOMETER-ASSESSED KYPHOSIS ANGLE, STANDING HEIGHT, TIMED CHAIR STANDS, FUNCTIONAL REACH, AND WALKING SPEED. SECONDARY OUTCOMES WERE CHANGE IN KYPHOSIS INDEX, FLEXICURVE KYPHOSIS ANGLE, RANCHO BERNARDO BLOCKS POSTURE ASSESSMENT, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL). RESULTS: COMPARED WITH CONTROL PARTICIPANTS, PARTICIPANTS RANDOMIZED TO YOGA EXPERIENCED A 4.4% IMPROVEMENT IN FLEXICURVE KYPHOSIS ANGLE (P=.006) AND A 5% IMPROVEMENT IN KYPHOSIS INDEX (P=.004). THE INTERVENTION DID NOT RESULT IN STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN DEBRUNNER KYPHOMETER ANGLE, MEASURED PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE, OR SELF-ASSESSED HRQOL (EACH P>.1). CONCLUSION: THE DECREASE IN FLEXICURVE KYPHOSIS ANGLE IN THE YOGA TREATMENT GROUP SHOWS THAT HYPERKYPHOSIS IS REMEDIABLE, A CRITICAL FIRST STEP IN THE PATHWAY TO TREATING OR PREVENTING THIS CONDITION. LARGER, MORE-DEFINITIVE STUDIES OF YOGA OR OTHER INTERVENTIONS FOR HYPERKYPHOSIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. TARGETING INDIVIDUALS WITH MORE-MALLEABLE SPINES AND USING LONGITUDINALLY PRECISE MEASURES OF KYPHOSIS COULD STRENGTHEN THE TREATMENT EFFECT.	2009	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
9 1948  14 SCAPULAR MUSCLE ACTIVITY DURING STATIC YOGA POSTURES. STUDY DESIGN CONTROLLED, CROSS-SECTIONAL LABORATORY STUDY. BACKGROUND DESPITE THE GROWING POPULARITY OF YOGA, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE MUSCLE ACTIVITY OF THE SCAPULAR STABILIZERS DURING ISOMETRIC YOGA POSTURES AND THEIR POTENTIAL UTILITY IN SHOULDER REHABILITATION. OBJECTIVES TO EXAMINE SCAPULAR STABILIZER MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING VARIOUS YOGA POSTURES. METHODS TWENTY WOMEN WITH YOGA EXPERIENCE AND NO SHOULDER PAIN OR INJURY PARTICIPATED. ELECTROMYOGRAPHY WAS USED TO RECORD THE MUSCLE ACTIVITY OF THE UPPER, MIDDLE, AND LOWER TRAPEZIUS, AS WELL AS OF THE SERRATUS ANTERIOR, DURING 15 YOGA POSTURES. RESULTS MUSCLE ACTIVITY VARIED BETWEEN YOGA POSTURES (3%-57% MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY ISOMETRIC CONTRACTION [MVIC]). OVERALL, THE "LOCUST ARMS FORWARD" POSTURE ELICITED THE HIGHEST ACTIVITY FROM THE UPPER (22.4% MVIC), MIDDLE (41.8% MVIC), AND LOWER (56.8% MVIC) TRAPEZIUS, WHILE SEVERAL POSTURES ELICITED MODERATE ACTIVITY (GREATER THAN 20% MVIC) FROM THE SERRATUS ANTERIOR. CONVERSELY, THE "DANCER'S POSE RIGHT," "REVERSE TABLETOP," AND "WARRIOR II" POSTURES DEMONSTRATED LOW ACTIVITY (LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO 15.7% MVIC) OF THE SCAPULAR STABILIZERS. CONCLUSION STRENGTHENING THE SCAPULAR STABILIZER MUSCLES IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF SHOULDER REHABILITATION. YOGA POSTURES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED THAT ACTIVATE THE SCAPULAR STABILIZER MUSCLES AT VARYING LEVELS OF ACTIVITY. J ORTHOP SPORTS PHYS THER 2018;48(6):504-509. EPUB 6 APR 2018. DOI:10.2519/JOSPT.2018.7311.	2018	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
10  408  22 BIOMECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS ON THE LOWER EXTREMITY OF THREE TYPICAL YOGA MANOEUVRES. THIS STUDY WAS AIMED AT EXPLORING THE BIOMECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LOWER EXTREMITY AMONGST THREE TYPICAL YOGA MANOEUVRES. A TOTAL OF THIRTEEN EXPERIENCED FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE RECRUITED IN THE CURRENT STUDY; THEY WERE ALL CERTIFIED WITH THE YOGA ALLIANCE. A THREE-DIMENSIONAL MOTION CAPTURE SYSTEM WITH 10 CAMERAS COMBINED WITH FOUR SYNCHRONISED FORCE PLATES WAS USED TO COLLECT KINEMATICS OF THE LOWER EXTREMITY AND GROUND REACTIVE FORCE WHILST THE PARTICIPANTS PERFORMED THE CRESCENT LUNGE POSE, WARRIOR II POSE, AND TRIANGLE POSE. ONE-WAY REPEATED ANOVA WAS USED IN EXPLORING THE DIFFERENCES AMONGST THE THREE YOGA MOVEMENTS, AND THE SIGNIFICANCE WAS SET TO ALPHA < 0.05. THE TRIANGLE POSE PERFORMED THE LARGEST RANGE OF MOTION (ROM) OF THE HIP (90.5 DEGREES +/- 22.9 DEGREES ), KNEE (68.8 DEGREES +/- 23.1 DEGREES ), AND ANKLE (46.4 DEGREES +/- 11.3 DEGREES ) IN THE SAGITTAL PLANE AND THE HIP (54.8 DEGREES +/- 6.5 DEGREES ), KNEE (42.4 DEGREES +/- 12.8 DEGREES ), AND ANKLE (4.8 DEGREES +/- 1.7 DEGREES ) IN THE FRONTAL PLANE AMONGST THE THREE MANOEUVRES (P < 0.05). NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND FOR THE HIP AND ANKLE JOINT MOMENT AMONGST THE THREE MANOEUVRES (P > 0.05). KNEE JOINT TRAVELLED INTO 9.5 DEGREES OF EXTENSION AND SLIGHT ADDUCTION OF 1.94 DEGREES WHILST EXPRESSING THE LARGEST KNEE JOINT ADDUCTION MOMENTS (0.30 +/- 0.22 NM/KG) IN THE TRIANGLE POSE. THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE ANGULAR IMPULSE OF THE LOWER LIMB JOINTS INDICATED THAT THE HIP JOINT CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY THE MOST IN THE SAGITTAL AND FRONTAL PLANES OF THE THREE YOGA MANOEUVRES (P < 0.05), RANGING FROM 51.67% TO 70.56%. RESULTS INDICATED THAT TRIANGLE POSE MAY BE SUPERIOR TO THE OTHER TWO MANOEUVRES, WHICH IMPROVED HIP JOINT ROM, STRENGTH, AND DYNAMIC STABILITY. HOWEVER, KNEE INJURIES SUCH AS OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BECAUSE OF THE LARGE KNEE EXTENSOR ANGLE AND ADDUCTOR MOMENTS.	2021	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
11  896  21 EFFECT OF YOGASANA INTERVENTION ON STANDING BALANCE PERFORMANCE AMONG PEOPLE WITH DIABETIC PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: DIABETIC PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY (DPN) IS KNOWN TO CAUSE IMPAIRED BALANCE AND EVENTUALLY INCREASED RISK OF FALL. YOGASANAS CHARACTERIZED BY SLOW, GENTLE TRANSITIONS INTO POSTURES WITH A VARYING BASE OF SUPPORT AND FOCUS ON BODY AWARENESS DURING MOVEMENT HOLD POTENTIAL FOR TRAINING BALANCE CONTROL. THEREFORE, THE CURRENT STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE EFFECT OF STRUCTURED YOGASANA INTERVENTION COMPARED TO CONVENTIONAL BALANCE EXERCISE ON STATIC AND DYNAMIC BALANCE PERFORMANCE AMONG PEOPLE WITH DIABETIC NEUROPATHY. METHODS: : THIRTY-FIVE PEOPLE WITH DPN AGED 42-70 YEARS WERE RECRUITED TO YOGASANA INTERVENTION GROUP (N = 11), CONVENTIONAL BALANCE EXERCISES GROUP (N = 10), AND CONTROL GROUP (N = 14) FOLLOWING ETHICAL APPROVAL. ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE EVALUATED AT BASELINE AND POST 12-WEEK INTERVENTION ON STAR EXCURSION BALANCE TEST, SINGLE-LIMB STANCE TEST, AND CENTER OF PRESSURE (COP) EXCURSION FOR BALANCE PERFORMANCE, MODIFIED FALL EFFICACY SCALE FOR FEAR OF FALLS AND LOWER EXTREMITY STRENGTH USING CHAIR STAND TEST AND STEP-UP TEST. RESULTS: BALANCE PERFORMANCE (STATIC AND DYNAMIC MEASURED BY STAR EXCURSION BALANCE TEST, SINGLE-LIMB STANCE TEST, AND COP EXCURSION, LOWER EXTREMITY STRENGTH (USING CHAIR STAND TEST AND STEP-UP TEST) DEMONSTRATED IMPROVEMENT AND FEAR OF FALL REDUCED AMONG YOGASANA INTERVENTION GROUP (P = 0.05) AND CONVENTIONAL BALANCE EXERCISES GROUP (P = 0.05) POST 12-WEEK INTERVENTION. COP EXCURSION INCREASED IN THE CONTROL GROUP INDICATING DETERIORATION IN BALANCE PERFORMANCE AFTER 12 WEEKS (P = 0.05). POST HOC COMPARISON REVEALED THAT YOGASANA INTERVENTION WAS MARGINALLY MORE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING STATIC AND DYNAMIC BALANCE PERFORMANCE COMPARED TO CONVENTIONAL BALANCE EXERCISES IN ALL VARIABLES OF STANDING BALANCE PERFORMANCE (P = 0.025). CONCLUSION: YOGASANA AND CONVENTIONAL BALANCE EXERCISES WERE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING STATIC AND DYNAMIC BALANCE PERFORMANCE, LOWER EXTREMITY MUSCLE STRENGTH, AND REDUCING FEAR OF FALL AMONG PEOPLE WITH DPN. YOGASANA INTERVENTION DEMONSTRATED MARGINALLY GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN STATIC AND DYNAMIC BALANCE PERFORMANCE AND LOWER EXTREMITY MUSCLE STRENGTH COMPARED TO CONVENTIONAL EXERCISE.	2021	

12  987  27 EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA EXERCISES ON SPINE FLEXIBILITY IN WOMEN OVER 50 YEARS OLD. [PURPOSE] THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ACCESS THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE SPINE IN WOMEN PRACTICING YOGA AS A PART OF THE "UNIVERSITY FOR HEALTH" PROJECT. [SUBJECTS AND METHODS] THE STUDY INCLUDED 56 WOMEN RANGING IN AGE BETWEEN 50-79 AND ATTENDING 90 MINUTES HATHA YOGA SESSIONS ONCE A WEEK. THE MEASUREMENTS WERE PERFORMED TWICE-AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT AND AFTER ITS COMPLETION, I.E., AFTER 20 WEEKS OF CLASSES. THE RANGE OF SPINE MOBILITY IN THREE PLANES WAS MEASURED USING A RIPPSTEIN PLURIMETER. THE RANGE OF MOTION IN THE SAGITTAL AND FRONTAL PLANES WAS MEASURED IN A STANDING POSITION WITH THE FEET HIP-WIDTH APART. THE TORSIONAL RANGE OF MOTION OF THE SUBJECTS WAS MEASURED WITH THE TRUNK BENT AT A RIGHT ANGLE AND THE LEGS APART. THE FLEXIBILITY RANGES OF THE SPINE AND HAMSTRINGS WERE ALSO MEASURED BY THE TOE-TOUCH TEST IN A STANDING POSITION. [RESULTS] THIS STUDY SHOWED THAT THE APPLIED YOGA EXERCISES INCREASED SPINAL MOBILITY AND FLEXIBILITY OF THE HAMSTRING MUSCLES REGARDLESS OF AGE. [CONCLUSION] YOGA EXERCISES SHOULD BE RECOMMENDED TO THE ELDERLY TO MAKE THEIR MUSCLES MORE FLEXIBLE AND TO INCREASE THE RANGE OF MOTION IN THE JOINTS, WHICH IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR IMPROVING THEIR LIFE QUALITY.	2015	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
13 1290  22 GROUND REACTION FORCES GENERATED BY TWENTY-EIGHT HATHA YOGA POSTURES. ADHERENTS CLAIM MANY BENEFITS FROM THE PRACTICE OF YOGA, INCLUDING PROMOTION OF BONE HEALTH AND PREVENTION OF OSTEOPOROSIS. HOWEVER, NO KNOWN STUDIES HAVE INVESTIGATED WHETHER YOGA ENHANCES BONE MINERAL DENSITY. FURTHERMORE, NONE HAVE ESTIMATED REACTION FORCES APPLIED BY YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO COLLECT GROUND REACTION FORCE (GRF) DATA ON A VARIETY OF HATHA YOGA POSTURES THAT WOULD COMMONLY BE PRACTICED IN FITNESS CENTERS OR PRIVATE STUDIOS. TWELVE FEMALE AND EIGHT MALE VOLUNTEERS PERFORMED A SEQUENCE OF 28 HATHA YOGA POSTURES WHILE GRF DATA WERE COLLECTED WITH AN AMTI STRAIN-GAUGE FORCE PLATFORM. THE SEQUENCE WAS REPEATED SIX TIMES BY EACH STUDY SUBJECT. FOUR DEPENDENT VARIABLES WERE STUDIED: PEAK VERTICAL GRF, MEAN VERTICAL GRF, PEAK RESULTANT GRF, AND MEAN RESULTANT GRF. UNIVARIATE ANALYSIS WAS USED TO IDENTIFY MEAN VALUES AND STANDARD DEVIATIONS FOR THE DEPENDENT VARIABLES. PEAK VERTICAL AND RESULTANT VALUES OF EACH POSTURE WERE SIMILAR FOR ALL SUBJECTS, AND STANDARD DEVIATIONS WERE SMALL. SIMILARLY, MEAN VERTICAL AND RESULTANT VALUES WERE SIMILAR FOR ALL SUBJECTS. THIS 28 POSTURE YOGA SEQUENCE PRODUCED LOW IMPACT GRF APPLIED TO UPPER AND LOWER EXTREMITIES. FURTHER RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO DETERMINE WHETHER THESE FORCES ARE SUFFICIENT TO PROMOTE OSTEOGENESIS OR MAINTAIN CURRENT BONE HEALTH IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS.	2012	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
14 1283  22 GLUTEAL MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING COMMON YOGA POSES. BACKGROUND: APPROXIMATELY 24% OF PHYSICAL THERAPISTS REPORT REGULARLY USING YOGA TO STRENGTHEN MAJOR MUSCLE GROUPS. ALTHOUGH CLINICIANS AND ATHLETES OFTEN USE YOGA AS A FORM OF STRENGTH TRAINING, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE ACTIVATION OF SPECIFIC MUSCLE GROUPS DURING YOGA POSES, INCLUDING THE GLUTEUS MAXIMUS AND MEDIUS. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO MEASURE GLUTEUS MAXIMIMUS AND GLUTEUS MEDIUS ACTIVATION VIA ELECTROMYOGRAPHY (EMG) DURING FIVE COMMON YOGA POSES. A SECONDARY PURPOSE OF THE CURRENT STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE DIFFERENCES IN MUSCLE ACTIVATION BETWEEN SEXES AND EXPERIENCE LEVELS. STUDY DESIGN: CROSS-SECTIONAL. METHODS: THIRTY-ONE HEALTHY MALES AND FEMALES AGED 18-35 YEARS WERE TESTED DURING FIVE YOGA POSES PERFORMED IN A RANDOMIZED ORDER. SURFACE EMG ELECTRODES WERE PLACED ON SUBJECTS' RIGHT GLUTEUS MAXIMUS AND GLUTEUS MEDIUS. SUBJECTS PERFORMED THE POSES ON BOTH SIDES FOLLOWING A MAXIMAL VOLUNTARY ISOMETRIC CONTRACTION (MVIC) TEST FOR EACH MUSCLE. ALL YOGA POSE EMG DATA WERE NORMALIZED TO THE CORRESPONDING MUSCLE MVIC DATA. RESULTS: HIGHEST GLUTEUS MAXIMUS ACTIVATION OCCURRED DURING HALF MOON POSE ON THE LIFTED/BACK LEG (63.3% MVIC), FOLLOWED BY THE STANCE/FRONT LEG DURING HALF MOON POSE (61.7%), THEN THE LIFTED/BACK LEG DURING WARRIOR THREE POSE (46.1%). HIGHEST GLUTEUS MEDIUS ACTIVATION OCCURRED DURING HALF MOON POSE ON THE LIFTED/BACK LEG (41.9%), FOLLOWED BY THE LIFTED/BACK LEG DURING THE WARRIOR THREE POSE (41.6%). A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND IN %MVIC OF GLUTEUS MEDIUS ACTIVITY BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE SUBJECTS (P = 0.026), AND BETWEEN EXPERIENCED AND INEXPERIENCED SUBJECTS (P = 0.050), INDICATING HIGHER ACTIVATION AMONG MALES AND INEXPERIENCED SUBJECTS, RESPECTIVELY. CONCLUSION: HALF MOON POSE AND WARRIOR THREE POSE ELICITED THE HIGHEST ACTIVATION FOR BOTH THE GLUTEUS MAXIMUS AND THE GLUTEUS MEDIUS. HIGHER GLUTEUS MEDIUS ACTIVATION WAS SEEN IN MALES AND INEXPERIENCED SUBJECTS COMPARED TO THEIR FEMALE AND EXPERIENCED COUNTERPARTS. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.	2021	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
15 1743  19 PHYSICAL-PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES AND BIOMECHANICAL CORRELATES FROM THE 32-WEEK YOGA EMPOWERS SENIORS STUDY. BACKGROUND. YOGA EMPOWERS SENIORS STUDY (YESS) QUANTIFIED PHYSICAL DEMANDS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PERFORMANCE USING BIOMECHANICAL METHODS. THIS STUDY EVALUATED THE EFFICACY OF THE PROGRAM ON PHYSICAL FUNCTION OUTCOMES. METHODS. TWENTY COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS AGED 70.7 +/- 3.8 YEARS ATTENDED BIWEEKLY 60-MINUTE HATHA YOGA CLASSES FOR 32 WEEKS. FOUR DOMAINS OF THE PHYSICAL MEASUREMENTS INCLUDING (1) FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE, (2) FLEXIBILITY, (3) MUSCLE STRENGTH, AND (4) BALANCE WERE TAKEN AT THE BASELINE, 16-WEEK AND 32-WEEK TIME POINTS. REPEATED-MEASURES ANOVA OMNIBUS TESTS AND TUKEY'S POST HOC TESTS WERE EMPLOYED TO EXAMINE THE DIFFERENCES IN EACH OUTCOME VARIABLE ACROSS THE 3 TIME POINTS. RESULTS. IMPROVED TIMED CHAIR STANDS (P < 0.01), 8-FOOT UP AND GO (P < 0.05), 2-MIN STEP TEST (P < 0.05), AND VERTICAL REACH (P = 0.05) PERFORMANCE WERE EVIDENT. ISOMETRIC KNEE FLEXOR STRENGTH (P < 0.05) AND REPETITIONS OF THE HEEL RISE TEST (P < 0.001) ALSO INCREASED FOLLOWING THE 32-WEEK INTERVENTION. BOTH FLEXIBILITY AND BALANCE PERFORMANCE REMAINED UNCHANGED. CONCLUSIONS. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND MUSCLE-SPECIFIC LOWER-EXTREMITY STRENGTH OCCUR WITH THE REGULAR PRACTICE OF A MODIFIED HATHA YOGA PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR SENIORS. THESE ADAPTATIONS CORRESPONDED WITH THE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED BIOMECHANICAL DEMANDS OF THE POSES.	2016	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
16 1288  29 GREATER CORTICAL THICKNESS IN ELDERLY FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS-A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY. YOGA, A MIND-BODY ACTIVITY THAT REQUIRES ATTENTIONAL ENGAGEMENT, HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH POSITIVE CHANGES IN BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS RELATED TO AWARENESS, ATTENTION, EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS AND MEMORY. NORMAL AGING, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAS ALSO BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL BRAIN CHANGES, BUT THESE GENERALLY INVOLVE DECREASED COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS. THE AIM OF THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY WAS TO COMPARE BRAIN CORTICAL THICKNESS (CT) IN ELDERLY YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND A GROUP OF AGE-MATCHED HEALTHY NON-PRACTITIONERS. WE TESTED 21 OLDER WOMEN WHO HAD PRACTICED HATHA YOGA FOR AT LEAST 8 YEARS AND 21 WOMEN NAIVE TO YOGA, MEDITATION OR ANY MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS WHO WERE MATCHED TO THE FIRST GROUP IN AGE, YEARS OF FORMAL EDUCATION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVEL. A T1-WEIGHTED MPRAGE SEQUENCE WAS ACQUIRED FOR EACH PARTICIPANT. YOGA PRACTITIONERS SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER CT IN A LEFT PREFRONTAL LOBE CLUSTER, WHICH INCLUDED PORTIONS OF THE LATERAL MIDDLE FRONTAL GYRUS, ANTERIOR SUPERIOR FRONTAL GYRUS AND DORSAL SUPERIOR FRONTAL GYRUS. WE FOUND GREATER CT IN THE LEFT PREFRONTAL CORTEX OF HEALTHY ELDERLY WOMEN WHO TRAINED YOGA FOR A MINIMUM OF 8 YEARS COMPARED WITH WOMEN IN THE CONTROL GROUP.	2017	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
17  442  21 CEREBROVASCULAR DYNAMICS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA BREATHING AND BREATH AWARENESS. AIMS: BREATH FREQUENCY CAN ALTER CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW. THE STUDY AIMED TO DETERMINE BILATERAL MIDDLE CEREBRAL ARTERIAL HEMODYNAMICS IN HIGH-FREQUENCY YOGA BREATHING (HFYB) AND SLOW FREQUENCY ALTERNATE NOSTRIL YOGA BREATHING (ANYB) USING TRANSCRANIAL DOPPLER SONOGRAPHY. METHODS: HEALTHY MALE VOLUNTEERS WERE ASSESSED IN TWO SEPARATE TRIALS BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER HFYB (2.0 HZ FOR 1 MIN, N = 16) AND ANYB (12 BREATHS PER MINUTE FOR 5 MIN, N = 22). HFYB AND ANYB WERE SEPARATELY COMPARED TO BREATH AWARENESS (BAW) AND TO CONTROL SESSIONS. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: THE DATA WERE ANALYZED USING REPEATED-MEASURES ANOVA WITH BONFERRONI ADJUSTED POST HOC TESTS. RESULTS: DURING HFYB THERE WAS A DECREASE IN END-DIASTOLIC VELOCITY (EDV) AND MEAN FLOW VELOCITY (MFV) (P < 0.01 FOR LEFT AND P < 0.05 FOR RIGHT MIDDLE CEREBRAL ARTERIES; MCA) WITH AN INCREASE IN PULSATILITY INDEX (PI) FOR THE RIGHT MCA (P < 0.05). DURING ANYB, THERE WAS A BILATERAL DECREASE IN PEAK SYSTOLIC VELOCITY (P < 0.05 FOR LEFT AND P < 0.01 FOR RIGHT MCA), EDV (P < 0.01) AND MFV (P < 0.01 FOR LEFT AND P < 0.001 FOR RIGHT MCA) AND AN INCREASE IN PI (P < 0.01). DURING BAW OF THE TWO SESSIONS THERE WAS A DECREASE IN LATERALIZED FLOW AND END-DIASTOLIC VELOCITIES (P < 0.05) AND AN INCREASE IN PI (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CHANGES IN PEAK FLOW VELOCITIES AND PULSATILITY INDICES DURING AND AFTER HFYB, ANYB, AND BAW SUGGEST DECREASED CEREBROVASCULAR BLOOD FLOW AND INCREASED FLOW RESISTANCE BASED ON DIFFERENT MECHANISMS.	2022	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
18 2328  19 TRUNK AND HIP MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING YOGA POSES: DO SEX-DIFFERENCES EXIST? OBJECTIVE: TO COMPARE CORE ACTIVATION DURING YOGA BETWEEN MALES AND FEMALES. METHODS: SURFACE ELECTROMYOGRAPHY WAS USED TO QUANTIFY RECTUS ABDOMINIS (RA), ABDOMINAL OBLIQUES (AO), LUMBAR EXTENSORS (LE), AND GLUTEUS MAXIMUS (GMX) ACTIVATION DURING FOUR YOGA POSES. DATA WERE EXPRESSED AS 100% OF A MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY ISOMETRIC CONTRACTION. MIXED-MODEL 2X2 ANALYSES OF VARIANCE WITH REPEATED MEASURES WERE USED TO DETERMINE BETWEEN-SEX DIFFERENCES IN MUSCLE ACTIVITY. RESULTS: FEMALES GENERATED GREATER RA ACTIVITY THAN MALES DURING THE HIGH PLANK (P<0.0001) AND DOMINANT-SIDE WARRIOR 1 (P=0.017). THEY GENERATED GREATER AO (P<0.0001) AND GMX (P=0.004) ACTIVITY DURING THE HIGH PLANK (P<0.0001). NO BETWEEN-SEX EMG ACTIVITY DIFFERENCES EXISTED FOR THE CHAIR AND UPWARD FACING DOG. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS HAVE PROVIDED PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE FOR BETWEEN-SEX DIFFERENCES IN MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING YOGA POSES. CLINICIANS SHOULD CONSIDER SUCH DIFFERENCES WHEN PRESCRIBING YOGA TO IMPROVE MUSCLE STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE.	2018	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
19 1693  20 OXYGEN CONSUMPTION DURING VINIYOGA PRACTICE IN ADULTS. CONTEXT: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO MEASURE THE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (VO2) DURING VINIYOGA YOGA MOVEMENTS (ASANAS) AND TO COMPARE VO2 WALKING AMONG ADULTS. METHODS: YOGA PRACTITIONERS (N = 10) WERE RECRUITED TO MEASURE VO2 WHILE AT REST (30 MIN), PRACTICING YOGA (16 MOVEMENTS WITH DIFFERENT VARIATIONS), AND TREADMILL WALKING AT 2 MPH (10 MIN) AND 3 MPH (10 MIN). VO2 WAS MEASURED USING A WHOLE-ROOM INDIRECT CALORIMETRY. EACH YOGA MOVEMENT WAS CATEGORIZED BY BODY ORIENTATION AS STANDING, LYING, AND SITTING. THE DIFFERENCES IN VO2 BETWEEN YOGA AND WALKING WERE EXAMINED USING PEARSON'S CORRELATIONS. DIFFERENCES IN VO2 BETWEEN POSES (STANDING, SITTING, AND LYING) WERE EXAMINED USING LINEAR REGRESSION MODELS. VO2. RESULTS: MEAN YOGA-VO2 FOR THE ENTIRE YOGA SESSION WAS 3.7 (STANDARD DEVIATION [SD] 0.43, RANGE: 4.4-8.9) ML/KG/MIN. YOGA-VO2 VARIED BY BODY ORIENTATION: STANDING = 7.5 (SD = 1.5) ML/KG/MIN, LYING = 5.3 (SD = 1.0) ML/KG/MIN, AND SITTING = 5.4 (SD = 1.1) ML/KG/MIN. AFTER ADJUSTING FOR BODY MASS, FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE, AND RESTING ENERGY EXPENDITURE, FEMALE GENDER WAS NEGATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH MEAN YOGA VO2 FOR STANDING (B = -112.19, P < 0.05), LYING (B = -141.87, P < 0.05), AND SITTING (B = -129.96, P < 0.05). MEAN VO2 FOR WALKING 2 MPH WAS COMPARABLE WITH SITTING (R = 0.836, P < 0.05) AND LYING (R = 0.735, P < 0.05) WHEREAS WALKING AT 3 MPH WAS COMPARABLE WITH STANDING (R = 0.718, P < 0.05) AND SITTING (R = 0.760, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: WE CONCLUDE THAT VO2 DURING YOGA PRACTICE IS COMPARABLE TO VO2 DURING SLOW TREADMILL WALKING AND MAY VARY BASED ON GENDER AND BODY ORIENTATION.	2018	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
20 1641  18 MONITORING THE NEURAL ACTIVITY OF THE STATE OF MENTAL SILENCE WHILE PRACTICING SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION. OBJECTIVE: TO IDENTIFY THE NEURAL CORRELATES OF THE STATE OF MENTAL SILENCE AS EXPERIENCED THROUGH SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION. DESIGN: NINETEEN EXPERIENCED MEDITATORS UNDERWENT FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING DURING THREE SHORT CONSECUTIVE MEDITATION PERIODS, CONTRASTED WITH A CONTROL RELAXATION CONDITION. RESULTS: RELATIVE TO BASELINE, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEDITATION SESSIONS THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OF ACTIVATION IN BILATERAL INFERIOR FRONTAL AND TEMPORAL REGIONS. ACTIVATION BECAME PROGRESSIVELY MORE REDUCED WITH DEEPER MEDITATION STAGES AND IN THE LAST MEDITATION SESSION IT BECAME LOCALIZED TO THE RIGHT INFERIOR FRONTAL CORTEX/ RIGHT INSULA AND RIGHT MIDDLE/SUPERIOR TEMPORAL CORTEX. FURTHERMORE, RIGHT INFERIOR FRONTAL ACTIVATION WAS DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUBJECTIVE DEPTH OF THE MENTAL SILENCE EXPERIENCE. CONCLUSIONS: MEDITATORS APPEAR TO PASS THROUGH AN INITIAL INTENSE NEURAL SELF-CONTROL PROCESS NECESSARY TO SILENCE THEIR MIND. AFTER THIS THEY EXPERIENCE RELATIVELY REDUCED BRAIN ACTIVATION CONCOMITANT WITH THE DEEPENING OF THE STATE OF MENTAL SILENCE OVER RIGHT INFERIOR FRONTAL CORTEX, PROBABLY REFLECTING AN EFFORTLESS PROCESS OF ATTENTIONAL CONTEMPLATION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STATE.	2015