1 2021 89 SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF YOGA AND BALANCE: EFFECT ON ADULTS WITH NEUROMUSCULAR IMPAIRMENT. THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW EXAMINES THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AS A NEUROMUSCULAR INTERVENTION FOR COMMUNITY-DWELLING POPULATIONS AT RISK FOR FALLS TO DETERMINE ITS UTILITY FOR USE IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY INTERVENTION. POPULATIONS INCLUDED OLDER ADULTS AND ADULTS WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI), CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENT (CVA), DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (AD)-TYPE DEMENTIA, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS), AND PARKINSON'S DISEASE (PD). BENEFITS OF YOGA INCLUDE IMPROVED POSTURE CONTROL, IMPROVED FLEXIBILITY OF MIND AND BODY, RELAXATION, AND DECREASED ANXIETY AND STRESS. A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE WAS CONDUCTED TO UNDERSTAND THE SALUTARY BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR CLIENTS WHO ARE AT RISK FOR FALLS BECAUSE OF NEUROMUSCULAR ISSUES. MODERATE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE USE OF YOGA TO DECREASE THE RISK FOR FALLS FOR COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS AND PEOPLE WITH CVA, DEMENTIA AND AD-TYPE DEMENTIA, AND MS. STUDIES INVOLVING PEOPLE WITH TBI AND PD DID NOT INCLUDE STRONG ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A CLEAR CLASSIFICATION. 2019 2 2366 26 WAR-RELATED MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND NEED FOR YOGA INTERVENTION STUDIES: A SCOPING REVIEW. CONFLICTS AND HUMANITARIAN CRISES LEAD TO SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, INCLUDING DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, AND COGNITIVE DECLINE. EXPOSURE TO THESE CIRCUMSTANCES IN EARLY LIFE CAN LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF DISORDERS SUCH AS MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, DEMENTIA, AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (AD), FOR WHICH NO TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE. IN THIS REVIEW, VARIOUS RESEARCH PAPERS HAVE BEEN COMPILED TO DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH OF POPULATION AFFECTED DUE TO WARS AND CONFLICTS AND HOW STRESS AND DEPRESSION CAN ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEMENTIA AND AD. DUE TO FAILURE OF DRUGS IN THE TREATMENT OF DEMENTIA AND AD, YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED APPROACH HAS BEEN PROPOSED FOR FUTURE INVESTIGATIONS. ALTHOUGH STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT YOGA AND MINDFULNESS CAN BE HELPFUL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN THE WAR-AFFLICTED AREAS, LIMITED MECHANISTIC STUDIES IN YOGA AND MINDFULNESS REMAIN THE CHIEF CAUSE PRECLUDING ITS CLINICAL APPLICATION IN SUCH WARZONES. THE MOLECULAR STUDIES IN THE FIELD OF YOGA CAN BE UNDERTAKEN BY TARGETING THESE WARZONES. THIS REVIEW PROVIDES A SCIENTIFIC EVALUATION OF MIND-BODY TECHNIQUES AS A JUSTIFICATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH REHABILITATION IN THE WAR-AFFLICTED ZONES IN FACE OF FAILED CLINICAL TRIALS FOR VARIOUS DRUGS. THIS MAY HELP REDUCE THE RISK OF DEVELOPING DEMENTIA AND AD IN THIS SUSCEPTIBLE POPULATION. 2021 3 1634 20 MODELING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE PROGRESSION OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IN A DISH. ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (AD) ACCOUNTS FOR 80% OF ALL DEMENTIA CASES, MAKING IT THE MOST COMMON FORM OF DEMENTIA. AGING SERVES AS THE MAIN RISK FACTOR FOR AD, BUT EARLY ONSET AD CAN ALSO OCCUR IN INDIVIDUALS YOUNGER THAN 65 YEARS. AD RESULTS FROM PROGRESSIVE NEURODEGENERATION LEADING TO DYSFUNCTIONAL SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION IN THE BRAIN. THE CASCADE HYPOTHESIS OF AD STATES THAT AMYLOID PRECURSOR PROTEIN (APP) METABOLISM BECOMES IMPAIRED EITHER BY MUTATION OR AN INTERLEUKIN-MEDIATED STRESS RESPONSE TO INJURY, RESULTING IN THE SPLICING OF HARMFUL OLIGOMERIC FORMS OF AMYLOID BETA (ABETA). THESE OLIGOMERS DISRUPT EXTRACELLULAR RECEPTOR BINDING, INTRACELLULAR FUNCTION, AND CELLULAR MEMBRANE INTEGRITY. YOGA AND MEDITATIVE PRACTICES SLOW THE PROGRESSION OF THE COGNITIVE DECLINE ASSOCIATED WITH AD. HOWEVER, THE BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THIS THERAPEUTIC EFFECT REMAIN ELUSIVE. HERE, WE INVESTIGATED THE ABILITY OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS RELEASED DURING YOGA AND MEDITATIVE PRACTICES TO RESCUE NEURONS FROM SYNAPTIC DYSFUNCTION IN AN IN VITRO ALZHEIMER'S MODEL CREATED BY CULTURING BASAL FOREBRAIN CHOLINERGIC NEURONS WITH PHYSIOLOGICALLY RELEVANT LEVELS OF THE I-42 ISOFORM OF OLIGOMERIC ABETA (OALPHABETAI-42). WE FOUND THAT THE NEUROTRANSMITTERS DOPAMINE AND HISTAMINE PRODUCE A COOPERATIVE ACTION WITH SEROTONIN TO REVERSE THE LOSS OF CHOLINE ACETYLTRANSFERASE (CHAT) BY OALPHABETAI-42. THE LOSS OF CHAT, THE ENZYME RESPONSIBLE FOR PROCESSING THE CHOLINERGIC NEUROTRANSMITTER ACETYLCHOLINE, CONTRIBUTES TO THE SYNAPTIC DYSFUNCTION EXPERIENCED DURING AD. THESE NEUROTRANSMITTERS INHIBIT NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHESIS CAUSED BY OALPHABETAI-42, PREVENTING OXIDATIVE AND NITROSATIVE STRESS. SEROTONIN ACTIVATES AN ALTERNATE CLEAVAGE OF APP TO PRODUCE A FRAGMENT WITH KNOWN NEUROTROPHIC EFFECTS, GIVING IT THE UNIQUE ABILITY TO INHIBIT THE OALPHABETAI-42 PRODUCTION CYCLE. WE HYPOTHESIZE HERE THAT THESE CONCERTED ACTIONS LEAD TO THE PROTECTION OF CHOLINERGIC SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION IN AD. 2018 4 2277 19 THE ROLES OF EXERCISE AND YOGA IN AMELIORATING DEPRESSION AS A RISK FACTOR FOR COGNITIVE DECLINE. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE NO EFFECTIVE PHARMACEUTICAL TREATMENTS TO REDUCE COGNITIVE DECLINE OR PREVENT DEMENTIA. AT THE SAME TIME, THE GLOBAL POPULATION IS AGING, AND RATES OF DEMENTIA AND MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT (MCI) ARE ON THE RISE. AS SUCH, THERE IS AN INCREASING INTEREST IN COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE INTERVENTIONS TO TREAT OR REDUCE THE RISK OF COGNITIVE DECLINE. DEPRESSION IS ONE POTENTIALLY MODIFIABLE RISK FACTOR FOR COGNITIVE DECLINE AND DEMENTIA. NOTABLY, EXERCISE AND YOGA ARE TWO INTERVENTIONS KNOWN TO BOTH REDUCE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTION. THE CURRENT REVIEW DISCUSSES THE EFFICACY OF EXERCISE AND YOGA TO AMELIORATE DEPRESSION AND THEREBY REDUCE THE RISK OF COGNITIVE DECLINE AND POTENTIALLY PREVENT DEMENTIA. POTENTIAL MECHANISMS OF CHANGE, TREATMENT IMPLICATIONS, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS ARE DISCUSSED. 2016 5 1186 24 EVIDENCE BASED EFFECTS OF YOGA IN NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS. THOUGH YOGA IS ONE OF THE WIDELY USED MIND-BODY MEDICINE FOR HEALTH PROMOTION, DISEASE PREVENTION AND AS A POSSIBLE TREATMENT MODALITY FOR NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS, THERE IS A LACK OF EVIDENCE-BASED REVIEW. HENCE, WE PERFORMED A COMPREHENSIVE SEARCH IN THE PUBMED/MEDLINE ELECTRONIC DATABASE TO REVIEW RELEVANT ARTICLES IN ENGLISH, USING KEYWORDS "YOGA AND NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER, YOGA AND MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, YOGA AND STROKE, YOGA AND EPILEPSY, YOGA AND PARKINSON'S DISEASE, YOGA AND DEMENTIA, YOGA AND CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASE, YOGA AND ALZHEIMER DISEASE, YOGA AND NEUROPATHY, YOGA AND MYELOPATHY, AND YOGA AND GUILLAIN-BARRE SYNDROME". A TOTAL OF 700 ARTICLES PUBLISHED FROM 1963 TO 14TH DECEMBER 2016 WERE AVAILABLE. OF 700 ARTICLES, 94 ARTICLES WERE INCLUDED IN THIS REVIEW. BASED ON THE AVAILABLE LITERATURE, IT COULD BE CONCLUDED THAT YOGA MIGHT BE CONSIDERED AS AN EFFECTIVE ADJUVANT FOR THE PATIENTS WITH VARIOUS NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS. 2017 6 2179 24 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PATIENTS WITH MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AND DEMENTIA: A SCOPING REVIEW. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT MIND BODY PRACTICE. ALTHOUGH YOGA HAS BEEN USED AS A COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH APPROACH FOR ENHANCING WELLNESS AND ADDRESSING A VARIETY OF HEALTH ISSUES, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IN ADULTS WITH MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT (MCI) AND DEMENTIA. WE CONDUCTED A LITERATURE REVIEW TO EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON PERSONS WITH MCI AND DEMENTIA. EIGHT STUDIES WERE IDENTIFIED THAT REPORTED ON YOGA AS EITHER THE PRIMARY INTERVENTION OR ONE COMPONENT OF A MULTI-COMPONENT INTERVENTION IN SAMPLES OF PERSONS WITH MCI OR DEMENTIA. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING, PARTICULARLY ON ATTENTION AND VERBAL MEMORY. FURTHER, YOGA MAY AFFECT COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING THROUGH IMPROVED SLEEP, MOOD, AND NEURAL CONNECTIVITY. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF LIMITATIONS OF THE EXISTING STUDIES, INCLUDING A LACK OF INTERVENTION DETAILS, AS WELL AS VARIABILITY IN THE FREQUENCY/DURATION AND COMPONENTS OF THE YOGA INTERVENTIONS. A FURTHER COMPLICATING ISSUE IS THE ROLE OF VARIOUS UNDERLYING ETIOLOGIES OF COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT. DESPITE THESE LIMITATIONS, PROVIDERS MAY CONSIDER RECOMMENDING YOGA TO PERSONS WITH MCI OR DEMENTIA AS A SAFE AND POTENTIALLY BENEFICIAL COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH APPROACH. 2019 7 2875 21 YOGA-PLUS EXERCISE MIX PROMOTES COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE, AND PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS IN ELDERLY PEOPLE. OBJECTIVES: INCREASED ATTENTION IS BEING PAID TO ASIAN MEDICINE IN BALANCED TOTAL HEALTH CARE. WE INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF MIXED EXERCISE INCLUDING YOGA ('YOGA-PLUS') AMONG ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 385 SUBJECTS (72 MALES AND 313 FEMALES, 75.5 +/- 8.7 YEARS OLD) PARTICIPATED IN A 12-MONTH (M) EXERCISE PROGRAM AT A HEALTH AND WELFARE CENTER, A DAY SERVICE CENTER, AND A NURSING HOME. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE, AND PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS, AND ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING (ADL), WERE COMPARED AT BASELINE (0M), 6M AND 12M OF EXERCISE INTERVENTION. RESULTS: MEAN SCORES ON THE FRONTAL ASSESSMENT BATTERY, CLOCK DRAWING TEST, CUBE COPYING TEST, LETTER FLUENCY, AND CATEGORY FLUENCY SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED AFTER THE YOGA-PLUS INTERVENTION, WHILE MINI-MENTAL STATE EXAMINATION, HASEGAWA DEMENTIA SCORE-REVISED, AND TRAIL-MAKING TEST PERFORMANCE WERE RELATIVELY STABLE. AFFECTIVE SCORES ON THE GERIATRIC DEPRESSION SCALE (GDS), APATHY SCALE (AS) AND ABE'S BEHAVIORAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF DEMENTIA WERE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED BY EXERCISE THERAPY, BUT SUBGROUPS WITH HIGHER BASELINE GDS (GDS >/= 5) AND AS (AS >/= 16) SCORES SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT AFTER INTERVENTION. ONE-LEG STANDING TIME AND 3-M TIMED UP AND GO TEST PERFORMANCE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED AFTER 12M INTERVENTION. DISCUSSION: YOGA-PLUS IMPROVED COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE, ADL, AND PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS IN A LOCAL ELDERLY POPULATION, PARTICULARLY AMONG BELOW-BASELINE INDIVIDUALS, INDICATING THE BENEFITS OF DEMENTIA PREVENTION AMONG ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS. 2019 8 921 23 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA AS THE PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTION MODULE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES AND DIABETES ASSOCIATED DEMENTIA IN SOUTH EAST ASIA: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. BACKGROUND: DIABETES MELLITUS (DM) IS WIDELY SPREAD IN SOUTH ASIAN (ASEAN) AND INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT. THE INCREASING HEALTHCARE COSTS OF DM CAN BE PREVENTED IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD BY IMPROVED PUBLIC HEALTHCARE INTERVENTIONS. MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS OF DM LIKE SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE, OBESITY, AND STRESSFUL CONDITIONS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ITS PROGRESSION; HOWEVER, THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL DATA COLLECTED BY PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS ARE LIMITED. SUMMARY: A REVIEW OF PUBLISHED LITERATURE DESCRIBING GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF DM AND ASSOCIATED DEMENTIA IN SOUTH ASIAN REGION, PARTICULARLY INDIA, WAS CONDUCTED WITH THE PURPOSE OF ASSESSING THE FEASIBILITY AND CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE YOGA-BASED RISK REDUCTION. PUBMED AND GOOGLE SCHOLAR DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR DM AND DEMENTIA-RELATED ARTICLES BY USING A COMBINATION OF KEYWORDS: DIABETES, DIABETES RELATED DEMENTIA SOUTHEAST ASIA, PRE-DIABETES, YOGA, LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION, DEMENTIA AND EXERCISE. THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL DATA GENERATED FROM THESE DISEASES HAVE NOT PROMPTED TO ANY MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH POLICIES. YOGA CAN BE A COST-EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR THE PREVENTION OF TYPE 2 DM (T2DM) AND ITS ASSOCIATED COGNITIVE DECLINE WHEN DETECTED EARLY. IF NATIONWIDE INTERVENTION OF YOGA IS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE STATE, ITS INTEGRATION IN HEALTH CARE WILL BECOME MORE MEANINGFUL AND ACCEPTABLE. KEY MESSAGE: STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND CHANGE IN LIFESTYLE CAN MODIFY THE HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH T2DM AND ASSOCIATED DEMENTIA IF IT IS MAINSTREAMED WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVE OF AYUSHMAN BHARAT SCHEME. 2020 9 2297 14 THERAPEUTIC ROLE OF YOGA IN NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS. YOGA IS CONSIDERED A WIDELY-USED APPROACH FOR HEALTH CONSERVATION AND CAN BE ADOPTED AS A TREATMENT MODALITY FOR A PLETHORA OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS. HENCE, WE REVIEWED RELEVANT ARTICLES ENTAILING VARIOUS NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS AND GATHERED DATA ON HOW YOGA EXERTS POSITIVE IMPACTS ON PATIENTS WITH A DIVERSE RANGE OF DISORDERS, INCLUDING ITS MODULATORY EFFECTS ON BRAIN BIOELECTRICAL ACTIVITIES, NEUROTRANSMITTERS, AND SYNAPTIC PLASTICITY. THE ROLE OF YOGA PRACTICE AS AN ELEMENT OF THE TREATMENT OF SEVERAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL DISEASES WAS EVALUATED BASED ON THESE FINDINGS. 2021 10 335 18 APPLYING THE S-ART FRAMEWORK TO YOGA: EXPLORING THE SELF-REGULATORY ACTION OF YOGA PRACTICE IN TWO CULTURALLY DIVERSE SAMPLES. MINDFULNESS PRACTICES FORM THE CORE OF NUMEROUS THERAPEUTIC PROGRAMS AND INTERVENTIONS FOR STRESS REDUCTION AND THE TREATMENT OF DIFFERENT HEALTH CONDITIONS RELATED TO STRESS AND LIFE HABITS. WAYS AND MEANS TO REGULATE ONESELF EFFECTIVELY ALSO FORM THE FOUNDATION OF THE PATH OF YOGA IN THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. THE SELF-AWARENESS, SELF-REGULATION, AND SELF-TRANSCENDENCE (S-ART) MODEL CAN BE CONSIDERED AS AN OVERARCHING NEUROBIOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK TO EXPLAIN THE SELF-REGULATORY MECHANISMS OF WELL-BEING PRESENT IN MINDFULNESS-BASED PRACTICES. THE CURRENT STUDY, BY CONNECTING AND APPLYING THE S-ART FRAMEWORK TO THE SELF-REGULATORY MECHANISMS IN YOGA AND GENERATING RELATED HYPOTHESES, PROVIDES A THEORY-LED EXPLANATION OF THE ACTION OF YOGA PRACTICES, WHICH IS SPARSE IN THE LITERATURE. TESTING THE S-ART MODEL IN YOGA IN TWO CULTURALLY DIVERSE SAMPLES, ASSESSING THE MODEL-MAPPED PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF ACTION, AND EXPLORING THE INFLUENCE OF PERSEVERANCE IN YOGA PRACTICE ARE THE ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF THIS STUDY. THE STUDY SAMPLE COMPRISED 362 YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND NON-PRACTITIONERS (197 INDIAN AND 165 SPANISH), WHO COMPLETED FOUR TESTS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES INDICATIVE OF THE AFOREMENTIONED THREE S-ART ABILITIES. THESE TESTS WERE MULTIDIMENSIONAL ASSESSMENT OF INTEROCEPTIVE AWARENESS (MAIA), EXPERIENCES QUESTIONNAIRE-DECENTERING (EQ-D) SUBSCALE, DIFFICULTIES IN EMOTION REGULATION SCALE (DERS), AND RELATIONAL COMPASSION SCALE (RCS). THE RESULTS INDICATED SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER SELF-AWARENESS AND SELF-REGULATORY ABILITIES IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS (INDIAN AND SPANISH IN A COMBINATION) THAN NON-PRACTITIONERS, REFLECTED IN HIGHER LEVELS OF INTEROCEPTIVE AWARENESS AND DECENTERING ABILITIES. MOREOVER, PERSEVERANCE IN YOGA PRACTICE ACTED AS A SIGNIFICANT PREDICTOR OF SELF-AWARENESS AND SELF-REGULATION IN PRACTITIONERS. AN ANALYSIS OF EACH CULTURAL SAMPLE REVEALED SOME DIFFERENCES. YOGA PRACTICE AND PERSEVERANCE IN IT ACTED AS A SIGNIFICANT PREDICTOR OF INTEROCEPTIVE AWARENESS AND DECENTERING IN INDIAN PRACTITIONERS HAVING MORE THAN 1 YEAR OF SUSTAINED YOGA PRACTICE, BUT FOR THE SPANISH PARTICIPANTS, PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE ACTED AS BETTER PREDICTORS OF INTEROCEPTIVE AWARENESS AND DECENTERING IN COMPARISON TO YOGA PRACTICE AND PERSEVERANCE IN IT. THE OBTAINED RESULTS SUGGESTED THAT THE S-ART MODEL PROVIDED PRELIMINARY BUT PROMISING EVIDENCE FOR THE SELF-REGULATORY MECHANISMS OF ACTION IN YOGA PRACTICE WITHIN A CULTURALLY DIVERSE SAMPLE OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THIS STUDY ALSO WIDENS THE SCOPE OF GENERATING FURTHER HYPOTHESES USING THE S-ART THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR TESTING THE SELF-REGULATORY MECHANISMS OF ACTION IN YOGA PRACTICE. 2021 11 539 23 COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES IN PARKINSON DISEASE: A REVIEW OF ACUPUNCTURE, TAI CHI, QI GONG, YOGA, AND CANNABIS. PARKINSON DISEASE (PD) IS A PROGRESSIVE NEURODEGENERATIVE CONDITION CHARACTERIZED BY BRADYKINESIA, RIGIDITY, RESTING TREMOR, AND POSTURAL INSTABILITY. NON-MOTOR SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING PAIN, FATIGUE, INSOMNIA, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION TO NAME A FEW, ARE INCREASINGLY RECOGNIZED AND OFTEN JUST AS DISABLING AT MOTOR SYMPTOMS. THE MAINSTAY OF TREATMENT IS DOPAMINE REPLACEMENT; HOWEVER, THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS TEND TO WANE OVER TIME WITH DISEASE PROGRESSION, AND PATIENTS OFTEN EXPERIENCE MOTOR FLUCTUATIONS AND MEDICATION SIDE EFFECTS. THE LACK OF A DISEASE-MODIFYING INTERVENTION AND THE SHORTCOMINGS OF TRADITIONAL SYMPTOMATIC MEDICATIONS HAVE LED MANY PATIENTS TO PURSUE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES TO ALLEVIATE MOTOR AND NON-MOTOR SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH PD. THE TERM COMPLEMENTARY IMPLIES THAT THE THERAPY IS USED ALONG WITH CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE AND MAY INCLUDE SUPPLEMENTS, MANIPULATIVE TREATMENTS (CHIROPRACTIC, MASSAGE), EXERCISE-BASED PROGRAMS, AND MIND-BODY PRACTICES. AS THESE PRACTICES BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD IN WESTERN MEDICINE, THERE IS A GROWING INTEREST IN EVALUATING THEIR EFFECTS ON A NUMBER OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS, PD INCLUDED. IN THIS REVIEW, WE PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON CLINICAL TRIALS THAT HAVE EVALUATED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENTS FOR PATIENTS WITH PD, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING ON ACUPUNCTURE, TAI CHI, QI GONG, YOGA, AND CANNABIS. 2020 12 2282 30 THE THERAPEUTIC VALUE OF YOGA IN NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS. BACKGROUND: THE ANCIENT MIND AND BODY HEALING METHODS OF YOGA RECENTLY SPARKED FERVOR IN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY AS AN ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEANS OF THERAPY. SINCE THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION OFFICIALLY BEGAN PROMOTING YOGA IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN 1978, YOGA HAS BEEN CITED FOR ITS THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL AND HAS BEEN WIDELY RECOGNIZED IN WESTERN CULTURE. HOWEVER, AS AN INCREASING NUMBER OF PEOPLE PRACTICE YOGA FOR REMEDIAL PURPOSES, RESEARCHERS RAISE TWO IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: 1) IS YOGA A VALID COMPLEMENTARY MANAGEMENT AND REHABILITATION TREATMENT MODALITY? 2) WHAT CONDITIONS SHOW PROMISE OF TREATMENT WITH THIS INTERVENTION?. OBJECTIVE: THIS REVIEW ARTICLE USES COMPREHENSIVE SCIENTIFIC, EVIDENCE-BASED STUDIES TO ANALYZE THE EFFICACY OF VARIOUS BASIC AND APPLIED ASPECTS OF YOGA IN DISEASE PREVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION. IT SPECIFICALLY INTENDS TO EXPOSE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS, PARTICULARLY EPILEPSY, STROKE, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASE, AND FIBROMYALGIA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: INFORMATION WAS GATHERED FROM VARIOUS RESOURCES INCLUDING PUBMED, OVID, MD-CONSULT, USC, AND U.C.L.A. LIBRARIES. STUDIES WERE SELECTED AND REVIEWED ON THE BASIS OF SAMPLE SIZE, CONTROL, RANDOMIZATION, DOUBLE-BLINDING, AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF RESULTS. RESULTS: THE PRATICE OF YOGA AND MEDITATION DEMONSTRATES STATISTICALLY ENCOURAGING PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE AFOREMENTIONED NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS. HOWEVER, THERE WERE CERTAIN FLAWS AND INADEQUACIES IN THE STUDY DESIGNS EMPLOYED TO EVALUATE THE SAME. A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THESE STUDIES IS PRESENTED. CONCLUSIONS: WITH THE AIM TO FOCUS ATTENTION ON THIS WIDESPREAD YET LARGELY UNEXAMINED TREATMENT MODALITY, THIS PAPER SEEKS TO PROVIDE DIRECTION AND SUPPORT FOR FURTHER RESEARCH NECESSARY TO VALIDATE YOGA AS AN INTEGRATIVE, ALTERNATIVE, AND COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY. 2012 13 2608 14 YOGA FOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: FROM FAD TO EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION? THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE FOR YOGA'S NEUROBIOLOGICAL EFFECTS IN PEOPLE WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. POSTULATED MECHANISMS OF ACTION INCLUDE: (A) MODULATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL (HPA) AXIS; (B) ENHANCEMENT OF GABAERGIC NEUROTRANSMISSION; (C) AUTONOMIC MODULATION; AND (D) NEUROENDOCRINOLOGICAL EFFECTS. YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS APPEARS PROMISING AND MERITS FURTHER ATTENTION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE AND RESEARCH. 2020 14 1857 23 RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL OF YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION IN RESIDENTS FROM ELDERLY HOMES: EFFECTS ON COGNITIVE FUNCTION. CONTEXT: ELDERLY HAVE INCREASED RISK FOR COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AND DEMENTIA. YOGA THERAPY MAY BE HELPFUL IN ELDERLY TO IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTION. AIMS: WE EXAMINED THE BENEFITS OF YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION COMPARED WITH WAITLIST CONTROL GROUP ON COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN THE RESIDENTS OF ELDERLY HOMES. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: SINGLE BLIND CONTROLLED STUDY WITH BLOCK RANDOMIZATION OF ELDERLY HOMES. MATERIALS AND METHODS: STUDY SAMPLE INCLUDED YOGA GROUP (N=62) AND WAITLIST GROUP (N=58). A TOTAL OF 87 SUBJECTS (YOGA=44, WAITLIST=43) COMPLETED THE STUDY PERIOD OF 6 MONTHS. YOGA GROUP RECEIVED DAILY YOGA SESSIONS FOR 1 MONTH, WEEKLY UNTIL 3(RD) MONTH AND ENCOURAGED TO CONTINUE UNSUPERVISED UNTIL 6 MONTHS. THEY WERE ASSESSED ON REY'S AUDITORY VERBAL LEARNING TEST (RAVLT), REY'S COMPLEX FIGURE TEST (CFT), WECHSLER'S MEMORY SCALE (WMS)-DIGIT AND SPATIAL SPAN, CONTROLLED ORAL WORD ASSOCIATION (COWA) TEST, STROOP COLOR WORD INTERFERENCE TEST AND TRAIL MAKING TEST A AND B AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF 6(TH) MONTH. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: PAIRED T-TEST AND ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE (ANCOVA) TO COMPARE THE DIFFERENCE IN NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TEST SCORES. RESULTS: YOGA GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN IMMEDIATE AND DELAYED RECALL OF VERBAL (RAVLT) AND VISUAL MEMORY (CFT), ATTENTION AND WORKING MEMORY (WMS-SPATIAL SPAN), VERBAL FLUENCY (COWA), EXECUTIVE FUNCTION (STROOP INTERFERENCE) AND PROCESSING SPEED (TRAIL MAKING TEST-A) THAN WAITLIST GROUP AT THE END OF 6 MONTHS AFTER CORRECTING FOR CORRESPONDING BASELINE SCORE AND EDUCATION. CONCLUSION: YOGA BASED-INTERVENTION APPEARS BENEFICIAL TO IMPROVE SEVERAL DOMAINS OF COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN ELDERLY LIVING IN RESIDENTIAL CARE HOMES. STUDY FINDINGS NEED TO BE INTERPRETED AFTER CONSIDERING METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS LIKE LACK OF ACTIVE COMPARISON GROUP. 2013 15 422 18 BRIDGING THE SCHISM OF SCHIZOPHRENIA THROUGH YOGA-REVIEW OF PUTATIVE MECHANISMS. SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS EXPERIENCE A 'DISCONNECT' AT MULTIPLE LEVELS-NEURONAL NETWORKS, MENTAL PROCESSES, AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. THE RESULTANT POOR QUALITY-OF-LIFE AND FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY ARE RELATED TO THE PERSISTENT COGNITIVE DEFICITS AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS, WHICH ARE RATHER RESISTANT TO CONVENTIONAL ANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS. YOGA HAS EMERGED AS AN IMPORTANT THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE QUALITY-OF-LIFE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. RECENT PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT EFFECTS OF YOGA ON COGNITIVE AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS MAY DRIVE THIS BENEFIT. THIS STUDY ATTEMPTS TO INTEGRATE EVIDENCE FROM NEUROSCIENCE-BASED RESEARCH, WHICH FOCUSES ON THE NEUROPLASTICITY-HARNESSING EFFECTS OF YOGA TO BRIDGE THE SCHIZOPHRENIA CONNECTOPATHY. IN AN OVERARCHING MODEL TO STUDY PUTATIVE NEUROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS THAT DRIVE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA, IT IS PROPOSED THAT (A) VARIOUS STYLES OF MEDITATION MAY HELP IN STRENGTHENING THE LATERAL AND MEDIAL PREFRONTAL BRAIN NETWORKS, THUS IMPROVING NEUROCOGNITION AND MENTALIZING ABILITIES, AND (B) LEARNING AND PERFORMING CO-ORDINATED PHYSICAL POSTURES WITH A TEACHER FACILITATES IMITATION AND THE PROCESS OF BEING IMITATED, WHICH CAN IMPROVE SOCIAL COGNITION AND EMPATHY THROUGH REINFORCEMENT OF THE PREMOTOR AND PARIETAL MIRROR NEURON SYSTEM. OXYTOCIN MAY PLAY A ROLE IN MEDIATING THESE PROCESSES, LEADING TO BETTER SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS AND SOCIAL OUTCOMES. CLINICAL AND HEURISTIC IMPLICATIONS OF THIS MODEL ARE FURTHER DISCUSSED. 2016 16 1110 26 EFFECTS OF YOGA-RELATED MIND-BODY THERAPIES ON COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN OLDER ADULTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WITH META-ANALYSIS. OBJECTIVES: CONSIDERING DEMENTIA HAS NO DEFINITE CURATIVE INTERVENTION AVAILABLE THROUGH MODERN MEDICAL MANAGEMENT, ALTERNATIVE THERAPEUTIC SYMPTOMATIC INTERVENTIONS ARE NEEDED URGENTLY. THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WITH META-ANALYSIS EVALUATED WHETHER YOGA-RELATED PRACTICES, AS A PREVENTIVE MIND-BODY THERAPY, IS EFFECTIVE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF COGNITIVE DECLINE IN OLDER ADULTS. METHODS: SEVEN ELECTRONIC DATABASES (ABSTRACTS IN SOCIAL GERONTOLOGY, AGE LINE, CINAHL, PSYCINFO, PUBMED, SCOPUS, AND WEB OF SCIENCE) WERE SEARCHED USING SPECIFIED INCLUSION CRITERIA TO IDENTIFY ORIGINAL STUDIES THAT INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA-RELATED MIND-BODY THERAPIES ON COGNITIVE FUNCTION, IN THE CONTEXT OF AGING. A META-ANALYSIS WAS ALSO CARRIED OUT CALCULATING THE OVERALL EFFECT SIZES, EXPRESSED AS STANDARDIZED MEAN DIFFERENCES (I.E., D). RESULTS: TWELVE STUDIES, INCLUDING 912 PARTICIPANTS (73.9% FEMALE; 239 WITH AND 673 WITHOUT COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT) WERE SELECTED FOR THIS REVIEW; ELEVEN WERE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. ONE STUDY HAD A HIGH RISK OF BIAS AND WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE META-ANALYSIS. STUDIES INVOLVED A WIDE VARIETY OF YOGA PRACTICES WITH A COMMON FOCUS ON MEDITATIVE POSTURAL EXERCISES. RESULTS REVEALED SIGNIFICANT BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON MEMORY (COHEN'S D = 0.38), EXECUTIVE FUNCTION (COHEN'S D = 0.40), AND ATTENTION AND PROCESSING SPEED (COHEN'S D = 0.33). NO ADVERSE EFFECTS WERE REPORTED. DISCUSSION: YOGA-RELATED MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS FOR OLDER ADULTS APPEAR TO BE SAFE, FEASIBLE, AND EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE PRACTICE FOR MAINTENANCE OF COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS BOTH IN AGE- AND DISEASE-RELATED COGNITIVE DECLINE. PRACTICING YOGA CAN BE A USEFUL PART OF DAILY ROUTINE TO MAINTAIN COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN OLDER ADULTHOOD. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH WERE DISCUSSED. 2021 17 2910 16 [PREVENTIVE AND CURATIVE VALUE OF YOGA IN CARDIOMETABOLIC DISEASES]. YOGA AND OTHER BODY-MIND TECHNIQUES ENJOY AN INCREASING POPULARITY IN MANY FIELDS OF HEALTH MAINTAINING PRACTICES, IN PREVENTION OF SOME ILLNESSES AND IN CURATIVE MEDICINE IN SPITE OF OUR INCOMPLETE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ITS APPLICABILITY AND EFFECTS. THERE ARE LARGE DIFFERENCES AMONG THE VARIOUS YOGA-SCHOOLS AND THE HETEROGENEITY OF INDICATIONS ETC. IN THIS ARTICLE A BUCKET OF RECENT INFORMATION IS OFFERED FOR THE INQUIRERS ON THE POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES OF YOGA (DIET, MIND-EXERCISES, ASANAS, PRANAYAMAS) FOR DECREASING CARDIO-METABOLIC RISK FACTORS, STABILIZING MENTAL HEALTH, AND ITS ADDICTIVE USE IN CURATIVE MEDICINE. FEW ADVERSE SIDE-EFFECTS MAY OCCUR ONLY IN THE CASE OF MISAPPLICATION. ITS ADVANTAGES ARE LOW COSTS, AVAILABILITY FOR BROAD POPULATION, AND VERY FEW CONTRAINDICATIONS. DISADVANTAGES INCLUDE DIFFERENCES IN THE ABILITY OF YOGA INSTRUCTORS AND IN YOGA PRACTICES. 2016 18 406 27 BIOLOGICAL MARKERS FOR THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. FROM THE LAST FEW DECADES, THERE ARE INCREASING INCIDENCES OF DISORDERS LIKE PREMATURE AGING, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, FIBROMYALGIA, AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IN ADDITION TO MEDICATION, RESEARCHERS HAVE FOUND THAT YOGA, A MIND-BODY THERAPY, CAN BE USED AS AN ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. YOGA COMBINES SPECIFIC PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING TECHNIQUES, RELAXATION AND MEDITATION THAT IMPROVE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OF THE BODY. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW IS TO COLLATE THE RESEARCH EVIDENCES CLAIMING HEALTH BENEFITS OF PERFORMING TRADITIONAL YOGIC PRACTICES. WHAT ARE THE BIOLOGICAL AND OTHER RELIABLE INDICATORS TO SUGGEST THAT DOING ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, AND MEDITATION COULD REDUCE OR TREAT WIDE RANGE OF LIFE STYLE DISORDERS ARE DISCUSSED. IMPORTANTLY, THESE INDICATORS ARE OTHERWISE USED TO ASSESS THE SEVERITY OF DISORDERS. IN MANY OF THE STUDY IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT YOGA IMPROVES THE REDOX HEALTH OF BODY WHOSE IMBALANCE HAS BEEN WELL PROVEN TO CAUSE MANY HEALTH COMPLICATIONS. THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES HAVE REVEALED THAT IT REVERSES MEMORY LOSS, REDUCE ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND STRESS, THE BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS OF DISEASE. HOWEVER, MOST STUDIES HAVE SEVERAL LIMITATIONS AND THEREFORE FURTHER RESEARCH INTO YOGA IS NEEDED TO VALIDATE THESE FINDINGS. 2019 19 2580 25 YOGA FOR HEALTHY AGING: SCIENCE OR HYPE? YOGA, ONE OF THE WORLD'S OLDEST HEALTH SYSTEMS IS RECEIVING NEW ATTENTION FOR CLAIMS THAT IT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO HEALTHY AGING. UNTIL RECENTLY, SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR ITS EFFICACY HAS RELIED HEAVILY ON SMALL AND POORLY-DESIGNED RESEARCH, BUT THIS IS CHANGING. MULTIPLE, WELL-DESIGNED STUDIES PROVIDE DATA SHOWING THAT YOGA PRACTICE HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON CELLULAR AGING, MOBILITY, BALANCE, MENTAL HEALTH, AND PREVENTION OF COGNITIVE DECLINE-ALL AREAS OF CONCERN FOR OLDER ADULTS. SINCE THE COST OF IMPLEMENTING YOGA-BASED COMMUNITY AND HOME-BASED INTERVENTIONS IS LOW-POLICYMAKERS ARE ALSO EYEING YOGA PRACTICE AS A COST-EFFECTIVE WAY TO REDUCE MEDICAL COSTS AND IMPROVE OUTCOMES AMONG A GROWING AGING POPULATION. THIS COMMENTARY REVIEWS THE EVIDENCE FOR BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS FROM YOGA, AS WELL AS CONCERNS ABOUT INJURIES THAT HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH CERTAIN TYPES OF YOGA PRACTICE. IT REVEALS A SURPRISING RANGE OF YOGA PROGRAMS AND DIFFICULTY LEVELS THAT PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALMOST ANYONE TO PARTICIPATE AND GAIN HEALTH BENEFITS WITH PRACTICE. 2021 20 2460 27 YOGA AS A METHOD OF SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) IS AN IMMUNE-MEDIATED PROCESS IN WHICH THE BODY'S IMMUNE SYSTEM DAMAGES MYELIN IN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS). THE ONSET OF THIS DISORDER TYPICALLY OCCURS IN YOUNG ADULTS, AND IT IS MORE COMMON AMONG WOMEN. CURRENTLY, THERE IS NO CURE AND THE LONG-TERM DISEASE PROGRESSION MAKES SYMPTOMATIC MANAGEMENT CRITICAL FOR MAINTAINING QUALITY OF LIFE. SEVERAL PHARMACOTHERAPEUTIC AGENTS ARE APPROVED FOR TREATMENT, BUT MANY PATIENTS SEEK COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE INTERVENTIONS. REVIEWS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED REGARDING BROAD TOPICS SUCH AS MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR PEOPLE DIAGNOSED WITH MS AND THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON A RANGE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PRESENT REVIEW IS TO EXAMINE THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MS AND ADDRESS ITS USE IN MANAGING SYMPTOMS INCLUDING PAIN, MENTAL HEALTH, FATIGUE, SPASTICITY, BALANCE, BLADDER CONTROL, AND SEXUAL FUNCTION. 2015