1 2792 111 YOGA THERAPY FOR DEVELOPING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN MID-LIFE MANAGERS. BACKGROUND: BUSINESS EXECUTIVES' LIVES HAVE BECOME A NEVER-ENDING RACE AGAINST TIME, TECHNOLOGY, AND TARGETS. THIS RACE CREATES TENSION, WHICH LEADS TO DISSATISFACTION AND FRUSTRATION AND EVENTUALLY MANIFESTS ITSELF AS PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS WITH MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL DRAIN. THIS MODERN LIFESTYLE INTENSIFIES THE STRESS LEADING TO "EXCESSIVE TENSION" AND CONSEQUENT DETERIORATION IN "EXECUTIVE EFFICIENCY". OBJECTIVE: TO ASSESS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENT QUOTIENT (EQ) IN MANAGERS UNDERGOING YOGA-BASED SELF MANAGEMENT OF EXCESSIVE TENSION (SMET) PROGRAM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 72 MANAGERS PARTICIPATED IN THIS STUDY WHICH IS OF "SINGLE GROUP PRE-POST DESIGN." THE EQ TEST DEVELOPED BY PROF N. K. CHADHA FROM UNIVERSITY OF DELHI WAS ADMINISTERED AS PRE AND POST THE 5 DAYS OF SMET PROGRAM. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: MEANS, STANDARD DEVIATIONS, KOLMOGOROV-SMIRNOV TEST, AND WILCOXON SIGNED RANK TEST WERE USED TO ANALYZE THE DATA. RESULTS: THE DATA ANALYSIS SHOWED 72.02% SIGNIFICANT INCREASE (P<0.001) IN EQ. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT PARTICIPATION IN A SMET PROGRAM WAS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVEMENT IN EQ AND MAY HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR "EXECUTIVE EFFICIENCY." 2011 2 1478 78 INTEGRATED YOGA THERAPY FOR IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH IN MANAGERS. BACKGROUND: MANAGERS' LIVES HAVE BECOME A NEVER-ENDING RACE AGAINST TIME, TECHNOLOGY, AND TARGETS. THIS RACE CREATES TENSION, WHICH LEADS TO DISSATISFACTION AND FRUSTRATION AND EVENTUALLY MANIFESTS ITSELF AS PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS WITH MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL DRAIN. THIS MODERN LIFESTYLE INTENSIFIES THE STRESS LEADING TO "EXCESSIVE TENSION" AND CONSEQUENT DETERIORATION IN "EXECUTIVE EFFICIENCY." OBJECTIVE: TO ASSESS MENTAL HEALTH IN MANAGERS UNDERGOING YOGA-BASED SELF-MANAGEMENT OF EXCESSIVE TENSION (SMET) PROGRAM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 72 MANAGERS WITH 48.75+/-3.86 YEARS OF MEAN AGE WERE PARTICIPATED IN THIS STUDY OF SINGLE GROUP PRE-POST DESIGN. THE GENERAL HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE DATA WERE TAKEN ON THE FIRST AND SIXTH DAY OF 5 DAYS SMET PROGRAM. RESULTS: THE DATA ANALYSIS SHOWED 68.25% DECREASE (P<0.001) IN SOMATIC SYMPTOMS, 66.29% DECREASE (P<0.001) IN ANXIETY AND INSOMNIA, 65.00% DECREASE (P<0.001) IN SOCIAL DYSFUNCTION, 87.08% DECREASE (P<0.001) IN SEVERE DEPRESSION, AND 71.47% DECREASE (P<0.001) IN ALL MEDICAL COMPLAINTS. CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT PARTICIPATION IN A SMET PROGRAM WAS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVEMENT IN MENTAL HEALTH AND MAY HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR "EXECUTIVE EFFICIENCY." 2011 3 2649 51 YOGA IMPROVES ATTENTION AND SELF-ESTEEM IN UNDERPRIVILEGED GIRL STUDENT. BACKGROUND: A STUDENT UNDER OPTIMAL STRESS DOES BRING OUT HIS OR HER BEST; HOWEVER, EXTREME STRESS CAN RESULT IN MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS AND DETERIORATES THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. STUDENTS WHO ESTEEM THEMSELVES LOW ARE MOST LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN DESTRUCTIVE AND SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIORS. MOREOVER, EXCESSIVE STRESS IS HARMFUL TO ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND MAY LEAD TO DROPPING OUT IN STUDENT. CAN YOGA BE OF BENEFIT IN STUDENTS FOR IMPROVING THEIR ATTENTION AND SELF-ESTEEM (SE)? OBJECTIVE: TO ASSESS ATTENTION AND SE IN GIRLS UNDERGOING INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE (IYM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: SIXTY LOW-INCOME HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS WITH 15.17 + 0.64 YEARS OF MEAN AGE PARTICIPATED IN THIS SINGLE GROUP PRE-POST STUDY. THE DATA WAS COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER 5 DAYS OF IYM. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: MEANS, STANDARD DEVIATIONS, KOLMOGOROV-SMIRNOV TEST, AND WILCOXON SIGNED RANK TEST WERE USED TO ANALYZE THE DATA WITH THE HELP OF SPSS 16. RESULTS: THE DATA ANALYSIS SHOWED 9.04% INCREASE (P = 0.001) IN SE SCORES, WHEREAS D2 TEST FOR ATTENTION REVEALED 10.12% INCREASE (P < 0.001) IN TOTAL NUMBER OF SYMBOLS PROCESSED SCORES AND 44.73% DECREASE (P < 0.001) IN TOTAL NUMBER OF ERRORS. CONCLUSION: THE PRESENT STUDY SUGGESTS THAT OF IYM CAN RESULT IN IMPROVEMENT OF ATTENTION AND SE AMONG STUDENTS AND THEREBY ENHANCING THEIR MENTAL HEALTH AND CAN HELP THEM IN IMPROVING THEIR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. EFFORTS AIMED AT REDUCING MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS AMONG STUDENTS MAY FOCUS MORE ON IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE AND CULTURALLY ACCEPTABLE INTERVENTIONS, SUCH AS YOGA, COUNSELING, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT. ADDITIONAL WELL-DESIGNED STUDIES ARE NEEDED BEFORE A STRONG RECOMMENDATION CAN BE MADE. 2013 4 896 26 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 5 940 32 EFFECTS OF 6 MONTHS YOGA PROGRAM ON RENAL FUNCTIONS AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE. AIM: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF 6 MONTHS YOGA PROGRAM IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE (CKD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: FIFTY-FOUR PATIENTS WITH CKD WERE STUDIED AND DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS (YOGA GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP) TO SEE THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN CKD. PATIENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP WERE OFFERED YOGA THERAPY ALONG WITH OTHER CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT MODALITIES, WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP WAS ONLY ON CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT. SUBJECTS IN YOGA GROUP WERE TRAINED TO PERFORM SPECIFIC YOGIC ASANAS FOR AT LEAST 5 DAYS A WEEK FOR 40-60 MIN A DAY. REGULAR MONITORING OF BLOOD PRESSURE, RENAL FUNCTION, REQUIREMENT OF A NUMBER OF DIALYSIS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) INDICATORS WERE DONE. FIFTY PATIENTS (YOGA - 25; CONTROL-25) COMPLETED 6 MONTHS FOLLOW-UP. RESULTS: IN YOGA GROUP, A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN BLOOD UREA AND SERUM CREATININE LEVELS, AND SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DOMAIN OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION QOL (AS ASSESSED BY BREF QOL SCORES) WERE SEEN AFTER 6 MONTHS. IN CONTROL GROUP, RISE OF BLOOD PRESSURE, DETERIORATION OF RENAL FUNCTION, AND QOL WERE OBSERVED. POSTSTUDY COMPARISON BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS SHOWED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF BLOOD PRESSURE, NONSIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN BLOOD UREA AND SERUM CREATININE, AND SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DOMAIN OF QOL IN YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO CONTROL GROUP. FOR SUBJECTS IN YOGA GROUP, THE NEED FOR DIALYSIS WAS LESS WHEN COMPARED TO CONTROL GROUP ALTHOUGH THIS DIFFERENCE WAS STATISTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT. EXCEPT FOR INABILITY OF SOME PATIENTS TO PERFORM CERTAIN YOGIC ASANAS NO ADVERSE EFFECT WAS FOUND IN THE STUDY. CONCLUSION: SIX MONTHS YOGA PROGRAM IS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE AS AN ADJUVANT THERAPY IN IMPROVING RENAL FUNCTIONS AND QOL OF CKD PATIENTS. 2017 6 1132 35 EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR SUSTAINED ATTENTION IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. SUSTAINED ATTENTION (SA) IS A VITAL FUNCTION MEDIATED BY THE RIGHT FRONTAL - PARIETAL CORTEX. THE DIGIT VIGILANCE TEST (DVT) MEASURES SA. ASSESSMENT OF SA IN STUDENTS FOR THEIR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IS CONSIDERED TO BE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF A NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO DETERMINE SA IN STUDENTS UNDERGOING TRAINING OF INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE (IYM). A TOTAL OF 66 UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AGED BETWEEN 18-37 YEARS PARTICIPATED IN THIS STUDY WITH A SINGLE GROUP PRE-POST DESIGN. THE DVT DATA WAS COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE IYM. STATISTICAL PACKAGE FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES VERSION 19 WAS USED FOR DATA ANALYSIS. THE KOLMOGOROV-SMIRNOV TEST SHOWED THAT THE DATA WERE NOT NORMALLY DISTRIBUTED. THE WILCOXON'S SIGNED RANKS TEST WAS USED TO COMPARE MEANS OF DATA. THE DATA ANALYSIS SHOWED 11.66% DECREASE (P < 0.001) IN TOTAL TIME TAKEN FOR DVT AND 31.90% DECREASE (P < 0.001) IN ERROR SCORES FOR DVT. THE PRESENT STUDY SUGGESTS THAT IYM CAN RESULT IN IMPROVEMENT OF SA AMONG STUDENTS, THUS PAVING THE WAY FOR THEIR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE. ADDITIONAL WELL-DESIGNED STUDIES ARE NEEDED BEFORE A STRONG RECOMMENDATION CAN BE MADE. 2013 7 1524 23 ISOMETRIC YOGA-LIKE MANEUVERS IMPROVE ADOLESCENT IDIOPATHIC SCOLIOSIS-A NONRANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: ASSESS THERAPEUTIC VALUE OF SPECIFIC YOGA POSES FOR THORACIC AND LUMBAR ADOLESCENT IDIOPATHIC SCOLIOSIS (AIS) TAUGHT IN OFFICE OR INTERNET. STUDY DESIGN: NONRANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL: FIFTY-SIX ADOLESCENTS (MEAN AGE 14.0 YEARS; MEAN RISSER 3.0) WERE RECRUITED FROM OUR CLINIC; 41 DID THE SIDE-PLANK, THE HALF-MOON AND ELEVATED SIDE PLANK POSES AS APPROPRIATE (TREATMENT GROUP) AND 15 DID NOT (CONTROLS). THIRTY CURVES WERE TREATED IN OFFICE, 30 VIA INTERNET. CURVE CHANGE WAS EVALUATED BY BLINDED SERIAL COBB ANGLES, AND ANALYZED USING MANN-WHITNEY U, PAIRED T-TESTS AND CHI(2). RESULTS: MEAN LUMBAR AND THORACOLUMBAR COBB ANGLE CHANGE WAS -9.2 (95% CI = -11.8, -6.6) IN THE TREATMENT GROUP AND 5.4 (95% CI = 1.7, 9.0) IN CONTROLS. BOTH TREATMENT GROUP IMPROVEMENT AND DETERIORATION IN CONTROLS WERE SIGNIFICANT (TREATMENT GROUP: PAIRED T-TEST T = -7.1, DF = 40, P = .000; CONTROLS: T = 3.2, DF = 12, P = .008). MEAN THORACIC COBB ANGLE CHANGE WAS -7.1 (95% CI = -13.1, -1.2) IN THE TREATMENT GROUP AND 9.3 (95% CI = 4.5, 14.6) IN CONTROLS. BOTH CHANGES WERE SIGNIFICANT (PAIRED T-TEST T = -3.3, DF = 21, P = .022 FOR TREATMENT GROUP; T = 4.5, DF = 5, P = .006 FOR CONTROLS). NINE INTERNET PATIENTS WERE NON-COMPLIANT VS. 6 OFFICE PATIENTS. OFFICE PATIENTS IMPROVED 1.6 DEGREES/MONTH OR 5.5%/MONTH; INTERNET PATIENTS IMPROVED .72 DEGREES/MONTH OR 3.3%/MONTH. CONCLUSION: THESE YOGA POSES SHOW PROMISE FOR REVERSING ADOLESCENT IDIOPATHIC SCOLIOSIS. TELEMEDICINE HAD GREATER NON-COMPLIANCE AND LOWER EFFICACY BUT STILL PRODUCED PATIENT IMPROVEMENT. 2021 8 2731 33 YOGA OFFERS CARDIOVASCULAR PROTECTION IN EARLY POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. CONTEXT: POSTMENOPAUSE, AN ESTROGEN DEFICIENT STATE COMES WITH INCREASED INCIDENCE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES (CVDS). YOGA HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS HAVING A BENEFICIAL EFFECT ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV), A MARKER FOR CARDIAC AUTONOMIC ACTIVITY WHICH CAN ASSESS CARDIOVASCULAR RISK, IN VARIOUS POPULATIONS. AIM: THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF 3-MONTH LONG YOGA PRACTICE ON HRV IN EARLY POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A PROSPECTIVE LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF 67 WOMEN WITHIN 5 YEARS OF MENOPAUSE BETWEEN 45 AND 60 YEARS OF AGE ATTENDING MENOPAUSE CLINIC OF DEPARTMENT OF GYNAECOLOGY, SUCHETA KRIPLANI HOSPITAL FULFILLING INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA AND CONSENTING WERE ENROLLED FOR THE STUDY. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: HRV OF 37 CASES (YOGA GROUP) AND 30 CONTROLS (NON-YOGA GROUP) WAS RECORDED PRE AND 3-MONTH POSTINTERVENTION. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: GRAPHPAD PRISM VERSION 5 SOFTWARE WAS USED. VALUES ARE A MEAN AND STANDARD ERROR OF MEAN. STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE WAS SET UP AT P < 0.05. RESULTS: IN HRV, FREQUENCY DOMAIN ANALYSIS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT FALL IN LOW FREQUENCY (LF) IN NORMALIZED UNITS (NU) AND LF: HIGH FREQUENCY (HF) RATIO AND SIGNIFICANT RISE IN HF IN NU IN THE YOGA GROUP (DEPICTING PARASYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE) AGAINST A SIGNIFICANT RISE IN LF (NU) AND LF: HF RATIO AND SIGNIFICANT FALL IN HF (NU) IN NON-YOGA GROUP (INDICATING SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE). TIME DOMAIN ANALYSIS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN STANDARD DEVIATION OF NN INTERVALS IN NON-YOGA GROUP AGAINST NONSIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN YOGA GROUP INDICATING DETERIORATION IN PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY IN NON-YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THREE-MONTH LONG YOGA PRACTICE IMPROVED HRV IN EARLY POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN SIGNIFICANTLY AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ATTENUATE THE CVD RISK IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. 2018 9 785 37 EFFECT OF YOGA BASED TECHNIQUES ON STRESS AND HEALTH INDICES USING ELECTRO PHOTONIC IMAGING TECHNIQUE IN MANAGERS. BACKGROUND: MEDITATION TECHNIQUES ARE KNOWN TO ELICIT RELAXATION RESPONSE IN WHICH MOVING MEDITATION WHICH COMBINES THE PRACTICE OF YOGA POSTURES AND GUIDED RELAXATION IS KNOWN AS CYCLIC MEDITATION REPORTED HELPFUL IN REDUCING THE SYMPATHETIC AROUSAL AND IMPROVING HEALTH OF PRACTITIONERS. OBJECTIVES: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF CYCLIC MEDITATION ON STRESS AND HEALTH INDICES IN MANAGERS AS MEASURED BY ELECTRO PHOTONIC IMAGING (EPI) TECHNIQUE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: EPI TECHNIQUE WAS USED TO ASSESS PARTICIPANTS BEFORE AND AFTER 35 MIN OF CYCLIC MEDITATION (CM) AND EQUAL DURATION OF SUPINE REST (SR) SESSION. A TOTAL OF SIXTY SIX MALE MANAGERS, AGE RANGES FROM 35 TO 60 YEARS (MEAN +/- SD 53.97 +/- 5.96) WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. EPI PARAMETERS, INCLUDING ACTIVATION COEFFICIENT, INTEGRAL AREA LEFT AND RIGHT AND INTEGRAL ENTROPY, LEFT AND RIGHT WERE TAKEN FOR STATISTICAL ANALYSES. RESULTS: CYCLIC MEDITATION HAS PRODUCED A HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN STRESS LEVEL, WHEREAS THIS REDUCTION WAS NOT FOUND SIGNIFICANT WITHIN SR GROUP. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN HEALTH INDEX 'INTEGRAL AREA' VALUES IN BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES WITHIN THE CM GROUP WHILE ONLY IA RIGHT SIDE SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT WITHIN THE CM GROUP. THE INTEGRAL ENTROPY VALUE RIGHT SIDE DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY WITHIN THE CM GROUP, WHEREAS IE LEFT WAS FOUND DETERIORATED WITHIN THE SR GROUP. MOREOVER, ONLY IE LEFT SIDE HAS SHOWN A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GROUPS. CONCLUSION: THE INVESTIGATIONS IN THIS STUDY SUGGEST THAT CYCLIC MEDITATION PRACTICE REDUCES STRESS AND IMPROVES PSYCHOSOMATIC HEALTH INDICES MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN SUPINE REST IN MANAGERS. 2016 10 814 23 EFFECT OF YOGA ON CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM IN SUBJECTS ABOVE 40 YEARS. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTION IN SUBJECTS ABOVE 40 YRS OF AGE. PULSE RATE, SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE AND VALSALVA RATIO WERE STUDIED IN 50 CONTROL SUBJECTS (NOT DOING ANY TYPE OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE) AND 50 STUDY SUBJECTS WHO HAD BEEN PRACTICING YOGA FOR 5 YEARS. FROM THE STUDY IT WAS OBSERVED THAT SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE PULSE RATE OCCURS IN SUBJECTS PRACTICING YOGA (P<0.001). THE DIFFERENCE IN THE MEAN VALUES OF SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE BETWEEN STUDY GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP WAS ALSO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P<0.01 AND P<0.001 RESPECTIVELY). THE SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE SHOWED SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE CORRELATION WITH AGE IN THE STUDY GROUP (R1 SYSTOLIC= 0.631 AND R1 DIASTOLIC = 0.610) AS WELL AS IN THE CONTROL GROUP (R2 SYSTOLIC = 0.981 AND R2 DIASTOLIC = 0.864). THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CORRELATION COEFFICIENT OF BOTH THE GROUPS WAS ALSO TESTED WITH THE USE OF Z TRANSFORMATION AND THE DIFFERENCE WAS SIGNIFICANT (Z SYSTOLIC= 4.041 AND Z DIASTOLIC= 2.901). VALSALVA RATIO WAS ALSO FOUND TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS THAN IN CONTROLS (P<0.001). OUR RESULTS INDICATE THAT YOGA REDUCES THE AGE RELATED DETERIORATION IN CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTIONS. 2003 11 1999 26 STRESS DUE TO EXAMS IN MEDICAL STUDENTS--ROLE OF YOGA. A STUDENT UNDER OPTIMAL STRESS DOES BRING OUT HIS OR HER BEST, HOWEVER EXTREMES OF STRESS CAN RESULT IN STRESS INDUCED DISORDERS AND DETERIORATING PERFORMANCE. CAN YOGA BE OF BENEFIT IN STRESS INDUCED EFFECTS IN MEDICAL STUDENTS? THE PRESENT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN FIRST MBBS STUDENTS (N = 50) TO DETERMINE THE BENEFIT IF ANY OF YOGIC PRACTICES ON ANXIETY STATUS DURING ROUTINE ACTIVITIES AND PRIOR TO EXAMINATION. FEEDBACK SCORES WERE ASSESSED TO DETERMINE HOW THE STUDENTS HAD BENEFITED FROM THE PRACTICES. ANXIETY STATUS AS ASSESSED BY SPILLBERGER'S ANXIETY SCALE SHOWED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION FOLLOWING PRACTICE. IN ADDITION THE ANXIETY SCORE WHICH ROSE PRIOR TO EXAMS SHOWED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION ON THE DAY OF EXAM AFTER PRACTICE. THESE RESULTS POINT TO THE BENEFICIAL ROLE OF YOGA IN NOT ONLY CAUSING REDUCTION IN BASAL ANXIETY LEVEL BUT ALSO ATTENUATING THE INCREASE IN ANXIETY SCORE IN STRESSFUL STATE SUCH AS EXAMS. THE RESULTS OF THE EXAM INDICATED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN NUMBER OF FAILURES IN YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. THE IMPROVEMENT IN VARIOUS PARAMETERS SUCH AS BETTER SENSE OF WELL BEING, FEELING OF RELAXATION, IMPROVED CONCENTRATION, SELF CONFIDENCE, IMPROVED EFFICIENCY, GOOD INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP, INCREASED ATTENTIVENESS, LOWERED IRRITABILITY LEVELS, AND AN OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK IN LIFE WERE SOME OF THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ENJOYED BY THE YOGA GROUP INDICATED BY FEEDBACK SCORE. 1999 12 884 28 EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON ONE LEG STANDING AND FUNCTIONAL REACH TESTS IN OBESE INDIVIDUALS WITH POOR POSTURAL CONTROL. [PURPOSE] THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON STATIC AND DYNAMIC STANDING BALANCE IN OBESE INDIVIDUALS WITH POOR STANDING BALANCE. [SUBJECTS AND METHODS] SIXTEEN OBESE VOLUNTEERS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS. THE YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM WAS PERFORMED FOR 45 MINUTES PER DAY, 3 TIMES PER WEEK, FOR 4 WEEKS. STATIC AND DYNAMIC BALANCE WERE ASSESSED IN VOLUNTEERS WITH ONE LEG STANDING AND FUNCTIONAL REACH TESTS. OUTCOME MEASURES WERE TESTED BEFORE TRAINING AND AFTER A SINGLE WEEK OF TRAINING. TWO-WAY REPEATED MEASURE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WITH TUKEY'S HONESTLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE POST HOC STATISTICS WAS USED TO ANALYZE THE DATA. [RESULTS] OBESE INDIVIDUALS SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED STATIC STANDING BALANCE IN THE YOGA TRAINING GROUP, BUT THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT OF STATIC OR DYNAMIC STANDING BALANCE IN THE CONTROL GROUP AFTER 4 WEEKS. IN THE YOGA GROUP, SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN STATIC STANDING BALANCE WAS FOUND AFTER THE 2ND, 3RD, AND 4TH WEEKS. COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP, STATIC STANDING BALANCE IN THE YOGA GROUP WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT AFTER THE 2ND WEEK, AND DYNAMIC STANDING BALANCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT AFTER THE 4TH WEEK. [CONCLUSION] YOGA TRAINING WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR IMPROVING STANDING BALANCE IN OBESE INDIVIDUALS WITH POOR STANDING BALANCE. 2015 13 711 19 EFFECT OF INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE ON SELECTED PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES AMONG WOMEN WITH ANXIETY PROBLEM. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF YOGIC PRACTICES HAS PROVEN BENEFITS IN BOTH ORGANIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISEASES. FORTY-FIVE WOMEN WITH ANXIETY SELECTED BY A RANDOM SAMPLING METHOD WERE DIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS. EXPERIMENTAL GROUP I WAS SUBJECTED TO ASANAS, RELAXATION AND PRANAYAMA WHILE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP II WAS SUBJECTED TO AN INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE. THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INTERVENTION. ANXIETY WAS MEASURED BY TAYLOR'S MANIFEST ANXIETY SCALE BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT. FRUSTRATION WAS MEASURED THROUGH REACTION TO FRUSTRATION SCALE. ALL DATA WERE SPREAD IN AN EXCEL SHEET TO BE ANALYSED WITH SPSS 16 SOFTWARE USING ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE (ANCOVA). SELECTED YOGA AND ASANAS DECREASED ANXIETY AND FRUSTRATION SCORES BUT TREATMENT WITH AN INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF ANXIETY AND FRUSTRATION. TO CONCLUDE, THE PRACTICE OF ASANAS AND YOGA DECREASED ANXIETY IN WOMEN, AND YOGA AS AN INTEGRATED MODULE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED ANXIETY SCORES IN YOUNG WOMEN WITH PROVEN ANXIETY WITHOUT ANY ILL EFFECTS. 2014 14 1050 45 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON BRAIN WAVE COHERENCE IN EXECUTIVES. AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF SELF MANAGEMENT OF EXCESSIVE TENSION (SMET), A YOGA BASED STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ON BRAIN WAVE COHERENCE. BRAIN WAVE RECORDINGS WERE TAKEN WITH BRAIN MASTER 2 CHANNEL EEG (VERSION-2.0). THE SUBJECTS FOR THE STUDY WERE 72 CORPORATE EXECUTIVES, 48.75 +/- 3.86 YEARS OF MEAN AGE REFERRED FROM OIL AND NATURAL GAS CORPORATION LIMITED. EEG DATA WAS RECORDED ON THE FIRST AND SIXTH DAY OF 5 DAYS SMET PROGRAM. A COMPLETE STATISTICAL AND SPECTRAL ANALYSIS SHOWED 19.31% INCREASE (P=0.03) IN DELTA, 5.04% INCREASE (P=0.65) IN THETA, 15.40% INCREASE (P=0.09) IN ALPHA, 1.67% DECREASE (P=0.54) IN BETA AND 18.68% INCREASE (P=0.07) IN GAMMA WAVE COHERENCE BETWEEN PRE AND POST INTERVENTION MEASUREMENTS. TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT PARTICIPATION IN A SMET PROGRAM WAS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVEMENT IN EMOTIONAL STABILITY AND MAY HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR 'EXECUTIVE EFFICIENCY'. BECAUSE BEFORE AND AFTER DESIGNS LIMIT INFERENCES ABOUT INTERVENTION EFFECTS, FURTHER RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO EXPLORE THE EFFECTS OF SMET PROGRAM FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT USING A LARGER, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. 2011 15 298 27 ALTERNATE-NOSTRIL YOGA BREATHING REDUCED BLOOD PRESSURE WHILE INCREASING PERFORMANCE IN A VIGILANCE TEST. BACKGROUND REPORTS SUGGEST THAT VIGILANCE OR SUSTAINED ATTENTION INCREASES SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY. A PERSISTENT INCREASE IN SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY CAN LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN BLOOD PRESSURE. ALTERNATE-NOSTRIL YOGA BREATHING HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE USEFUL TO (I) IMPROVE ATTENTION AND (II) DECREASE THE SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE. EARLIER STUDIES DID NOT REPORT SIMULTANEOUS RECORDINGS OF THE BLOOD PRESSURE AND PERFORMANCE IN VIGILANCE TESTS AFTER ALTERNATE-NOSTRIL YOGA BREATHING. WITH THIS BACKGROUND, THE PRESENT STUDY WAS PLANNED TO DETERMINE IF 15 MINUTES OF ALTERNATE NOSTRIL YOGA BREATHING COULD IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE IN A VIGILANCE TEST WITHOUT AN INCREASE IN BLOOD PRESSURE. MATERIAL AND METHODS FIFTEEN HEALTHY MALE VOLUNTEERS PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY (GROUP MEAN AGE +/-SD, 22.4+/-2.4 YEARS). PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED ON 3 SEPARATE DAYS IN 3 DIFFERENT SESSIONS. THESE WERE (I) ALTERNATE NOSTRIL YOGA BREATHING, (II) BREATH AWARENESS, AND (III) SITTING QUIETLY AS A CONTROL. BLOOD PRESSURE AND THE DIGIT VIGILANCE TEST WERE SIMULTANEOUSLY ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER EACH SESSION. RESULTS SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (P<0.01), MEAN ARTERIAL BLOOD PRESSURE (P<0.05), AND THE TIME TAKEN TO COMPLETE THE DIGIT VIGILANCE TEST (P<0.05) SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED FOLLOWING ALTERNATE-NOSTRIL YOGA BREATHING. THE TIME TAKEN TO COMPLETE THE DIGIT VIGILANCE TEST DIFFERED SIGNIFICANTLY BETWEEN SESSIONS (P<0.05). THE TIME TAKEN TO COMPLETE THE DIGIT VIGILANCE TEST WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED AFTER SITTING QUIETLY (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS ALTERNATE-NOSTRIL YOGA BREATHING APPEARS TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE IN THE DIGIT VIGILANCE TEST, ALONG WITH A REDUCTION IN SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE. THIS IS SUGGESTIVE OF BETTER VIGILANCE WITHOUT SYMPATHETIC ACTIVATION. 2017 16 708 36 EFFECT OF INTEGRATED YOGA AND PHYSICAL THERAPY ON AUDIOVISUAL REACTION TIME, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) IS CHARACTERIZED BY A SIGNIFICANT DETERIORATION IN AUDITORY AND VISUAL REACTION TIMES ALONG WITH ASSOCIATED DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. YOGA AND PHYSICAL THERAPY (PT) INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO ENHANCE RECOVERY FROM THESE PROBLEMS IN VARIOUS NEUROPSYCHIATRIC ILLNESSES, BUT SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE IS LACKING IN CHRONIC MS POPULATION. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF INTEGRATED YOGA AND PHYSICAL THERAPY (IYP) ON AUDIOVISUAL REACTION TIMES, DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC MS. METHODS: FROM A NEURO-REHABILITATION CENTER IN GERMANY, 11 PATIENTS (SIX FEMALES) SUFFERING FROM MS FOR 19+/-7.4 YEARS WERE RECRUITED. SUBJECTS WERE IN THE AGE RANGE OF 55.45+/-10.02 YEARS AND HAD EXTENDED DISABILITY STATUS SCORES (EDSS) BELOW 7. ALL THE SUBJECTS RECEIVED MIND-BODY INTERVENTION OF INTEGRATED YOGA AND PHYSICAL THERAPY (IYP) FOR 3 WEEKS. THE INTERVENTION WAS GIVEN IN A RESIDENTIAL SETUP. PATIENTS FOLLOWED A ROUTINE INVOLVING YOGIC PHYSICAL POSTURES, PRANAYAMA, AND MEDITATIONS ALONG WITH VARIOUS PHYSICAL THERAPY (PT) TECHNIQUES FOR 21 DAYS, 5 DAYS A WEEK, 5 H/DAY. THEY WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION FOR CHANGES IN AUDIOVISUAL REACTION TIMES (USING BRAIN FIT MODEL NO. OT 400), ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION [USING HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE (HADS)]. DATA WAS ANALYZED USING PAIRED SAMPLES TEST. RESULTS: THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN VISUAL REACTION TIME (P=0.01), DEPRESSION (P=0.04), AND ANXIETY (P=0.02) SCORES AT THE END OF 3 WEEKS AS COMPARED TO THE BASELINE. AUDITORY REACTION TIME SHOWED REDUCTION WITH BORDERLINE STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE (P=0.058). CONCLUSIONS: THIS PILOT PROJECT SUGGESTS UTILITY OF IYP INTERVENTION FOR IMPROVING AUDIOVISUAL REACTION TIMES AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH IN CHRONIC MS PATIENTS. IN FUTURE, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS WITH LARGER SAMPLE SIZE SHOULD BE PERFORMED TO CONFIRM THESE FINDINGS. 2016 17 748 25 EFFECT OF SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION ON QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL. OBJECTIVE: THE PRESENT STUDY INVESTIGATES THE EFFECT OF SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION ON QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL. DESIGN: THE PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL COHORT STUDY ENROLLED TWO STUDY GROUPS: THOSE RECEIVING TREATMENT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SAHAJA YOGA RESEARCH AND HEALTH CENTER (MEDITATION GROUP) AND THOSE RECEIVING TREATMENT FROM THE MAHATMA GANDHI MISSION HOSPITAL (CONTROL GROUP). RESEARCHERS MEASURED QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT. RESULTS: SIXTY-SEVEN (67) PARTICIPANTS IN THE MEDITATION GROUP AND 62 PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP COMPLETED THE STUDY. THE TWO GROUPS WERE COMPARABLE IN DEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS. AT BASELINE, THE MEDITATION GROUP HAD HIGHER QUALITY OF LIFE (P<0.001) THAN CONTROLS BUT SIMILAR ANXIETY LEVEL (P=0.74) TO CONTROLS. WITHIN-GROUP PRE- VERSUS POST-TREATMENT COMPARISONS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN THE MEDITATION GROUP (P<0.001), WHILE IN CONTROLS, QUALITY OF LIFE DETERIORATED AND THERE WAS NO IMPROVEMENT IN BLOOD PRESSURE. THE IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY REDUCTION, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL WAS GREATER IN THE MEDITATION GROUP. THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF MEDITATION REMAINED SIGNIFICANT AFTER ADJUSTING FOR CONFOUNDERS. CONCLUSIONS: MEDITATION TREATMENT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY REDUCTION, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL. 2012 18 710 26 EFFECT OF INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE ON POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EMOTIONS IN HOME GUARDS IN BENGALURU: A WAIT LIST RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL. BACKGROUND: THE BENEFICIAL ASPECT OF POSITIVE EMOTIONS ON THE PROCESS OF LEARNING AND THE HARMFUL AFFECT OF NEGATIVE EMOTIONS ON COPING WITH STRESS AND HEALTH ARE WELL-DOCUMENTED THROUGH STUDIES. THE HOME GUARDS (HGS) ARE WORKING IN A VERY STRESSFUL SITUATION DURING ELECTION, MANAGING TRAFFIC AND OTHER CROWDED PLACES. IT IS QUITE ESSENTIAL IN PRESENT DAY CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THEY HAVE TO MANAGE THEIR EMOTIONS AND COPE UP WITH DIFFERENT STRESSFUL SITUATIONS. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFICACY OF INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE (IYM) ON EMOTIONS (POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT [PA AND NA]) OF HGS. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 148 HGS BOTH MALES AND FEMALES WHO QUALIFIED THE INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO YOGA GROUP (YG) AND CONTROL GROUPS (CG). THE YG HAD SUPERVISED PRACTICE SESSIONS (BY TRAINED EXPERTS) FOR 1 H DAILY, 6 DAYS A WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS ALONG WITH THEIR REGULAR ROUTINE WORK WHEREAS CG PERFORMING THEIR ROUTINE WORK. POSITIVE AFFECT NEGATIVE AFFECT SCALE (PANAS) WAS ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER 8 WEEKS USING A MODIFIED VERSION OF PANAS. RESULTS: PA IN YG HAD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED (P < 0.05) WHEREAS IT HAD DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < 0.05) IN CG. OTHER POSITIVE EFFECT IN YG HAD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED (P < 0.001), WHEREAS IT HAD DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < 0.001) IN CG. NA IN YG HAD SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED (P < 0.001), WHEREAS IT HAD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED (P < 0.001) IN CG. OTHER NA IN YG HAD SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED (P < 0.001), WHEREAS IT HAD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED (P < 0.01) IN CG. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS SUGGESTED THAT IYM CAN BE USEFUL FOR HGS TO IMPROVE THE PA AND TO DECREASE NA SCORE. MOREOVER, IYM IS COST-EFFECTIVE AND HELPS HGS FOR COPING UP WITH EMOTIONS IN STRESSFUL SITUATIONS. 2016 19 705 36 EFFECT OF INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY ON AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY (IAYT) HAD SHOWN BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (DM). AUTONOMIC DYSFUNCTION IS ONE OF THE MAJOR COMPLICATIONS OF TYPE 2 DM. RESEARCH STUDIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT YOGA CAN MODULATE AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS. HENCE, THE CURRENT STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF IAYT ON AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS IN TYPE 2 DIABETICS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 15 PATIENTS OF TYPE 2 DM WITH AGES RANGING FROM 35 TO 60 YEARS WERE RECRUITED FOR THE STUDY. THEY WERE DIAGNOSED WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES FROM 1-YEAR TO 15 YEARS. ASSESSMENTS WERE MADE ON DAY 1 (BEFORE YOGA) AND DAY 7 (AFTER 1-WEEK OF YOGA PRACTICE). HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV), BLOOD PRESSURE (BP) RESPONSE TO THE ISOMETRIC HANDGRIP AND HEART RATE RESPONSE TO DEEP BREATHING WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER 1-WEEK OF IAYT. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE FROM 154.67-130.27 MG/DL (WILCOXON SIGNED RANK TEST, P = 0.029) FOLLOWING 1-WEEK OF IAYT. BP RESPONSE TO ISOMETRIC HAND GRIP IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY (WILCOXON SIGNED RANK TEST, P = 0.01). THERE WAS NO STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN HRV COMPONENTS AND HEART RATE RESPONSE TO DEEP BREATHING TEST. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A TREND OF INCREASE IN THE LOW FREQUENCY POWER (41.07%), HIGH FREQUENCY POWER (6.29%), TOTAL POWER (5.38%), AND STANDARD DEVIATION OF ALL NN INTERVALS (SDNN) (6.29%). CONCLUSION: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT, IAYT IMPROVED AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS IN TYPE 2 DIABETES PATIENTS. 2015 20 171 33 A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY OF THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA IN PEOPLE WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE. BACKGROUND: EXERCISE CAN BE BENEFICIAL FOR CARDIOPULMONARY, MUSCULOSKELETAL OR NEUROLOGICAL SYSTEMS, AND OTHER FACTORS INCLUDING MOOD, AND MAY BE BENEFICIAL IN REDUCING FALL RISKS, DEMENTIA AND VARIABLES ASSOCIATED WITH QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL). PARKINSON'S DISEASE (PD) PRODUCES PROGRESSIVE MOTOR AND COGNITIVE DETERIORATION THAT MAY LEAVE THOSE INFLICTED UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN STANDARD EXERCISE PROGRAMS. ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF EXERCISE SUCH AS YOGA MAY BE SUCCESSFUL IN IMPROVING PHYSICAL FUNCTION, QOL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES FOR OVERALL WELL-BEING. AIM: THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA INTERVENTION ON PHYSIOLOGICAL AND HEALTH-RELATED QOL MEASURES IN PEOPLE WITH PD. METHODS AND MATERIALS: THIRTEEN PEOPLE WITH STAGE 1-2 PD WERE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER A YOGA (N = 8) OR A CONTROL GROUP (N = 5). THE YOGA GROUP PARTICIPATED IN TWICE-WEEKLY YOGA SESSIONS FOR 12 WEEKS. PARTICIPANTS WERE TESTED AT BASELINE, AND AT 6 AND 12 WEEKS USING THE UNIFIED PARKINSON'S DISEASE RATING SCALE (UPDRS), CLINICAL MEASURES OF HEALTH-RELATED QOL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN UPDRS SCORES (P = .006), DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (P = 0.036) AND AVERAGE FORCED VITAL CAPACITY (P = 0.03) WAS NOTED IN THE YOGA GROUP OVER TIME. CHANGES BETWEEN GROUPS WERE ALSO NOTED IN TWO SF-36 SUBSCALES. POSITIVE TRENDS OF IMPROVEMENT WERE NOTED IN DEPRESSION SCORES (P = 0.056), BODY WEIGHT (P = 0.056) AND FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME (P = 0.059). YOGA PARTICIPANTS REPORTED MORE POSITIVE SYMPTOM CHANGES INCLUDING IMMEDIATE TREMOR REDUCTION. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY IMPROVE ASPECTS OF QOL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS IN STAGES 1-2 PD. FUTURE LARGER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM AND EXTEND OUR FINDINGS OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN PD. 2015