1 683 183 EFFECT OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNE AXIS, DISEASE ACTIVITY, AND PERCEIVED QUALITY OF LIFE IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. VARIOUS EXTERNAL STRESSORS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES LEAD TO THE PROVOCATION OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES LIKE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA). THE INAPPROPRIATE IMMUNE RESPONSE FURTHER TRIGGERS THE CASCADE OF INFLAMMATORY CHANGES RESULTING IN PRECIPITATION OF SYMPTOMS AND HAMPERS QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL). THE UNDERLYING PSYCHO-SOMATIC COMPONENT OF THE DISEASE REQUIRES A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ITS TREATMENT DIMENSION RATHER THAN THE USE OF PHARMACOTHERAPY. THE APPLICABILITY OF MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS HAS BECOME ESSENTIAL IN TODAY'S FAST-PACED LIFE. YOGA, A MIND-BODY TECHNIQUE, ALTERS THE MIND'S CAPACITY TO FACILITATE SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONING AT MULTIPLE ORGAN SYSTEM LEVELS. HENCE, WE CONDUCTED THIS STUDY TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF 8 WEEKS OF A YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION (YBLI) ON PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNE MARKERS, GENE EXPRESSION PATTERNS, AND QOL IN RA PATIENTS ON ROUTINE MEDICAL THERAPY. A TOTAL OF 66 PATIENTS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS: YOGA GROUP OR NON-YOGA GROUP AND WERE ASSESSED FOR A PANEL OF INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES (IL-6, IL-17A, TNF-ALPHA, AND TGF-BETA), MIND-BODY COMMUNICATIVE MARKERS (BDNF, DHEAS, BETA-ENDORPHIN, AND SIRTUIN) AND TRANSCRIPT LEVELS OF VARIOUS GENES (IL-6, TNF-ALPHA, NFKB1, TGF-BETA, AND CTLA4). WE ASSESSED DISEASE ACTIVITY AND QOL USING THE DAS28-ESR AND WHOQOL-BREF QUESTIONNAIRE, RESPECTIVELY. YOGA GROUP OBSERVED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LEVELS OF MARKERS, WHICH INFLUENCED THE PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNE AXIS (P < 0.001) WITH AN ESTIMATED EFFECT SIZE FROM SMALL TO MEDIUM RANGE. IN THE YOGA GROUP, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN DAS28-ESR (P < 0.001) AND IMPROVEMENT SEEN IN THE PHYSICAL HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS DOMAINS (P < 0.001) OF QOL, EXCEPT ENVIRONMENTAL (P > 0.05). THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED DOWNREGULATION OF IL-6, TNF-ALPHA, AND CTLA4 AND UPREGULATION OF TGF-BETA. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT A DECREASE IN DISEASE ACTIVITY AFTER YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, THE ELEVATION OF MIND-BODY COMMUNICATIVE MARKERS, AND NORMALIZATION OF VARIOUS TRANSCRIPT LEVELS, WHICH IMPROVED QOL. THUS THE ADOPTION OF YBLI IMPROVES CLINICAL OUTCOME IN RA, AND DECREASES SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION BY ITS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNE AXIS AND NORMALIZATION OF DYSREGULATED TRANSCRIPTS. THUS YBLI MAY BE USED FOR RA PATIENTS AS AN ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY. 2020
2 2755 39 YOGA PRACTICE REDUCES THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS LEVELS OF PRISON INMATES. BACKGROUND: PSYCHIATRIC ILL-HEALTH IS PREVALENT AMONG PRISON INMATES AND OFTEN HAMPERS THEIR REHABILITATION. REHABILITATION IS CRUCIAL FOR REDUCING RECIDIVISTIC OFFENDING. A FEW STUDIES HAVE PRESENTED EVIDENCE OF THE POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE WELL-BEING OF PRISON INMATES. THE CONCLUSION OF THOSE PREVIOUS STUDIES THAT YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE METHOD IN THE REHABILITATION PROCESS OF INMATES, AND DESERVES AND REQUIRES FURTHER ATTENTION. AIMS: THE CURRENT STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF 10 WEEKS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON THE MENTAL HEALTH PROFILE, OPERATIONALIZED IN THE FORM OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, OF INMATES. METHODS: ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-TWO VOLUNTEER PARTICIPANTS (133 MEN; 19 WOMEN) WERE RANDOMLY PLACED IN EITHER OF TWO GROUPS: TO PARTICIPATE IN WEEKLY 90-MIN YOGA CLASS (YOGA GROUP) OR A WEEKLY 90-MIN FREE-CHOICE PHYSICAL EXERCISE (CONTROL GROUP). THE STUDY PERIOD LASTED FOR 10 WEEKS. PRIOR TO AND AT THE END OF THE STUDY PERIOD THE PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A BATTERY OF SELF-REPORTED INVENTORIES, INCLUDING THE BRIEF SYMPTOM INVENTORY (BSI). RESULTS: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (INCLUDING YOGA) SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THE INMATES' LEVELS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. YOGA PRACTICE IMPROVED ALL PRIMARY SYMPTOM DIMENSIONS AND ITS POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE, PARANOID IDEATION, AND SOMATIZATION SYMPTOM DIMENSIONS OF THE BSI STAYED SIGNIFICANT EVEN WHEN COMPARING WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA AS A FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS EFFECTIVE FOR REDUCING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS LEVELS IN PRISON INMATES, WITH SPECIFIC EFFECT ON SYMPTOMS SUCH AS SUSPICIOUS AND FEARFUL THOUGHTS ABOUT LOSING AUTONOMY, MEMORY PROBLEMS, DIFFICULTY IN MAKING DECISIONS, TROUBLE CONCENTRATING, OBSESSIVE THOUGHT, AND PERCEPTION OF BODILY DYSFUNCTION. 2018
3 803 31 EFFECT OF YOGA ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN RELATION TO STRESS. BACKGROUND: ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IS CONCERNED WITH THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF LEARNING ATTAINED IN A SUBJECT OR GROUP OF SUBJECTS AFTER A LONG PERIOD OF INSTRUCTION. EXCESSIVE STRESS HAMPERS STUDENTS' PERFORMANCE. IMPROVEMENT IN ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND ALERTNESS HAS BEEN REPORTED IN SEVERAL YOGIC STUDIES. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN RELATION TO STRESS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY STARTED WITH 800 ADOLESCENT STUDENTS; 159 HIGH-STRESS STUDENTS AND 142 LOW-STRESS STUDENTS WERE SELECTED ON THE BASIS OF SCORES OBTAINED THROUGH STRESS BATTERY. EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP WERE GIVEN PRE TEST IN THREE SUBJECTS, I.E., MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, AND SOCIAL STUDIES. A YOGA MODULE CONSISTING OF YOGA ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, MEDITATION, AND A VALUE ORIENTATION PROGRAM WAS ADMINISTERED ON EXPERIMENTAL GROUP FOR 7 WEEKS. THE EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS WERE POST-TESTED FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE ON THE THREE SUBJECTS MENTIONED ABOVE. RESULTS: THE RESULTS SHOW THAT THE STUDENTS, WHO PRACTICED YOGA PERFORMED BETTER IN ACADEMICS. THE STUDY FURTHER SHOWS THAT LOW-STRESS STUDENTS PERFORMED BETTER THAN HIGH-STRESS STUDENTS, MEANING THEREBY THAT STRESS AFFECTS THE STUDENTS' PERFORMANCE. 2009
4 2652 67 YOGA IMPROVES MITOCHONDRIAL HEALTH AND REDUCES SEVERITY OF AUTOIMMUNE INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: OXIDATIVE STRESS (OS) AND MITOCHONDRIAL ALTERATIONS HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA). VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL TRIGGERS LIKE AIR POLLUTANTS, SMOKING, UNHEALTHY SOCIAL HABITS AND SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE INDUCE OS, WHICH MAY COMPROMISE MITOCHONDRIAL INTEGRITY. THIS TRIAL WAS DESIGNED TO EXPLORE THE EFFECT OF 8-WEEKS YOGA PRACTICE ON MITOCHONDRIAL HEALTH AND DISEASE SEVERITY IN AN ACTIVE RA GROUP COMPARED WITH A USUAL-CARE CONTROL GROUP. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 70 SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS: YOGA GROUP AND NON-YOGA GROUP. MITOCHONDRIAL HEALTH WAS ASSESSED BY CALCULATION OF MITOCHONDRIAL DNA COPY NUMBER (MTDNA-CN), OS MARKERS, MITOCHONDRIAL ACTIVITY, MITOCHONDRIAL MEMBRANE POTENTIAL (DELTAPSIM), CIRCADIAN RHYTHM MARKERS AND TRANSCRIPTS ASSOCIATED WITH MITOCHONDRIAL INTEGRITY: AMPK, TIMP-1, KLOTHO, SIRT-1, AND TFAM. PARAMETERS OF DISEASE ACTIVITY AND DISABILITY QUOTIENT WERE ALSO ASSESSED BY DISEASE ACTIVITY SCORE - ERYTHROCYTE SEDIMENTATION RATE (DAS28-ESR) AND HEALTH ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE-DISABILITY INDEX (HAQ-DI), RESPECTIVELY. RESULTS: IN YOGA GROUP, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT UPREGULATION OF MTDNA-CN, MITOCHONDRIAL ACTIVITY MARKERS, DELTAPSIM, AND TRANSCRIPTS THAT MAINTAIN MITOCHONDRIAL INTEGRITY AFTER 8-WEEKS OF YOGA. THERE WAS OPTIMIZATION OF OS MARKERS, AND CIRCADIAN RHYTHM MARKERS POST 8-WEEKS PRACTICE OF YOGA. YOGA GROUP PARTICIPANTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN DAS28-ESR (P < 0.05) AND HAQ-DI (P < 0.05) OVER THE NON-YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSION: ADOPTION OF YOGA BY RA PATIENTS HOLDS THE KEY TO ENHANCE MITOCHONDRIAL HEALTH, IMPROVE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM MARKERS, OS MARKER REGULATION, UPREGULATION OF TRANSCRIPTS THAT MAINTAIN MITOCHONDRIAL INTEGRITY, REDUCE DISEASE ACTIVITY AND ITS ASSOCIATED CONSEQUENCES ON HEALTH OUTCOME AND HENCE CAN BE BENEFICIAL AS AN ADJUNCT THERAPY. 2021
5 1394 53 IMPACT OF YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH RETINOBLASTOMA. BACKGROUND: CHILDHOOD CANCERS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A PSYCHOLOGICAL BURDEN TO THE PARENTS AND HENCE, DECLINE THEIR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH AND OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY IS TO INVESTIGATE THE IMPACT OF 12-WEEKS YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE PARENTS OF CHILDREN AFFECTED WITH RETINOBLASTOMA. METHOD: SINGLE ARM PROSPECTIVE CLINICAL TRIAL CONDUCTED FROM OCTOBER 2015 TO OCTOBER 2017 AT THE LABORATORY FOR MOLECULAR REPRODUCTION AND GENETICS, DEPARTMENT OF ANATOMY, ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, NEW DELHI, INDIA. A PRE-TESTED 12-WEEKS YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION INCLUDED ASANAS (PHYSICAL POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (BREATHING EXERCISES), DHYANA (MEDITATION), RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, LECTURES AND FILMS ON YOGA, INTERACTIVE SESSIONS AND INDIVIDUALIZED ADVICE WAS ADMINISTERED TO THE PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: 12-WEEKS OF YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION PROGRAMME LEADS TO A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS AND OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE PARENTS OF RETINOBLASTOMA PATIENTS. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ALL THE DOMAINS (PHYSICAL HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH, SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS, AND ENVIRONMENT) OF WHOQOL-BREF FROM BASELINE (DAY 0) TO 12-WEEKS OF YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION. YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ALSO LED TO A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE LEVELS OF BRAIN DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR, DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE SULPHATE, SIRTUIN 1 AND DECREASED THE CORTISOL AND IL-6 LEVELS. CONCLUSION: YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION REDUCED THE SEVERITY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS AND RESULTED IN IMPROVEMENT IN OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE AND UPREGULATION IN LEVELS OF SYSTEMIC BIOMARKERS OF NEUROPLASTICITY. YBLI MAY SERVE AS A BENEFICIAL THERAPY AND MAY ALSO ACT AS AN EFFECTIVE MEDIUM FOR BETTER STRESS MANAGEMENT TO DEVELOP BETTER COPING STRATEGIES IN THE PARENTS OF RETINOBLASTOMA PATIENTS. 2019
6 1419 46 IMPRISONING YOGA: YOGA PRACTICE MAY INCREASE THE CHARACTER MATURITY OF MALE PRISON INMATES. BACKGROUND: A SPECIFIC PERSONALITY PROFILE, CHARACTERIZED BY LOW CHARACTER MATURITY (LOW SCORES ON THE SELF-DIRECTEDNESS AND COOPERATIVENESS CHARACTER DIMENSIONS) AND HIGH SCORES ON THE NOVELTY SEEKING TEMPERAMENT DIMENSION OF THE TEMPERAMENT AND CHARACTER INVENTORY (TCI), HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH AGGRESSIVE ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR IN MALE PRISON INMATES. IT HAS ALSO BEEN SHOWN THAT YOGA PRACTICED IN SWEDISH CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE INMATES' WELL-BEING AND ON RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CRIMINAL RECIDIVISM (E.G., ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR). IN THIS STUDY, WE AIMED TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER THE POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON INMATES' BEHAVIORS COULD BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE EVENTUAL CHANGES IN THEIR PERSONALITY PROFILE. METHODS: MALE PRISON INMATES (N = 111) IN SWEDEN PARTICIPATED IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED 10-WEEK LONG YOGA INTERVENTION TRIAL. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER A YOGA GROUP (ONE CLASS A WEEK; N = 57) OR A CONTROL GROUP (FREE OF CHOICE WEEKLY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY; N = 54). ALL THE INMATES COMPLETED THE TCI QUESTIONNAIRE BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD AS PART OF AN ASSESSMENT BATTERY. RESULTS: AFTER THE 10-WEEK-LONG INTERVENTION PERIOD MALE INMATES SCORED SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER ON THE NOVELTY SEEKING AND THE HARM AVOIDANCE AND SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER ON THE SELF-DIRECTEDNESS DIMENSIONS OF THE TCI. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT MEDIUM STRONG INTERACTION EFFECT BETWEEN TIME AND GROUP BELONGING FOR THE SELF-DIRECTEDNESS DIMENSION OF CHARACTER FAVORING THE YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSION: A 10-WEEK-LONG YOGA PRACTICE INTERVENTION AMONG MALE INMATES IN SWEDISH CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES INCREASED THE INMATES' CHARACTER MATURITY, IMPROVING SUCH ABILITIES AS THEIR CAPABILITY TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, FEEL MORE PURPOSEFUL, AND BEING MORE SELF-ACCEPTANT-FEATURES THAT PREVIOUSLY WERE FOUND TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASED AGGRESSIVE ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR. 2019
7 2665 47 YOGA IN CORRECTIONAL SETTINGS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. BACKGROUND: THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN THE REDUCTION OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, ANXIETY, STRESS, ANGER AS WELL AS IN THE INCREASED ABILITY OF BEHAVIORAL CONTROL HAS BEEN SHOWN. THESE EFFECTS OF YOGA ARE HIGHLY RELEVANT FOR PRISON INMATES WHO OFTEN HAVE POOR MENTAL HEALTH AND LOW IMPULSE CONTROL. WHILE IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT YOGA AND MEDITATION CAN BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING, MENTAL HEALTH, AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING WITHIN PRISON POPULATIONS, ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF STUDIES HAVE PROVED THIS, USING RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED SETTINGS. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 152 PARTICIPANTS FROM NINE SWEDISH CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A 10-WEEK YOGA GROUP (ONE CLASS A WEEK; N = 77) OR A CONTROL GROUP (N = 75). BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD, PARTICIPANTS ANSWERED QUESTIONNAIRES MEASURING STRESS, AGGRESSION, AFFECTIVE STATES, SLEEP QUALITY, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AND COMPLETED A COMPUTERIZED TEST MEASURING ATTENTION AND IMPULSIVITY. RESULTS: AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND ON 13 OF THE 16 VARIABLES WITHIN THE YOGA GROUP (E.G., LESS PERCEIVED STRESS, BETTER SLEEP QUALITY, AN INCREASED PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, LESS AGGRESSIVE, AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR) AND ON TWO WITHIN THE CONTROL GROUP. COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP, YOGA CLASS PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND LESS ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR AFTER 10 WEEKS OF YOGA. THEY ALSO SHOWED IMPROVED PERFORMANCE ON THE COMPUTERIZED TEST THAT MEASURES ATTENTION AND IMPULSE CONTROL. CONCLUSION: IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT THE YOGA PRACTICED IN SWEDISH CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON INMATES' WELL-BEING AND ON CONSIDERABLE RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH RECIDIVISM, SUCH AS IMPULSIVITY AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR. ACCORDINGLY, THE RESULTS SHOW THAT YOGA PRACTICE CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE REHABILITATION OF PRISON INMATES. 2017
8 2412 47 YOGA AND ITS IMPACT ON CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY AUTOIMMUNE ARTHRITIS. RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, WHICH ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE QUALITY OF LIFE. RA IS A DISEASE OF UNKNOWN ETIOLOGY, HOWEVER, BOTH GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS APPEAR TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO THIS DISEASE. THE SEVERITY AND PROGRESSION OF THE DISEASE ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE RELEASE OF A HOST OF INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, CYTOTOXIC AND IMMUNE REGULATORY FACTORS. THE TREATMENTS OF RA ARE PRIMARILY LIMITED TO SYMPTOMATIC ALLEVIATION OF PAIN OR OTHER SYMPTOMS OR TO THE USE OF CYTOTOXIC DRUG TREATMENT IN SEVERE FORMS OF THE DISEASE WHICH IS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT SIDE EFFECTS. DESPITE LACK OF A CURE, THE DISEASE MAY BE CONTROLLED BY MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS. HOLISTIC TREATMENTS SUCH AS YOGA SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE AND REDUCE THE PSYCHO-SOMATIC SYMPTOMS, PAIN PERCEPTION, DISABILITY QUOTIENT, JOINT FLEXIBILITY, RANGE OF MOTION, POSTURE, MUSCLE STRENGTH, COORDINATION, AND DISEASE ACTIVITY. HERE, WE DISCUSS THE FEATURES OF RA AND ADDRESS HOW YOGA CAN BE USED AS A THERAPEUTIC REGIMEN TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH RA. 2021
9 2281 51 THE SUITABILITY OF YOGA AS A POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A FOCUS GROUP APPROACH. OBJECTIVES: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE VIEWS OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) REGARDING THE SUITABILITY OF YOGA AS A POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RA. METHODS: TWENTY-TWO PARTICIPANTS WITH RA WERE RECRUITED FROM OUTPATIENT CLINICS AT A REGIONAL HOSPITAL IN NEW ZEALAND AND DIVIDED INTO FOUR FOCUS GROUPS. HETEROGENEITY BETWEEN GROUPS IN TERMS OF AGE, GENDER, DURATION OF RA AND FUNCTIONAL ABILITY PROVIDED OPINIONS FROM A CROSS-SECTION OF RA PATIENTS. TRANSCRIPTS WERE ANALYSED USING THEMATIC ANALYSIS, WITH FOUR THEMES PREDOMINATING. RESULTS: FIRSTLY, PARTICIPANTS DESCRIBED THEIR EXPERIENCE OF SYMPTOMS RELATED TO THEIR RA IN THREE INDEPENDENT BUT LINKED CATEGORIES OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING. SECONDLY, PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED THE MANAGEMENT OF THEIR RA TO BE PRESCRIPTIVE, MEDICALIZED AND FAILING TO ADDRESS THEIR WIDER HEALTH CONCERNS. THIRDLY, PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED YOGA AS A SAFE, ADAPTABLE THERAPY THAT MAY ALLOW SELF-MANAGEMENT OF THEIR RA. HOWEVER, THERE WAS SOME CONCERN THAT FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS MAY INHIBIT ABILITY TO PRACTISE THE PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF YOGA. FOURTHLY, REQUIREMENTS FOR A YOGA INTERVENTION THAT WOULD BE FEASIBLE FOR PEOPLE WITH RA WERE PRESENTED BY PARTICIPANTS. CONCLUSIONS: PATIENTS WITH RA PERCEIVE A DISPARITY BETWEEN THEIR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF LIVING WITH RA AND THEIR CURRENT MEDICAL MANAGEMENT. YOGA IS PERCEIVED AS A POTENTIAL THERAPY TO ADDRESS THIS DISPARITY. BASED ON OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY PARTICIPANTS, FUTURE RESEARCH REGARDING A YOGA INTERVENTION AS AN ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY FOR MANAGING RA SHOULD MEET PATIENTS' VIEWS ON FEASIBILITY AND TEST OUTCOME MEASURES REFLECTING THE DOMAINS OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING. 2011
10 1827 39 PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR FEMALE INMATES. FEMALE INMATES INVOLVED IN THE YOGA PRISON PROJECT AT TWO CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA SERVED AS SUBJECTS. INMATES WERE SELECTED FROM THOSE WHO APPLIED TO PARTICIPATE IN A TEN-WEEK TRAUMA-FOCUSED YOGA PROGRAM. TO CREATE CONTROL AND EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS, INMATES WHO REQUESTED TO PARTICIPATE WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO BE IN THE CLASS (TREATMENT GROUP, N = 33) OR A WAITLIST (CONTROL GROUP, N = 17). INMATES ON THE WAITLIST SUBSEQUENTLY JOINED THE NEXT CLASS, SO ALL WHO APPLIED AND WERE ELIGIBLE PARTICIPATED IN A YOGA CLASS. MEASURES OF STRESS, DEPRESSION, SELF CONTROL, ANXIETY, SELF AWARENESS AND RUMINATION WERE USED AND DATA WAS COLLECTED FROM BOTH GROUPS BEFORE THE INITIAL YOGA CLASS BEGAN AND AGAIN AT THE END, TEN WEEKS LATER. TO ASSESS THE CHANGES FROM PRE-INTERVENTION TO POST-INTERVENTION, MIXED DESIGN ANOVA TESTS WERE CONDUCTED. INMATES IN THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN DEPRESSION AND STRESS AND IMPROVED SELF-AWARENESS. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE FOUND ON MEASURES OF ANXIETY, RUMINATION AND SELF-CONTROL IN THE YOGA GROUPS. ALTHOUGH NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT, ANXIETY SCORES DID DECREASE AND SELF-CONTROL SCORES IMPROVED FOR THE YOGA GROUP, WHILE INMATES IN THE CONTROL GROUP REPORTED A WORSENING OR NO CHANGE ON THESE TWO MEASURES. NO CHANGES WERE FOUND IN RUMINATION LEVELS. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA IS A RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE INTERVENTION THAT COULD BENEFIT BOTH INMATES AND PRISON STAFF BY REDUCING SOME NEGATIVE BEHAVIORS AND POSSIBLY MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. 2017
11 661 45 EFFECT OF 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING ON THE SOMATIZATION, PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, AND STRESS-RELATED BIOMARKERS OF HEALTHY WOMEN. BACKGROUND: PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA REDUCES PERCEIVED STRESS AND NEGATIVE FEELINGS AND THAT IT IMPROVES PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS. OUR PREVIOUS STUDY ALSO SUGGESTED THAT LONG-TERM YOGA TRAINING IMPROVES STRESS-RELATED PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS SUCH AS ANXIETY AND ANGER. HOWEVER, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON SOMATIZATION, THE MOST COMMON STRESS-RELATED PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS, AND STRESS-RELATED BIOMARKERS. WE PERFORMED A PROSPECTIVE, SINGLE ARM STUDY TO EXAMINE THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING ON SOMATIZATION, PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, AND STRESS-RELATED BIOMARKERS. METHODS: WE RECRUITED HEALTHY WOMEN WHO HAD NO EXPERIENCE WITH YOGA. THE DATA OF 24 PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE FOLLOWED DURING 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING WERE ANALYZED. SOMATIZATION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING USING THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATE (POMS) AND THE SYMPTOM CHECKLIST-90-REVISED (SCL-90-R) QUESTIONNAIRES. URINARY 8-HYDROXYDEOXYGUANOSINE (8-OHDG), BIOPYRRIN, AND CORTISOL LEVELS WERE MEASURED AS STRESS-RELATED BIOMARKERS. THE WILCOXON SIGNED-RANK TEST WAS USED TO COMPARE THE STRESS-RELATED BIOMARKERS AND THE SCORES OF QUESTIONNAIRES BEFORE AND AFTER 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING. RESULTS: AFTER 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING, ALL NEGATIVE SUBSCALE SCORES (TENSION-ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, ANGER-HOSTILITY, FATIGUE, AND CONFUSION) FROM THE POMS AND SOMATIZATION, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND HOSTILITY FROM THE SCL-90-R WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED COMPARED WITH THOSE BEFORE STARTING YOGA TRAINING. CONTRARY TO OUR EXPECTATION, THE URINARY 8-OHDG CONCENTRATION AFTER 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE COMPARED WITH THAT BEFORE STARTING YOGA TRAINING. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE OBSERVED IN THE LEVELS OF URINARY BIOPYRRIN AND CORTISOL AFTER THE 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA TRAINING HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REDUCE THE SOMATIZATION SCORE AND THE SCORES RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH INDICATORS, SUCH AS ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, ANGER, AND FATIGUE. THE PRESENT FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA CAN IMPROVE SOMATIZATION AND MENTAL HEALTH STATUS AND HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PREVENTION OF PSYCHOSOMATIC SYMPTOMS IN HEALTHY WOMEN. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL MEDICAL INFORMATION NETWORK (UMIN CTR) UMIN000007868. 2014
12 667 52 EFFECT OF A 12-WEEK YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM ON MENTAL HEALTH STATUS IN ELDERLY WOMEN INMATES OF A HOSPICE. AIM AND OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA ON THE MENTAL HEALTH STATUS OF ELDERLY WOMEN INMATES RESIDING IN A HOSPICE IN PUDUCHERRY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: FORTY ELDERLY WOMEN WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO YOGA AND WAIT-LISTED CONTROL GROUP. A YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM OF 60 MIN WAS GIVEN TWICE A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. THIS PROTOCOL WAS SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR SENIOR CITIZENS, KEEPING IN MIND THEIR HEALTH STATUS AND PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS THAT INCLUDED SIMPLE WARM-UP AND BREATH-BODY MOVEMENT COORDINATION PRACTICES (JATHIS AND KRIYAS), STATIC STRETCHING POSTURES (ASANAS), BREATHING TECHNIQUES (PRANAYAMAS), AND RELAXATION. HAMILTON ANXIETY SCALE FOR MEASURING ANXIETY, HAMILTON RATING SCALE FOR DEPRESSION, AND ROSENBERG SELF-ESTEEM SCALE TO MEASURE SELF-ESTEEM WERE ADMINISTERED TO BOTH GROUPS BEFORE AND AFTER THE 12-WEEK STUDY PERIOD. DATA WERE ASSESSED FOR NORMALITY, AND APPROPRIATE PARAMETRIC AND NONPARAMETRIC STATISTICAL METHODS WERE APPLIED FOR INTRA- AND INTER-GROUP COMPARISONS. RESULTS: OVERALL, INTRA- AND INTER-GROUP COMPARISON OF PREPOST DATA SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.001) DIFFERENCES FOR ALL THREE PARAMETERS. THERE WAS AN OVERALL IMPROVEMENT IN THE SCORES INDICATING DECREASED LEVELS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY COUPLED WITH AN INCREASE IN THE LEVEL OF SELF-ESTEEM AFTER THE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM. DISCUSSION: THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA IN THE REDUCTION OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY SCORES AND IMPROVEMENT IN SELF-ESTEEM SCORES IN ELDERLY WOMEN SUBJECTS IS EVIDENT FROM THIS STUDY. AS REPORTED IN EARLIER STUDIES, THIS MAY BE ATTRIBUTED TO CHANGES IN CENTRAL NEUROTRANSMITTERS SUCH AS GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC-ACID COUPLED WITH INCREASED PARASYMPATHETIC TONE AND DECREASED SYMPATHO-ADRENAL ACTIVITY. CONCLUSION: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOGA SHOULD BE A PART OF HEALTH-CARE FACILITIES FOR ELDERLY AS IT CAN ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY IMPROVING THEIR OVERALL MENTAL HEALTH STATUS. IT COULD PROVIDE A HEALTHY AND POSITIVE ALTERNATIVE FROM DEPRESSING NEGATIVE THOUGHTS, AND GIVE THEM A SENSE OF PURPOSE AND HOPE. 2017
13 2854 57 YOGA- AND MEDITATION-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION INCREASES NEUROPLASTICITY AND REDUCES SEVERITY OF MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: CURRENT INTERVENTIONS FOR MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) ARE SUBOPTIMAL, AND ONLY ONE THIRD RESPOND TO THEM ON INITIAL TREATMENT. NEUROPLASTICITY THEORIES ARE THE BASIS FOR SEVERAL EMERGING TREATMENTS. EVIDENCE ON THE IMPACT OF YOGA, A WELL-KNOWN MIND-BODY INTERVENTION, ON NEUROPLASTICITY IN MDD IS LIMITED. OBJECTIVES: TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF 12-WEEK YOGA- AND MEDITATION-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION (YMLI) ON DEPRESSION SEVERITY AND SYSTEMIC BIOMARKERS OF NEUROPLASTICITY IN ADULT MDD PATIENTS ON ROUTINE DRUG TREATMENT. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 58 MDD PATIENTS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO YOGA OR CONTROL GROUP. THE SEVERITY OF DEPRESSION WAS ASSESSED WITH BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY-II SCALE (BDI-II). BLOOD SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF THE BIOMARKERS THAT CHARACTERIZE NEUROPLASTICITY, INCLUDING MIND-BODY COMMUNICATIVE AND CELLULAR HEALTH BIOMARKERS. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE [DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEANS, (95% CI)] IN BDI-II SCORE [-5.83 (-7.27, -4.39), P < 0.001] AND SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN BDNF (NG/ML) [5.48 (3.50, 7.46), P < 0.001] AFTER YMLI COMPARED TO CONTROL GROUP. YMLI SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED DHEAS, SIRTUIN 1, AND TELOMERASE ACTIVITY LEVELS, AND DECREASED CORTISOL, AND IL-6 LEVELS, IN ADDITION TO DECREASING DNA DAMAGE AND BALANCING OXIDATIVE STRESS. MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSES WERE USED TO ASSOCIATE NEUROPLASTICITY BIOMARKERS WITH DEPRESSION SEVERITY. A 'POST-INTERVENTION CHANGE IN BDNF' X 'GROUP' INTERACTION INDICATED THAT YOGA GROUP HAD MORE BDNF IN ASSOCIATION WITH LESS BDI-II SCORES RELATIVE TO CONTROLS. INCREASED SIRTUIN 1 AND TELOMERASE ACTIVITY AND DECREASED CORTISOL SIGNIFICANTLY PREDICTED THIS ASSOCIATION (ALL P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT DECREASE IN DEPRESSION SEVERITY AFTER YMLI IN MDD IS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED SYSTEMIC BIOMARKERS OF NEUROPLASTICITY. THUS YMLI CAN BE CONSIDERED AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION IN MDD MANAGEMENT. 2018
14 2847 49 YOGA, MEDITATION AND MIND-BODY HEALTH: INCREASED BDNF, CORTISOL AWAKENING RESPONSE, AND ALTERED INFLAMMATORY MARKER EXPRESSION AFTER A 3-MONTH YOGA AND MEDITATION RETREAT. THIRTY-EIGHT INDIVIDUALS (MEAN AGE: 34.8 YEARS OLD) PARTICIPATING IN A 3-MONTH YOGA AND MEDITATION RETREAT WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOMETRIC MEASURES, BRAIN DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF), CIRCADIAN SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS, AND PRO- AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES. PARTICIPATION IN THE RETREAT WAS FOUND TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASES IN SELF-REPORTED ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AS WELL AS INCREASES IN MINDFULNESS. AS HYPOTHESIZED, INCREASES IN THE PLASMA LEVELS OF BDNF AND INCREASES IN THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CORTISOL AWAKENING RESPONSE (CAR) WERE ALSO OBSERVED. THE NORMALIZED CHANGE IN BDNF LEVELS WAS INVERSELY CORRELATED WITH BSI-18 ANXIETY SCORES AT BOTH THE PRE-RETREAT (R = 0.40, P < 0.05) AND POST-RETREAT (R = 0.52, P < 0.005) SUCH THAT THOSE WITH GREATER ANXIETY SCORES TENDED TO EXHIBIT SMALLER PRE- TO POST-RETREAT INCREASES IN PLASMA BDNF LEVELS. IN LINE WITH A HYPOTHESIZED DECREASE IN INFLAMMATORY PROCESSES RESULTING FROM THE YOGA AND MEDITATION PRACTICES, WE FOUND THAT THE PLASMA LEVEL OF THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE INTERLEUKIN-10 WAS INCREASED AND THE PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE INTERLEUKIN-12 WAS REDUCED AFTER THE RETREAT. CONTRARY TO OUR INITIAL HYPOTHESES, PLASMA LEVELS OF OTHER PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, INCLUDING INTERFERON GAMMA (IFN-GAMMA), TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR (TNF-ALPHA), INTERLEUKIN-1BETA (IL-1BETA), INTERLEUKIN-6 (IL-6), AND INTERLEUKIN-8 (IL-8) WERE INCREASED AFTER THE RETREAT. GIVEN EVIDENCE FROM PREVIOUS STUDIES OF THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF MEDITATIVE PRACTICES ON MENTAL FITNESS, AUTONOMIC HOMEOSTASIS AND INFLAMMATORY STATUS, WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT THESE FINDINGS ARE RELATED TO THE MEDITATIVE PRACTICES THROUGHOUT THE RETREAT; HOWEVER, SOME OF THE OBSERVED CHANGES MAY ALSO BE RELATED TO OTHER ASPECTS OF THE RETREAT SUCH AS PHYSICAL EXERCISE-RELATED COMPONENTS OF THE YOGA PRACTICE AND DIET. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT THE PATTERNS OF CHANGE OBSERVED HERE REFLECT MIND-BODY INTEGRATION AND WELL-BEING. THE INCREASED BDNF LEVELS OBSERVED IS A POTENTIAL MEDIATOR BETWEEN MEDITATIVE PRACTICES AND BRAIN HEALTH, THE INCREASED CAR IS LIKELY A REFLECTION OF INCREASED DYNAMIC PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL, AND THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE DUAL ENHANCEMENT OF PRO- AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE CHANGES TO HEALTHY IMMUNOLOGIC FUNCTIONING IS DISCUSSED. 2017
15 859 37 EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON LEVELS OF INFLAMMATORY MARKERS AFTER MODERATE AND STRENUOUS EXERCISE. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE AND EXERCISE CHALLENGE ON TUMOUR NECROSIS FACTOR ALPHA (TNF-ALPHA), INTERLEUKIN-6 (IL-6) LEVELS AND LIPID PROFILE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN SUBJECTS PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. ONE HUNDRED AND NINE VOLUNTEERS (51 MALES AND 58 FEMALES) IN THE AGE GROUP OF 20 TO 60 YEARS, WHO PRACTICED YOGA REGULARLY FOR OVER FIVE YEARS FOR A PERIOD OF ONE HOUR DAILY, PERFORMED A BOUT OF MODERATE EXERCISE AND A BOUT OF STRENUOUS EXERCISE AS PER STANDARDIZED SHUTTLE WALK TEST PROTOCOL. ANTHROPOMETRICALLY MATCHED, AGE MATCHED AND GENDER MATCHED SUBJECTS, WHO DID NOT PRACTICE YOGA (NON-YOGA GROUP) WERE CHOSEN AS CONTROLS (NON-YOGA, N=109). THE NON-YOGA GROUP ALSO PERFORMED SIMILAR EXERCISES. THE BLOOD SAMPLES OF BOTH THE GROUPS WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE EXERCISES. TNF-ALPHA AND IL-6 WAS ANALYSED BEFORE AND AFTER THE EXERCISE BY SANDWICH ELISA (ENZYME LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY). RESULTS: RESTING PLASMA TNF-ALPHA CONCENTRATION WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN NON-YOGA GROUP WHEN COMPARED TO YOGA GROUP (P<0.05). THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN TNF-ALPHA LEVELS IN BOTH THE GROUPS IN RESPONSE TO STRENUOUS EXERCISE. THERE WAS NO GENDER DIFFERENCE IN TNF-ALPHA AND IL-6 LEVELS BEFORE AND AFTER EXERCISE IN YOGA AND NON-YOGA GROUPS. CONCLUSION: REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA LOWERS BASAL TNF-ALPHA AND IL-6 LEVELS. IT ALSO REDUCES THE EXTENT OF INCREASE OF TNF-ALPHA AND IL-6 TO A PHYSICAL CHALLENGE OF MODERATE EXERCISE AND STRENUOUS EXERCISE. THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT GENDER DIFFERENCE IN THE TNF-ALPHA AND IL-6 LEVELS. REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA CAN PROTECT THE INDIVIDUAL AGAINST INFLAMMATORY DISEASES BY FAVOURABLY ALTERING PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE LEVELS. 2015
16 1002 33 EFFECTS OF MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS ON MOOD STATES, HAPPINESS, AND EXPERIENCES DURING MEDITATION. CONTEXT/BACKGROUND: MANY STUDIES SHOWED POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA ASANAS. THERE IS NO STUDY ON MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS YET. THIS RESEARCH REPLICATED AND EXPANDED OBSERVED IMPROVEMENTS ON THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES (POMS) AS A RESULT OF 2-WEEK MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS COURSE. THIRTEEN COLLEGE STUDENTS TAKING PART IN A 4-WEEK COURSE ON MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS WERE MATCHED WITH 13 STUDENTS TAKING OTHER COURSES AT THE UNIVERSITY. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS ON MOOD STATES, DEGREE OF HAPPINESS, AND EXPERIENCES IN TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION (TM) PRACTICE. METHODS: ALL STUDENTS WERE GIVEN TWO PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS AND ADDITIONAL QUESTION BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR 4-WEEK COURSE: POMS, MEDITATION DEPTH QUESTIONNAIRE, AND QUESTION ABOUT THE DEGREE OF HAPPINESS. RESULTS: REPEATED MEASURE MANOVA SHOWED THE 4-WEEK MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS COURSE RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN HAPPINESS DURING THE DAY AND SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN (1) SENSE OF PERSONAL SELF, (2) TRANSPERSONAL QUALITIES, AND (3) TRANSPERSONAL SELF DURING THEIR TM PRACTICE. CONCLUSION: THIS RESEARCH SHOWS THAT MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS AFFECT MORE THAN BODY AND MIND. RATHER THEY INFLUENCE MUCH DEEPER LEVELS OF ONE'S SUBJECTIVITY INCLUDING ONE'S TRANSPERSONAL SELF. 2018
17 152 39 A QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORING COMMUNITY YOGA PRACTICE IN ADULTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. OBJECTIVE: YOGA MAY IMPROVE PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND REDUCE DISEASE SYMPTOMS IN ADULTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA). HOWEVER, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW PATIENTS WITH RA ARE PRACTICING YOGA IN THE COMMUNITY. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE COMMUNITY YOGA PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS AND THOUGHTS ABOUT YOGA PRACTICE FOR ADULTS WITH RA. DESIGN: PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A SEMI-STRUCTURED TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS. THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS USED TO ANALYZE INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS. PARTICIPANTS: A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 17 ADULTS WITH RHEUMATOLOGIST-DIAGNOSED RA WHO HAD PARTICIPATED IN YOGA WITHIN THE PAST YEAR WERE ASKED ABOUT THE DECISION TO START, CONTINUE, AND STOP YOGA; THE PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF YOGA; COMPONENTS OF YOGA SESSIONS; AND GENERAL THOUGHTS ABOUT YOGA AS IT RELATES TO RA. RESULTS: ALTHOUGH EIGHT DIFFERENT STYLES OF YOGA WERE PRACTICED, COMMONALITIES IN YOGA CLASS COMPONENTS (SUCH AS STRETCHING, STRENGTHENING, DEEP BREATHING, MEDITATION, AND POSITIVE MESSAGING FROM THE INSTRUCTOR) REVEAL EXAMPLES OF PREFERRED TYPES OF YOGA FOR PATIENTS WITH RA. THREE MAIN THEMES EMERGED, EACH WITH MULTIPLE SUBTHEMES: (1) MOTIVATORS (PHYSICAL FITNESS, INFLUENCE OF OTHERS, REDUCED PRICE), (2) BARRIERS (COST, SYMPTOM BURDEN, CLASS DIFFICULTY), AND (3) BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE (MIND-BODY, A TOOL FOR COPING, PRIDE/ACHIEVEMENT, SOCIAL, AND "YOGA MEETS YOU WHERE YOU ARE"). CONCLUSION: IN THIS STUDY, PATIENTS WITH RA DESCRIBED HOW YOGA PRACTICE HELPED IMPROVE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SYMPTOMS RELATED TO THEIR DISEASE. YOGA PRACTICE, A DYNAMIC EXERCISE, ENCOMPASSING MANY DIFFERENT STYLES, CAN PROVIDE MANY BENEFITS FOR ADULTS WITH RA; HOWEVER, YOGA MAY NOT BE BENEFICIAL FOR EVERY ADULT WITH RA. 2017
18 156 37 A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA: A GROUP-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION INTERVENTION TO FACILITATE COMMUNITY INTEGRATION FOR PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND THEIR CAREGIVERS. PURPOSE: TO EXPLORE PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES IN A GROUP-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION INTERVENTION DESIGNED TO FACILITATE COMMUNITY INTEGRATION FOR PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND THEIR CAREGIVERS.MATERIALS AND METHODS: WE CONDUCTED SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WITH 13 PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND THREE CAREGIVERS WHO HAD COMPLETED LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA, A 6-SESSION, MANUALIZED, GROUP-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION THAT INCORPORATES BREATHING EXERCISES, YOGA, MEDITATION, AND PSYCHOEDUCATION. INTERVIEWS WERE ANALYZED USING CONTENT ANALYSIS.RESULTS: WE IDENTIFIED SEVEN THEMES: EASE OF PARTICIPATION, BELONGING, SUSTAINING COMMUNITY CONNECTION, PHYSICAL HEALTH, SELF-REGULATION, SELF-EFFICACY, AND RESILIENCE. ALL PARTICIPANTS VALUED THE COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA STUDIO ENVIRONMENT AND MULTIFACETED STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN STRENGTH, BALANCE, FLEXIBILITY, AND ATTENTION CONTROL, AND A GREATER SENSE OF BELONGING, COMMUNITY CONNECTION, AND ABILITY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR LIVES. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED ONGOING USE OF TOOLS (E.G., BREATHING EXERCISES) TO COPE WITH NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AND STRESS. ABOUT HALF OF PARTICIPANTS SUSTAINED RELATIONSHIPS BUILT DURING LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA AND FELT MORE CAPABLE OF ACCESSING OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THEIR COMMUNITY.CONCLUSIONS: LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA SUCCESSFULLY PROMOTED COMMUNITY INTEGRATION FOR PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY. IT ALSO FACILITATED DIVERSE AND MEANINGFUL PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL HEALTH BENEFITS, WHICH SUGGEST THAT IT MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE MODE OF COMMUNITY-BASED REHABILITATION.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONTRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY SURVIVORS OFTEN STRUGGLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR COMMUNITY, THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF REHABILITATIONYOGA IS A HOLISTIC THERAPY WITH MANY BENEFITS, YET IS NOT ACCESSIBLE TO THE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY POPULATION AT THE COMMUNITY LEVELPARTICIPANTS IN A COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION INTERVENTION IN SIX STATES EXPERIENCED DIVERSE AND MEANINGFUL PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL HEALTH BENEFITSGROUP-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE MODE OF COMMUNITY INTEGRATION AND COMMUNITY-BASED REHABILITATION FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY SURVIVORS. 2020
19 871 58 EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON DISEASE ACTIVITY, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. BACKGROUND: RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) IS AN IMMUNE-MEDIATED INFLAMMATORY DISEASE. ANTIRHEUMATOID TREATMENT REDUCES DISEASE ACTIVITY AND INFLAMMATION, BUT NOT ALL PATIENTS RESPOND TO TREATMENT. AUTONOMIC DYSFUNCTION IS COMMON IN RA LEADING TO FREQUENT CARDIOVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS. YOGA THERAPY MAY BE USEFUL IN THESE PATIENTS, BUT THERE ARE LITTLE DATA ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON DISEASE ACTIVITY, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV). OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY ASSESSED THE EFFECT OF 12-WEEK YOGA THERAPY ON DISEASE ACTIVITY, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, AND HRV IN PATIENTS WITH RA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED ON NEWLY DIAGNOSED RA PATIENTS ATTENDING OUTPATIENT SERVICES AT THE DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY, JIPMER. ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SIX PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS: THE CONTROL GROUP (CG) (N = 83) AND YOGA GROUP (YG) (N = 83). YOGA THERAPY WAS ADMINISTERED TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE YG FOR 12 WEEKS, ALONG WITH STANDARD MEDICAL TREATMENT. THE CG RECEIVED ONLY STANDARD MEDICAL TREATMENT. PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE DISEASE ACTIVITY SCORE 28, INTERLEUKIN-1ALPHA (IL-1ALPHA), IL-6, TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR-ALPHA (TNF-ALPHA), CORTISOL, AND HRV PARAMETERS. ALL PARAMETERS WERE MEASURED AT BASELINE AND AFTER 12 WEEKS. RESULTS: DISEASE ACTIVITY SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED IN BOTH GROUPS AFTER 12 WEEKS, BUT IT WAS REDUCED MORE IN YG, WHICH WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.05). IN BOTH YG AND CG, IL-1ALPHA, IL-6, TNF-ALPHA, AND CORTISOL DECREASED AFTER 12 WEEKS, BUT IL-1ALPHA AND CORTISOL DECREASED MORE SIGNIFICANTLY IN YG THAN IN CG. LOW-FREQUENCY COMPONENT EXPRESSED AS NORMALIZED UNIT (LFNU) AND THE LOW-FREQUENCY/HIGH-FREQUENCY (LF-HF) RATIO DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY, AND TOTAL POWER AND HF COMPONENT EXPRESSED AS NORMALIZED UNIT (HFNU) INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE YG COMPARED WITH CG. CONCLUSION: TWELVE-WEEK YOGA THERAPY, IF GIVEN ALONG WITH STANDARD MEDICAL TREATMENT, SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES DISEASE ACTIVITY AND IMPROVES SYMPATHOVAGAL BALANCE IN RA PATIENTS. 2020
20 508 43 COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF A 12 WEEK YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION AND DIETARY INTERVENTION ON ADIPOKINES, INFLAMMATION, AND OXIDATIVE STRESS IN ADULTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. THE PRESENT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) EVALUATED THE COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF 12 WEEK YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION (YBLI) AND DIETARY INTERVENTION (DI) ALONE ON ADIPOKINES, INFLAMMATION, AND OXIDATIVE STRESS IN INDIAN ADULTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME (MET S). A PARALLEL, TWO ARM, RCT WAS CONDUCTED IN INTEGRAL HEALTH CLINIC (IHC), ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, INDIA FROM 2012 TO 2014. IHC IS AN OUTPATIENT FACILITY CONDUCTING YBLI PROGRAMS FOR PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC DISEASES. TWO HUNDRED SIXTY MEN AND WOMEN (20-45 YEARS) VISITING THE OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL WERE DIAGNOSED WITH MET S AND RANDOMIZED 1:1 TO RECEIVE 12 WEEK YBLI (N = 130) OR DI (N = 130). PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE CHANGE IN PLASMA LEVELS OF ADIPOKINES (LEPTIN, ADIPONECTIN, AND LEPTIN:ADIPONECTIN RATIO), MARKERS OF INFLAMMATION (TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR [TNF]-ALPHA, INTERLEUKIN [IL]-6), MARKERS OF OXIDATIVE STRESS (THIOBARBITURIC ACID REACTIVE SUBSTANCES [TBARS], 8-HYDROXY-2'-DEOXYGUANOSINE [8-OHDG], AND SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE [SOD]) MEASURED AT BASELINE, 2 WEEKS, AND 12 WEEKS. YBLI GROUP SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN LEPTIN, LEPTIN:ADIPONECTIN RATIO, IL-6, 8-OHDG, AND TBARS LEVELS, WHEREAS THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN ADIPONECTIN AND SOD LEVELS. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE NOTICED IN DI ALONE GROUP. YBLI SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER REDUCTION IN TBARS LEVELS THAN IN DI GROUP, SUGGESTIVE OF REDUCED OXIDATIVE STRESS IN ADULTS WITH MET S. A 12 WEEK YBLI HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OXIDATIVE STRESS VERSUS DI ALONE IN ADULTS WITH MET S. 2019