1 931 191 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA THERAPY AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: A META-ANALYSIS. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFICACY OF YOGA THERAPY AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS SUCH AS SCHIZOPHRENIA, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD). DATA SOURCES: ELIGIBLE TRIALS WERE IDENTIFIED BY A LITERATURE SEARCH OF PUBMED/MEDLINE, COCHRANE CONTROL TRIALS REGISTER, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, AND EBSCO ON THE BASIS OF CRITERIA OF ACCEPTABLE QUALITY AND RELEVANCE. THE SEARCH WAS PERFORMED USING THE FOLLOWING TERMS: YOGA FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA, YOGA FOR DEPRESSION, YOGA FOR ANXIETY, YOGA FOR PTSD, YOGA THERAPY, YOGA FOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT, AND EFFICACY OF YOGA THERAPY. TRIALS BOTH UNPUBLISHED AND PUBLISHED WITH NO LIMITATION PLACED ON YEAR OF PUBLICATION WERE INCLUDED; HOWEVER, THE OLDEST ARTICLE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL META-ANALYSIS WAS PUBLISHED IN 2000. STUDY SELECTION: ALL AVAILABLE RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS OF YOGA FOR THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL ILLNESS WERE REVIEWED, AND 10 STUDIES WERE ELIGIBLE FOR INCLUSION. AS VERY FEW RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED STUDIES HAVE EXAMINED YOGA FOR MENTAL ILLNESS, THIS META-ANALYSIS INCLUDES STUDIES WITH PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE DIAGNOSED WITH MENTAL ILLNESS, AS WELL AS STUDIES WITH PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE NOT DIAGNOSED WITH MENTAL ILLNESS BUT REPORTED SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS. TRIALS WERE EXCLUDED DUE TO THE FOLLOWING: (1) INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION, (2) INADEQUATE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS, (3) YOGA WAS NOT THE CENTRAL COMPONENT OF THE INTERVENTION, (4) SUBJECTS WERE NOT DIAGNOSED WITH OR DID NOT REPORT EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS OF ONE OF THE PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS OF INTEREST (IE, SCHIZOPHRENIA, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND PTSD), (5) STUDY WAS NOT REPORTED IN ENGLISH, AND (6) STUDY DID NOT INCLUDE A CONTROL GROUP. DATA EXTRACTION: DATA WERE EXTRACTED ON PARTICIPANT DIAGNOSIS, INCLUSION CRITERIA, TREATMENT AND CONTROL GROUPS, DURATION OF INTERVENTION, AND RESULTS (PRE-POST MEAN AND STANDARD DEVIATIONS, T VALUES, AND F VALUES). NUMBER, AGE, AND SEX RATIO OF PARTICIPANTS WERE ALSO OBTAINED WHEN AVAILABLE. DATA SYNTHESIS: THE COMBINED ANALYSIS OF ALL 10 STUDIES PROVIDED A POOLED EFFECT SIZE OF -3.25 (95% CI, -5.36 TO -1.14; P = .002), INDICATING THAT YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS HAVE A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT EFFECT AS AN ADJUNCT TREATMENT FOR MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. FINDINGS IN SUPPORT OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY INTERVENTIONS MAY ESPECIALLY BE AN AID IN THE TREATMENT OF DISORDERS FOR WHICH CURRENT TREATMENTS ARE FOUND TO BE INADEQUATE OR TO CARRY SEVERE LIABILITIES. CONCLUSIONS: AS CURRENT PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGIC INTERVENTIONS FOR SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED RISK OF WEIGHT GAIN AS WELL AS OTHER METABOLIC SIDE EFFECTS THAT INCREASE PATIENTS' RISK FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE, FAR LESS TOXIC ADJUNCT TREATMENT OPTION FOR SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS. 2011 2 2927 55 [YOGA FOR MENTAL DISORDERS]. BACKGROUND: THE DEMAND FOR COMPLEMENTARY CLINICALLY EFFICACIOUS, SAFE, PATIENT ACCEPTABLE, AND COST-EFFECTIVE FORMS OF TREATMENT FOR MENTAL ILLNESS IS GROWING. YOGA HAS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON SOMATIC AND MENTAL HEALTH FACTORS; THEREFORE, YOGA HAS PREVENTIVE AND THERAPEUTIC CAPABILITIES TO IMPROVE MENTAL DYSFUNCTION. OBJECTIVE: IN THIS OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT LITERATURE, THE EVIDENCE OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SELECTED MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS IS SUMMARIZED. RESULTS: THE STRONGEST EVIDENCE BASE FOR YOGA EXISTS IN REDUCING DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS BUT ITS USE IN MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS IS LESS CLEAR. THE EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR ANXIETY DISORDERS, AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) IS ENCOURAGING, BUT NOT DEFINITIVE DUE TO ONLY A FEW RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS AND METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS. CONCLUSION: THERE IS PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE THAT MEDITATION-BASED YOGA INTERVENTIONS MAY BE HELPFUL FOR DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND PTSD; HOWEVER, THERE MAY ALSO BE THE RISK OF ENGAGING IN EXTREME YOGA PRACTICES. THE VALUE OF INTEGRATING YOGA INTO A TREATMENT PLAN FOR PATIENTS WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS NEEDS TO BE EVALUATED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS CAN MOTIVATE AND HELP PATIENTS EVALUATE WHETHER A GIVEN YOGA CLASS IS HELPFUL AND SAFE FOR THEM. METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS AND THE UNCLEAR RISK-BENEFIT RATIO PRECLUDE DEFINITIVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TREATMENT. 2018 3 522 41 COMPARISON GROUPS IN YOGA RESEARCH: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THE LITERATURE. OBJECTIVES: COMPARISON GROUPS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR ACCURATE TESTING AND INTERPRETATION OF YOGA INTERVENTION TRIALS. HOWEVER, SELECTING PROPER COMPARISON GROUPS IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE YOGA COMPRISES A VERY HETEROGENEOUS SET OF PRACTICES AND ITS MECHANISMS OF EFFECT HAVE NOT BEEN CONCLUSIVELY ESTABLISHED. METHODS: WE CONDUCTED A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE CONTROL AND COMPARISON GROUPS USED IN PUBLISHED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) OF YOGA. RESULTS: WE LOCATED 128 RCTS THAT MET OUR INCLUSION CRITERIA; OF THESE, 65 INCLUDED ONLY A PASSIVE CONTROL AND 63 INCLUDED AT LEAST ONE ACTIVE COMPARISON GROUP. PRIMARY COMPARISON GROUPS WERE PHYSICAL EXERCISE (43%), RELAXATION/MEDITATION (20%), AND EDUCATION (16%). STUDIES RARELY PROVIDED A STRONG RATIONALE FOR CHOICE OF COMPARISON. CONSIDERING YEAR OF PUBLICATION, THE USE OF ACTIVE CONTROLS IN YOGA RESEARCH APPEARS TO BE SLOWLY INCREASING OVER TIME. CONCLUSIONS: GIVEN THAT YOGA HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AS A POTENTIALLY POWERFUL INTERVENTION, FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD USE ACTIVE CONTROL GROUPS. FURTHER, CARE IS NEEDED TO SELECT COMPARISON CONDITIONS THAT HELP TO ISOLATE THE SPECIFIC MECHANISMS OF YOGA'S EFFECTS. 2014 4 2245 58 THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA-BASED PROGRAMS ON RISK PROFILES IN ADULTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE THAT YOGA MAY OFFER A SAFE AND COST-EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (DM 2). HOWEVER, SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS ARE LACKING. THIS ARTICLE CRITICALLY REVIEWS THE PUBLISHED LITERATURE REGARDING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED PROGRAMS ON PHYSIOLOGIC AND ANTHROPOMETRIC RISK PROFILES AND RELATED CLINICAL OUTCOMES IN ADULTS WITH DM 2. WE PERFORMED A COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE SEARCH USING FOUR COMPUTERIZED ENGLISH AND INDIAN SCIENTIFIC DATABASES. THE SEARCH WAS RESTRICTED TO ORIGINAL STUDIES (1970-2006) THAT EVALUATED THE METABOLIC AND CLINICAL EFFECTS OF YOGA IN ADULTS WITH DM 2. STUDIES TARGETING CLINICAL POPULATIONS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDERS THAT INCLUDED ADULTS WITH COMORBID DM WERE ALSO EVALUATED. DATA WERE EXTRACTED REGARDING STUDY DESIGN, SETTING, TARGET POPULATION, INTERVENTION, COMPARISON GROUP OR CONDITION, OUTCOME ASSESSMENT, DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION, FOLLOW-UP, AND KEY RESULTS, AND THE QUALITY OF EACH STUDY WAS EVALUATED ACCORDING TO SPECIFIC PREDETERMINED CRITERIA. WE IDENTIFIED 25 ELIGIBLE STUDIES, INCLUDING 15 UNCONTROLLED TRIALS, 6 NON-RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS AND 4 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS). OVERALL, THESE STUDIES SUGGEST BENEFICIAL CHANGES IN SEVERAL RISK INDICES, INCLUDING GLUCOSE TOLERANCE AND INSULIN SENSITIVITY, LIPID PROFILES, ANTHROPOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS, BLOOD PRESSURE, OXIDATIVE STRESS, COAGULATION PROFILES, SYMPATHETIC ACTIVATION AND PULMONARY FUNCTION, AS WELL AS IMPROVEMENT IN SPECIFIC CLINICAL OUTCOMES. YOGA MAY IMPROVE RISK PROFILES IN ADULTS WITH DM 2, AND MAY HAVE PROMISE FOR THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS IN THIS POPULATION. HOWEVER, THE LIMITATIONS CHARACTERIZING MOST STUDIES PRECLUDE DRAWING FIRM CONCLUSIONS. ADDITIONAL HIGH-QUALITY RCTS ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM AND FURTHER ELUCIDATE THE EFFECTS OF STANDARDIZED YOGA PROGRAMS IN POPULATIONS WITH DM 2. 2007 5 1300 44 HATHA YOGA FOR DEPRESSION: CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE FOR EFFICACY, PLAUSIBLE MECHANISMS OF ACTION, AND DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. BACKGROUND: THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO REVIEW THE EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFICACY OF HATHA YOGA FOR DEPRESSION AND POSSIBLE MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON DEPRESSION, AND TO OUTLINE DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. METHODS: LITERATURE REVIEW AND SYNTHESIS. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A LITERATURE SEARCH FOR CLINICAL TRIALS EXAMINING YOGA FOR DEPRESSION UNCOVERED EIGHT TRIALS: 5 INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS WITH CLINICAL DEPRESSION, AND 3 FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH ELEVATED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS. ALTHOUGH RESULTS FROM THESE TRIALS ARE ENCOURAGING, THEY SHOULD BE VIEWED AS VERY PRELIMINARY BECAUSE THE TRIALS, AS A GROUP, SUFFERED FROM SUBSTANTIAL METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS. WE WOULD ARGUE, HOWEVER, THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS TO CONSIDER CONSTRUCTING CAREFUL RESEARCH ON YOGA FOR DEPRESSION. FIRST, CURRENT STRATEGIES FOR TREATING DEPRESSION ARE NOT SUFFICIENT FOR MANY INDIVIDUALS, AND PATIENTS HAVE SEVERAL CONCERNS ABOUT EXISTING TREATMENTS. YOGA MAY BE AN ATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO OR A GOOD WAY TO AUGMENT CURRENT DEPRESSION TREATMENT STRATEGIES. SECOND, ASPECTS OF YOGA-INCLUDING MINDFULNESS PROMOTION AND EXERCISE-ARE THOUGHT TO BE "ACTIVE INGREDIENTS" OF OTHER SUCCESSFUL TREATMENTS FOR DEPRESSION. THIRD, THERE ARE PLAUSIBLE BIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND BEHAVIORAL MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON DEPRESSION. WE PROVIDE SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NEXT STEPS IN THE STUDY OF YOGA AS A TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION. 2010 6 2172 51 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON DEPRESSION AND MOTOR FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE: A REVIEW OF CONTROLLED STUDIES. BACKGROUND: PARKINSON'S DISEASE (PD) IS A NEURODEGENERATIVE/NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDER CHARACTERIZED BY BOTH MOTOR AND NON-MOTOR SYMPTOMOLOGY. THE REPORTED PREVALENCE OF DEPRESSION IN PATIENTS WITH PD IS DIFFICULT TO ASCERTAIN DUE TO OVERLAPPING SOMATIC SYMPTOMS AND FAILURE TO SELF-REPORT SYMPTOMS. ALTHOUGH ANTIDEPRESSANTS REMAIN A FIRST-LINE TREATMENT, THEY CAN HAVE ADVERSE EFFECTS. RECENTLY, LITERATURE HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT DUE TO ITS ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PROPERTIES, YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE NONPHARMACOLOGIC THERAPY FOR DEPRESSION. METHODS: A SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED TO IDENTIFY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) PUBLISHED FROM JANUARY 2000 TO JANUARY 2019 THAT ASSESSED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON DEPRESSION AND MOTOR FUNCTIONING IN PD. RESULTS: THREE STUDIES MET THE CRITERIA FOR INCLUSION. IN ONE RCT, BIWEEKLY YOGA RESULTED IN A DECREASE IN DEPRESSION SCORE (P = .056). IN ANOTHER RCT, WEEKLY YOGA RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN DEPRESSION AND DEMONSTRATED THAT ITS THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS ARE LONG-LASTING. FINALLY, IN A THIRD RCT, NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND BETWEEN CONTROL AND EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS IN DEPRESSION AFTER BIWEEKLY YOGA. HOWEVER, YOGA WAS FOUND TO BE PROTECTIVE AGAINST WORSENING OF DEPRESSION. CONCLUSIONS: OUR REVIEW SUGGESTS THAT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA MAY BE A USEFUL NONPHARMACOLOGIC ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION IN PATIENTS WITH PD. HOWEVER, MORE CONTROLLED RCTS ARE NEEDED TO VALIDATE OUR CONCLUSIONS. 2020 7 2416 34 YOGA AND MEDITATION IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. YOGA IS A HOLISTIC MIND-BODY INTERVENTION AIMED AT PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL WELL BEING. SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT YOGA AND/OR MEDITATION CAN CONTROL RISK FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE LIKE HYPERTENSION, TYPE II DIABETES AND INSULIN RESISTANCE, OBESITY, LIPID PROFILE, PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESS AND SMOKING. SOME RANDOMIZED STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA/MEDITATION COULD RETARD OR EVEN REGRESS EARLY AND ADVANCED CORONARY ATHEROSCLEROSIS. A RECENT STUDY SUGGESTS THAT TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION MAY BE EXTREMELY USEFUL IN SECONDARY PREVENTION OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE AND MAY REDUCE CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS BY 48% OVER A 5-YEAR PERIOD. ANOTHER SMALL STUDY SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY BE HELPFUL IN PREVENTION OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION. HOWEVER, MOST STUDIES HAVE SEVERAL LIMITATIONS LIKE LACK OF ADEQUATE CONTROLS, SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, INCONSISTENCIES IN BASELINE AND DIFFERENT METHODOLOGIES, ETC. AND THEREFORE LARGE TRIALS WITH IMPROVED METHODOLOGIES ARE REQUIRED TO CONFIRM THESE FINDINGS. HOWEVER, IN VIEW OF THE EXISTING KNOWLEDGE AND YOGA BEING A COST-EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUE WITHOUT SIDE EFFECTS, IT APPEARS APPROPRIATE TO INCORPORATE YOGA/MEDITATION FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY PREVENTION OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. 2014 8 2688 45 YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS: A REVIEW. BACKGROUND: PATIENT USE OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS, INCLUDING YOGA, TO MANAGE MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS, HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED. DESPITE RESEARCH INTEREST, THERE ARE FEW RECENT REVIEWS OF THE EVIDENCE OF THE BENEFIT OF YOGA IN THESE CONDITIONS. METHOD: THE PUBMED, MEDLINE AND PSYCINFO DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR LITERATURE PUBLISHED UP TO JULY 2008, RELATING TO YOGA AND DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. RESULTS: THE PAUCITY OF REPORTED STUDIES AND SEVERAL METHODOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS LIMIT DATA INTERPRETATION. IN DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS, YOGA MAY BE COMPARABLE TO MEDICATION AND THE COMBINATION SUPERIOR TO MEDICATION ALONE. THERE IS REASONABLE EVIDENCE FOR ITS USE AS SECOND-LINE MONOTHERAPY OR AUGMENTATION TO MEDICATION IN MILD TO MODERATE MAJOR DEPRESSION AND DYSTHYMIA, WITH EARLY EVIDENCE OF BENEFIT IN MORE SEVERE DEPRESSION. IN ANXIETY DISORDERS, YOGA MAY BE SUPERIOR TO MEDICATION FOR A SUBGROUP OF PATIENTS, BUT ITS BENEFITS IN SPECIFIC CONDITIONS ARE STILL LARGELY UNKNOWN. SECOND-LINE MONOTHERAPY IS INDICATED IN PERFORMANCE OR TEST ANXIETY, BUT ONLY PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE EXISTS FOR OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. YOGA APPEARS TO BE SUPERIOR TO NO TREATMENT AND PROGRESSIVE RELAXATION FOR BOTH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, AND MAY BENEFIT MOOD AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH MEDICAL ILLNESS. IT SHOWS GOOD SAFETY AND TOLERABILITY IN SHORT-TERM TREATMENT. CONCLUSION: REASONABLE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE BENEFIT OF YOGA IN SPECIFIC DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS. THE EVIDENCE IS STILL PRELIMINARY IN ANXIETY DISORDERS. GIVEN ITS PATIENT APPEAL AND THE PROMISING FINDINGS THUS FAR, FURTHER RESEARCH ON YOGA IN THESE CONDITIONS IS ENCOURAGED. 2009 9 2422 43 YOGA AND MINDFULNESS AS THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS FOR STROKE REHABILITATION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. AIM. THIS PAPER REPORTS A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF THE EVIDENCE ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BEHAVIORAL THERAPIES SUCH AS YOGA AND MINDFULNESS PRACTICES FOR STROKE REHABILITATION. BACKGROUND. THE EXPERIENCE OF STROKE CAN HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH AND ON QUALITY OF LIFE. YOGA AND RELEVANT PRACTICES ARE PROMISING THERAPIES THAT HAVE BEEN USED WITH PATIENTS WITH A VARIETY OF CONDITIONS. IN ORDER TO DRAW CONCLUSIONS ON EFFECTIVENESS FOR STROKE PATIENTS, THE EVIDENCE REQUIRES SYSTEMATIC ASSESSMENT. METHODS. A COMPREHENSIVE SEARCH OF MAJOR BIOMEDICAL AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE DATABASES WAS CONDUCTED. RELEVANT RESEARCH WAS CATEGORIZED BY STUDY TYPE AND APPRAISED ACCORDING TO STUDY DESIGN. RESULTS. FIVE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIALS AND FOUR SINGLE CASE STUDIES WERE FOUND. ADDITIONALLY, ONE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH STUDY WAS IDENTIFIED. STUDIES REPORTED POSITIVE RESULTS, INCLUDING IMPROVEMENTS IN COGNITION, MOOD, AND BALANCE AND REDUCTIONS IN STRESS. MODIFICATIONS TO DIFFERENT YOGA PRACTICES MAKE COMPARISON BETWEEN STUDIES DIFFICULT, AND A LACK OF CONTROLLED STUDIES PRECLUDES ANY FIRM CONCLUSIONS ON EFFICACY. CONCLUSION. YOGA AND MINDFULNESS COULD BE CLINICALLY VALUABLE SELF-ADMINISTERED INTERVENTION OPTIONS FOR STROKE REHABILITATION. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO EVALUATE THESE SPECIFIC PRACTICES AND THEIR SUITABILITY IN STROKE REHABILITATION. 2013 10 2541 33 YOGA FOR ANXIETY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH EVIDENCE. BETWEEN MARCH AND JUNE 2004, A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WAS CARRIED OUT OF THE RESEARCH EVIDENCE ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. EIGHT STUDIES WERE REVIEWED. THEY REPORTED POSITIVE RESULTS, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE MANY METHODOLOGICAL INADEQUACIES. OWING TO THE DIVERSITY OF CONDITIONS TREATED AND POOR QUALITY OF MOST OF THE STUDIES, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SAY THAT YOGA IS EFFECTIVE IN TREATING ANXIETY OR ANXIETY DISORDERS IN GENERAL. HOWEVER, THERE ARE ENCOURAGING RESULTS, PARTICULARLY WITH OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER. FURTHER WELL CONDUCTED RESEARCH IS NECESSARY WHICH MAY BE MOST PRODUCTIVE IF FOCUSED ON SPECIFIC ANXIETY DISORDERS. 2005 11 2732 57 YOGA ON OUR MINDS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF YOGA FOR NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. BACKGROUND: THE DEMAND FOR CLINICALLY EFFICACIOUS, SAFE, PATIENT ACCEPTABLE, AND COST-EFFECTIVE FORMS OF TREATMENT FOR MENTAL ILLNESS IS GROWING. SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED BENEFIT FROM YOGA IN SPECIFIC PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS AND A GENERAL SENSE OF WELL-BEING. OBJECTIVE: TO SYSTEMATICALLY EXAMINE THE EVIDENCE FOR EFFICACY OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF SELECTED MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. METHODS: ELECTRONIC SEARCHES OF THE COCHRANE CENTRAL REGISTER OF CONTROLLED TRIALS AND THE STANDARD BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABASES, MEDLINE, EMBASE, AND PSYCINFO, WERE PERFORMED THROUGH APRIL 2011 AND AN UPDATED IN JUNE 2011 USING THE KEYWORDS YOGA AND PSYCHIATRY OR DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY OR SCHIZOPHRENIA OR COGNITION OR MEMORY OR ATTENTION AND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT). STUDIES WITH YOGA AS THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE AND ONE OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED TERMS AS THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE WERE INCLUDED AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA WERE APPLIED. RESULTS: THE SEARCH YIELDED A TOTAL OF 124 TRIALS, OF WHICH 16 MET RIGOROUS CRITERIA FOR THE FINAL REVIEW. GRADE B EVIDENCE SUPPORTING A POTENTIAL ACUTE BENEFIT FOR YOGA EXISTS IN DEPRESSION (FOUR RCTS), AS AN ADJUNCT TO PHARMACOTHERAPY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA (THREE RCTS), IN CHILDREN WITH ADHD (TWO RCTS), AND GRADE C EVIDENCE IN SLEEP COMPLAINTS (THREE RCTS). RCTS IN COGNITIVE DISORDERS AND EATING DISORDERS YIELDED CONFLICTING RESULTS. NO STUDIES LOOKED AT PRIMARY PREVENTION, RELAPSE PREVENTION, OR COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS VERSUS PHARMACOTHERAPY. CONCLUSION: THERE IS EMERGING EVIDENCE FROM RANDOMIZED TRIALS TO SUPPORT POPULAR BELIEFS ABOUT YOGA FOR DEPRESSION, SLEEP DISORDERS, AND AS AN AUGMENTATION THERAPY. LIMITATIONS OF LITERATURE INCLUDE INABILITY TO DO DOUBLE-BLIND STUDIES, MULTIPLICITY OF COMPARISONS WITHIN SMALL STUDIES, AND LACK OF REPLICATION. BIOMARKER AND NEUROIMAGING STUDIES, THOSE COMPARING YOGA WITH STANDARD PHARMACO- AND PSYCHOTHERAPIES, AND STUDIES OF LONG-TERM EFFICACY ARE NEEDED TO FULLY TRANSLATE THE PROMISE OF YOGA FOR ENHANCING MENTAL HEALTH. 2012 12 1515 34 IS YOGA A SUITABLE TREATMENT FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: CURRENT OPINION. WE REVIEWED PUBLISHED LITERATURE REGARDING THE USE OF YOGA FOR MANAGING RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS TO DETERMINE WHETHER ADEQUATE EVIDENCE EXISTS TO SUGGEST ITS USEFULNESS AS A THERAPY. A SEARCH FOR PREVIOUS STUDIES INVOLVING YOGA AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS IN PUBMED YIELDED EIGHT REPORTS. THESE STUDIES REPORTED THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA), SUGGESTING THAT YOGA IS A USEFUL ADD-ON THERAPY FOR RA PATIENTS. HOWEVER, ALL STUDIES SHOWED LIMITATIONS WITH RESPECT TO SAMPLE SIZE, STUDY DESIGN, DESCRIPTION AND DURATION OF YOGA INTERVENTION, AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS AND STATISTICAL METHODS USED. ADDITIONALLY, THE STUDIES DID NOT ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING OBSERVED BENEFITS. HENCE, EVIDENCE SUGGESTS A DEFINITE ROLE OF YOGA IN RA IMPROVEMENT, REDUCING PAIN, IMPROVING FUNCTION, AND CREATING A POSITIVE MENTAL STATE. HOWEVER, DETAILED ANALYSIS AND ADDITIONAL STUDIES ARE NECESSARY TO VERIFY THESE OBSERVATIONS. 2012 13 2402 45 YOGA AND EATING DISORDERS: IS THERE A PLACE FOR YOGA IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS AND DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS? THIS PAPER ADDRESSES THE QUESTION: WHAT CAN THE PRACTICE OF YOGA OFFER THE FIELD OF EATING DISORDERS IN TERMS OF PREVENTION AND TREATMENT? REGARDING PREVENTION, PRELIMINARY RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN DECREASING RISK FACTORS, AND INCREASING PROTECTIVE FACTORS, FOR EATING DISORDERS. YOGA WAS ALSO FOUND TO BE HELPFUL IN A SMALL NUMBER OF TREATMENT STUDIES. HOWEVER, FINDINGS ARE NOT CONSISTENT ACROSS STUDIES, WHICH ARE LIMITED IN NUMBER, AND DUE TO THE PRELIMINARY NATURE OF THIS BODY OF RESEARCH, MOST STUDIES HAVE WEAKNESSES IN THEIR DESIGNS (E.G. OBSERVATIONAL DESIGN, NO CONTROL GROUPS, OR SMALL SAMPLE SIZES). THE BASIC TENETS OF YOGA, ANECDOTAL REPORTS OF ITS EFFECTIVENESS, ITS HIGH ACCESSIBILITY AND LOW COST, AND INITIAL RESEARCH FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY OFFER PROMISE FOR THE FIELD OF EATING DISORDERS. TWO OPTIONS ARE SUGGESTED FOR PREVENTION: (1) EATING DISORDER PREVENTION CAN BE INTEGRATED INTO ONGOING YOGA CLASSES AND (2) YOGA CAN BE INTEGRATED INTO EATING DISORDER PREVENTION PROGRAMMES. REGARDING TREATMENT, IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT TEACHING STYLES AND PRACTICES FOR DIFFERENT EATING DISORDERS. POTENTIAL HARMS OF YOGA SHOULD ALSO BE EXPLORED. FURTHER RESEARCH, USING STRONGER STUDY DESIGNS, SUCH AS RANDOMISED, CONTROLLED TRIALS, IS NEEDED. 2014 14 2485 49 YOGA AS AN ANCILLARY TREATMENT FOR NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: A REVIEW. YOGA IS GAINING ACCEPTANCE AS AN ANCILLARY MEDICAL TREATMENT, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN FEW STUDIES EVALUATING ITS THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS IN NEUROLOGICAL AND MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS. THE AUTHORS REVIEWED THE LITERATURE IN ENGLISH ON THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR THESE DISORDERS. ONLY RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS WERE INCLUDED, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ONLY STUDY OF YOGA FOR BIPOLAR DISORDER, WHICH WAS OBSERVATIONAL. TRIALS WERE EXCLUDED IF YOGA WAS NOT THE CENTRAL COMPONENT OF THE INTERVENTION. OF SEVEN RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS OF YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS, SIX FOUND SIGNIFICANT, POSITIVE EFFECTS. OF 13 RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS OF YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, 10 FOUND SIGNIFICANT, POSITIVE EFFECTS. THESE RESULTS, ALTHOUGH ENCOURAGING, INDICATE THAT ADDITIONAL RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO CRITICALLY DEFINE THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR BOTH NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. 2012 15 1199 52 EXERCISE AND YOGA DURING PREGNANCY AND THEIR IMPACT ON DEPRESSION: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW. IT IS WELL ESTABLISHED THAT EXERCISE CAN IMPROVE DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN THE GENERAL POPULATION; HOWEVER, IT IS NOT CLEAR IF THESE BENEFITS ARE ALSO SEEN IN PREGNANCY. THIS REVIEW AIMED TO SYNTHESIZE THE EVIDENCE THAT EXAMINES WHETHER EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY IMPACTS DEPRESSIVE AND ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS (E.G. ANXIETY) DURING THE PERINATAL PERIOD. THE REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH PRISMA GUIDELINES AND REPORTING CRITERIA; LITERATURE WAS SEARCHED USING PUBMED, SCOPUS AND WEB OF SCIENCE DATABASE ENGINES. CLINICAL TRIALS PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF A DEFINED EXERCISE PROTOCOL DURING PREGNANCY ON DEPRESSIVE AND/OR ANXIETY SYMPTOMS DURING THE PERINATAL PERIOD WERE INCLUDED. STUDIES WITHOUT A CONTROL GROUP WERE EXCLUDED. RISK OF BIAS WAS CONDUCTED BY COCHRANE ASSESSMENT TO APPRAISE THE QUALITY OF THE INCLUDED STUDIES. TWENTY-SEVEN ARTICLES, BETWEEN 1994 AND 2019, WERE INCLUDED. OF THESE, ONLY 5 SPECIFICALLY RECRUITED WOMEN WITH DEPRESSION (N = 334), WHICH ALL ASSESSED A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION; 4 OF THESE STUDIES SHOWED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN DEPRESSIVE AND/OR ANXIETY SYMPTOMS IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP COMPARED TO BASELINE; HOWEVER, 2 OF THESE STUDIES ALSO SHOWED AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONTROL GROUP. THE REMAINING 22 STUDIES USED VARIOUS EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS IN PREGNANT WOMEN (N = 4808) WITH 20 STUDIES REPORTING THAT EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY HAS THE ABILITY TO IMPROVE DEPRESSIVE AND/OR ANXIETY MEASURES IN THE PERINATAL PERIOD COMPARED TO EITHER BASELINE OR CONTROL. THE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT EXERCISE OF VARIOUS TYPES IN PREGNANCY CAN REDUCE DEPRESSIVE AND/OR ANXIETY SYMPTOMS IN THE PERINATAL PERIOD IN OTHERWISE HEALTHY WOMEN. SPECIFICALLY IN WOMEN WITH ANTENATAL DEPRESSION, THE INCORPORATION OF YOGA IN PREGNANCY CAN IMPROVE DEPRESSIVE/ANXIETY SYMPTOMS IN THE PERINATAL PERIOD; HOWEVER, THIS IS BASED ON A SMALL NUMBER OF STUDIES, AND IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER THIS IS SUPERIOR TO NON-EXERCISE CONTROLS. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO DETERMINE THE POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF EXERCISE OF VARIOUS TYPES DURING PREGNANCY ON SYMPTOMS OF ANTENATAL DEPRESSION. 2022 16 2589 42 YOGA FOR LOW BACK PAIN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIALS. IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT YOGA HAS A POSITIVE EFFECT ON LOW BACK PAIN AND FUNCTION. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA AS A TREATMENT OPTION FOR LOW BACK PAIN. SEVEN DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FROM THEIR INCEPTION TO MARCH 2011. RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIALS WERE CONSIDERED IF THEY INVESTIGATED YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN AND IF THEY ASSESSED PAIN AS AN OUTCOME MEASURE. THE SELECTION OF STUDIES, DATA EXTRACTION AND VALIDATION WERE PERFORMED INDEPENDENTLY BY TWO REVIEWERS. SEVEN RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIALS (RCTS) MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA. THEIR METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY RANGED BETWEEN 2 AND 4 ON THE JADAD SCALE. FIVE RCTS SUGGESTED THAT YOGA LEADS TO A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER REDUCTION IN LOW BACK PAIN THAN USUAL CARE, EDUCATION OR CONVENTIONAL THERAPEUTIC EXERCISES. TWO RCTS SHOWED NO BETWEEN-GROUP DIFFERENCES. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT YOGA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ALLEVIATE LOW BACK PAIN. HOWEVER, ANY DEFINITIVE CLAIMS SHOULD BE TREATED WITH CAUTION. 2011 17 2850 59 YOGA, MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION AND STRESS-RELATED PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES: A META-ANALYSIS. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: PRACTICES THAT INCLUDE YOGA ASANAS AND MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF STRESS ARE INCREASINGLY POPULAR; HOWEVER, THE NEUROBIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THESE PRACTICES ON STRESS REACTIVITY ARE NOT WELL UNDERSTOOD. MANY STUDIES INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF SUCH PRACTICES FAIL TO INCLUDE AN ACTIVE CONTROL GROUP. GIVEN THE FREQUENCY WITH WHICH PEOPLE ARE SELECTING SUCH INTERVENTIONS AS A FORM OF SELF-MANAGEMENT, IT IS IMPORTANT TO DETERMINE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. THUS, THIS REVIEW INVESTIGATES THE EFFECTS OF PRACTICES THAT INCLUDE YOGA ASANAS, WITH AND WITHOUT MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION, COMPARED TO AN ACTIVE CONTROL, ON PHYSIOLOGICAL MARKERS OF STRESS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS OF RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH COMPARED PRACTICES THAT INCLUDED YOGA ASANAS, WITH AND WITHOUT MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION, TO AN ACTIVE CONTROL, ON STRESS-RELATED PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES. THE REVIEW FOCUSED ON STUDIES THAT MEASURED PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS SUCH AS BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, CORTISOL AND PERIPHERAL CYTOKINE EXPRESSION. MEDLINE, AMED, CINAHL, PSYCINFO, SOCINDEX, PUBMED, AND SCOPUS WERE SEARCHED IN MAY 2016 AND UPDATED IN DECEMBER 2016. RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS WERE INCLUDED IF THEY ASSESSED AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING OUTCOMES: HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE VARIABILITY, MEAN ARTERIAL PRESSURE, C-REACTIVE PROTEIN, INTERLEUKINS OR CORTISOL. RISK OF BIAS ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED SEQUENCE GENERATION, ALLOCATION CONCEALMENT, BLINDING OF ASSESSORS, INCOMPLETE OUTCOME DATA, SELECTIVE OUTCOME REPORTING AND OTHER SOURCES OF BIAS. META-ANALYSIS WAS UNDERTAKEN USING COMPREHENSIVE META-ANALYSIS SOFTWARE VERSION 3. SENSITIVITY ANALYSES WERE PERFORMED USING 'ONE-STUDY-REMOVED' ANALYSIS. SUBGROUP ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED FOR DIFFERENT YOGA AND CONTROL GROUP TYPES, INCLUDING MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION VERSUS NON-MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION BASED INTERVENTIONS, DIFFERENT POPULATIONS, LENGTH OF INTERVENTION, AND METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS. A RANDOM-EFFECTS MODEL WAS USED IN ALL ANALYSES. RESULTS: FORTY TWO STUDIES WERE INCLUDED IN THE META-ANALYSIS. INTERVENTIONS THAT INCLUDED YOGA ASANAS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED EVENING CORTISOL, WAKING CORTISOL, AMBULATORY SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, RESTING HEART RATE, HIGH FREQUENCY HEART RATE VARIABILITY, FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE, CHOLESTEROL AND LOW DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN, COMPARED TO ACTIVE CONTROL. HOWEVER, THE REPORTED INTERVENTIONS WERE HETEROGENEOUS. CONCLUSIONS: PRACTICES THAT INCLUDE YOGA ASANAS APPEAR TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED REGULATION OF THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL SYSTEM IN VARIOUS POPULATIONS. 2017 18 1407 40 IMPACT OF YOGA ON INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. BACKGROUND: MANY CHRONIC CONDITIONS, INCLUDING HEART DISEASE, CANCER, AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, ARE ASSOCIATED WITH UNDERLYING CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY PROCESSES. LITERATURE REVIEWS HAVE ANALYZED A VARIETY OF INTEGRATIVE THERAPIES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHRONIC INFLAMMATION. THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW IS UNIQUE IN REPORTING SOLELY ON YOGA'S RELATIONSHIP WITH INFLAMMATION. ITS PURPOSE WAS TO SYNTHESIZE CURRENT LITERATURE EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS IN ADULTS WITH CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY-RELATED DISORDERS. METHOD: SEARCHES OF SEVERAL ELECTRONIC DATABASES WERE CONDUCTED. INCLUSION CRITERIA WERE (A) ENGLISH LANGUAGE, (B) SAMPLE AGE >18 YEARS OLD, (C) YOGA INTERVENTIONS INVOLVING POSTURES WITH OR WITHOUT YOGA BREATHING AND/OR MEDITATION, AND (D) MEASURED INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS. RESULTS: THE FINAL REVIEW INCLUDED 15 PRIMARY STUDIES. OF THESE, SEVEN WERE RATED AS EXCELLENT AND EIGHT AS AVERAGE OR FAIR. THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE VARIABILITY IN YOGA TYPES, COMPONENTS, FREQUENCY, SESSION LENGTH, INTERVENTION DURATION, AND INTENSITY. THE MOST COMMON BIOMARKERS MEASURED WERE INTERLEUKIN-6 ( N = 11), C-REACTIVE PROTEIN ( N = 10), AND TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR ( N = 8). MOST STUDIES REPORTED POSITIVE EFFECTS ON INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS ( N = 11) FROM BASELINE TO POST YOGA INTERVENTION. ANALYSIS OF THE DOSE SHOWED HIGHER TOTAL DOSE (>1,000 MIN) RESULTED IN GREATER IMPROVEMENTS IN INFLAMMATION. CONCLUSION: THIS REVIEW SUGGESTS THAT YOGA CAN BE A VIABLE INTERVENTION TO REDUCE INFLAMMATION ACROSS A MULTITUDE OF CHRONIC CONDITIONS. FUTURE STUDIES WITH DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS, MEASUREMENT OF NEW AND WELL-ESTABLISHED INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS, AND LARGER SAMPLE SIZES ARE WARRANTED TO ADVANCE THE SCIENCE AND CORROBORATE RESULTS. 2019 19 204 30 A REVIEW OF YOGA PROGRAMS FOR FOUR LEADING RISK FACTORS OF CHRONIC DISEASES. YOGA, A FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, IS RAPIDLY GAINING IN POPULARITY AND HAS MANY HEALTH BENEFITS. YET HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS HAVE BEEN SLOW TO RECOGNIZE YOGA FOR ITS ABILITY TO IMPROVE HEALTH CONDITIONS, AND FEW INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED THAT TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF ITS BENEFITS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO REVIEW PUBLISHED STUDIES USING YOGA PROGRAMS AND TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON COMMON RISK FACTORS OF CHRONIC DISEASES (OVERWEIGHT, HYPERTENSION, HIGH GLUCOSE LEVEL AND HIGH CHOLESTEROL). A SYSTEMATIC SEARCH YIELDED 32 ARTICLES PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1980 AND APRIL 2007. THE STUDIES FOUND THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE GENERALLY EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING BODY WEIGHT, BLOOD PRESSURE, GLUCOSE LEVEL AND HIGH CHOLESTEROL, BUT ONLY A FEW STUDIES EXAMINED LONG-TERM ADHERENCE. ADDITIONALLY, NOT ENOUGH STUDIES INCLUDED DIVERSE POPULATIONS AT HIGH RISK FOR DIABETES AND ITS RELATED COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS. 2007 20 2141 46 THE EFFECTS OF GROUP-BASED LAUGHTER YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON MENTAL HEALTH IN ADULTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: LAUGHTER YOGA IS CLAIMED TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH AND HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY POPULAR WORLDWIDE. THERE HAS BEEN NO SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF LAUGHTER YOGA INTERVENTION STUDIES AND THUS EVIDENCE OF ITS EFFECTS ON MENTAL HEALTH IS UNCLEAR. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: LAUGHTER YOGA INTERVENTIONS IMPROVED DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN TWO STUDIES OVER THE SHORT TERM. THERE IS A LACK OF GOOD QUALITY EVIDENCE TO SHOW THAT LAUGHTER YOGA IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN OTHER GROUP-BASED INTERVENTIONS IN IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: WELL-CONDUCTED AND CLEARLY REPORTED TRIALS OF LAUGHTER YOGA ARE NEEDED BEFORE THE INTERVENTION CAN BE CONSIDERED AS AN EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH. ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION LAUGHTER YOGA IS CLAIMED TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH AND IS INCREASINGLY POPULAR WORLDWIDE. DESPITE ITS POPULARITY, THERE HAS BEEN NO SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF LAUGHTER YOGA INTERVENTION STUDIES AND THUS EVIDENCE OF ITS EFFECTS ON MENTAL HEALTH IS UNCLEAR. AIM THIS REVIEW AIMED TO CRITICALLY EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF GROUP-BASED LAUGHTER YOGA ON IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH IN ADULTS. METHOD WE CONDUCTED A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES (PUBLISHED FROM 1995 TO 2017). STUDY QUALITY WAS ASSESSED, THE EFFECT SIZES FOR INDIVIDUAL MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES WERE CALCULATED AND ALL REVIEWED STUDIES WERE NARRATIVELY SYNTHESIZED. RESULTS SIX EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES WITH INCONSISTENT RESULTS WERE INCLUDED IN THIS REVIEW. THE MOST PROMISING EFFECT OF LAUGHTER YOGA IS THE IMPROVEMENT OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, INDICATING SIGNIFICANT MEDIUM-LARGE EFFECT SIZES IN TWO STUDIES OVER THE SHORT TERM. THE OVERALL LEVEL OF EVIDENCE WAS WEAK DUE TO POOR STUDY QUALITY AND RISKS OF BIAS. DISCUSSION LAUGHTER YOGA SHOWS POTENTIAL, BUT CURRENTLY THERE IS INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER GROUP-BASED INTERVENTIONS. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE THIS REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED TO CONDUCT RIGOROUS TRIALS OF LAUGHTER YOGA BEFORE THE INTERVENTION CAN BE CONSIDERED AS AN EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH. 2018