1 726 78 EFFECT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON SALIVARY CORTISOL AND DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE AMONG HEALTHY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE WHETHER LAUGHTER YOGA (LY), I.E., SIMULATED LAUGHTER, ALTERS CORTISOL AND DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE (DHEA) LEVELS AND CORTISOL/DHEA (C/D) RATIOS. METHODS: IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, 120 HEALTHY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WERE ALLOCATED TO EXPERIENCING LY, WATCHING A COMEDY MOVIE (SPONTANEOUS LAUGHTER), OR READING A BOOK. SALIVARY CORTISOL AND DHEA LEVELS WERE MEASURED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE, IMMEDIATELY AFTER, AND 30MIN AFTER THE INTERVENTION. RESULTS: CORTISOL LEVELS AND C/D RATIOS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED BY TIME IN THE LY AND COMEDY MOVIE GROUPS. SIGNIFICANT GROUP*TIME INTERACTIONS WERE FOUND BETWEEN THESE TWO GROUPS FOR CORTISOL LEVELS AND C/D RATIOS. DHEA LEVELS DID NOT CHANGE BY TIME IN THE LY GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: LY DECREASED CORTISOL LEVELS AND C/D RATIOS BUT DID NOT AFFECT DHEA LEVELS. SIMULATED AND SPONTANEOUS LAUGHTER DIFFERENTLY AFFECTED THE DYNAMICS OF CORTISOL LEVELS AND C/D RATIOS. EFFECT OF SPONTANEOUS LAUGHTER ON THE CORTISOL DYNAMICS LASTED LONGER THAN THAT OF SIMULATED LAUGHTER. (UMIN000019409). 2018 2 2220 24 THE IMPACT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AMONG RETIRED WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL. RECENTLY, LAUGHTER YOGA (LY) HAS BEEN INTRODUCED FOR MANAGING DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. THIS STUDY AIMED TO INVESTIGATE THE IMPACT OF LY ON DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AMONG RETIRED WOMEN IN CITY OF BOJNURD, IRAN, 2018. SIXTY-SIX RETIRED WOMEN WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO INTERVENTION AND CONTROL GROUPS. INTERVENTION GROUP RECEIVED LY TWICE WEEKLY FOR 8 WEEKS; CONTROL GROUP HAD THEIR ROUTINE DAILY ACTIVITIES. DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY LEVELS WERE MEASURED AT STUDY INITIATION, WEEK 4, AND WEEK 8 IN BOTH GROUPS. RESULTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE PATTERN OF DEPRESSION (P <.001) AND ANXIETY (P <.001) SCORES WITHIN AND BETWEEN GROUPS. LY COULD BE AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION IN REDUCING DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AMONG RETIRED WOMEN. 2022 3 725 22 EFFECT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES. CONTEXT: IN 2014, LAUGHTER YOGA (LY) ACHIEVED THE INTERMEDIATE LEVEL, TIER 2, UNDER THE TITLE III-D EVIDENCE-BASED DISEASE PREVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAM THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATION ON AGING (AOA). FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO QUALIFY LY UNDER THE CRITERIA FOR THE HIGHEST TIER, TIER 3, TO ASSURE CONTINUED FUNDING FOR LY CLASSES AT SENIOR CENTERS. OBJECTIVES: THE STUDY INTENDED TO DEMONSTRATE FURTHER THE BENEFITS OF LY AND TO QUALIFY LY AS TIER 3 UNDER TITLE III-D. DESIGN: USING A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, THE RESEARCH TEAM CONDUCTED A PREINTERVENTION/POSTINTERVENTION STUDY IN 3 PHASES. SETTING: THE STUDY WAS DONE IN A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY CENTERS. PHASE 1, A PILOT PHASE, WAS LIMITED TO NORTH CAROLINA, AND PHASE 2 WAS CONDUCTED IN MULTIPLE STATES. PHASE 3 WAS HELD AT THE NORTH CAROLINA AREA AGENCY ON AGING'S ANNUAL VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MEETING. PARTICIPANTS: PARTICIPANTS IN PHASES 1 (N = 109) AND 2 (N = 247) ENROLLED IN LY CLASSES. CLASSES WERE ADVERTISED BY FLIERS POSTED IN COMMUNITY AND IN RETIREMENT CENTERS. THE ABILITY OF PARTICIPANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS WAS BASED SOLELY ON THEIR DESIRE TO PARTICIPATE, REGARDLESS OF AGE, ABILITY, HEALTH STATUS, OR PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT. PHASE 3 (N = 23) WAS A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE ONLY. ALL PHASES WERE VOLUNTARY. OUTCOME MEASURE: THE PRE- AND POSTTESTS FOR ALL 3 PHASES WERE LIKERT-SCALE SURVEYS, 10 QUESTIONS ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES OF WELL-BEING (POWB) SURVEY. PULSE AND OTHER PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS WERE ALSO ASSESSED PRE- AND POSTINTERVENTION. ANALYSIS INCLUDED A T TEST ON EACH OF THE 10 POWB AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES FOR ALL PHASES. RESULTS: ALL 10 POWB MEASURES FOR PHASES 1 AND 2 SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS BETWEEN THE PRE- AND POSTINTERVENTION TESTING (P < .001). PHASE 3, THE CONTROL, SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT. CONCLUSIONS: THE INITIAL STUDY DEMONSTRATED THAT LY MEETS THE CRITERIA TO QUALIFY FOR TIER 3 UNDER THE TITLE III-D EVIDENCE-BASED DISEASE PREVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAM AND THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF AMERICANS, REGARDLESS OF AGE AND PHYSICAL ABILITY, COULD BENEFIT FROM LY. 2016 4 1549 29 LAUGHTER YOGA REDUCES THE CORTISOL RESPONSE TO ACUTE STRESS IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS. STRESS IS ONE OF THE FOREMOST CONTRIBUTORS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHIATRIC DISEASES. SINCE THE PREVALENCE OF STRESS-RELATED COMPLAINTS IS INCREASING, WE ARE IN NEED FOR AFFORDABLE AND EFFECTIVE TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES. LAUGHTER YOGA (LY), A POPULAR METHOD ENCOURAGING PARTICIPANTS TO SIMULATE LAUGHTER AND PARTICIPATE IN YOGIC BREATHING EXERCISES, IS HYPOTHESIZED TO BUFFER NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF STRESS. ALTHOUGH WIDELY PRACTICED, EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FOR BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF LY IS SCARCE. WE INVESTIGATED THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF A SINGLE 30-MIN LY SESSION ON THE AUTONOMIC, ENDOCRINE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSE TO A STANDARDIZED PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESSOR. THIRTY-FIVE HEALTHY SUBJECTS (51% FEMALE) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EXPERIENCE EITHER A LY (N = 11), A RELAXATION BREATHING (N = 12) OR A (NON-INTERVENTION) CONTROL (N = 12) SESSION PRIOR TO THEIR EXPOSURE TO THE TRIER SOCIAL STRESS TEST FOR GROUPS (TSST-G). SALIVARY CORTISOL, SALIVARY ALPHA AMYLASE, AND SUBJECTIVE STRESS WERE ASSESSED REPEATEDLY THROUGHOUT THE EXPERIMENT. WE EXPECTED THAT LY AND RELAXATION BREATHING GROUP EACH SHOW A DOWNREGULATION OF STRESS RESPONSE INDICES COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. FURTHER, WE EXPECTED THAT LY HAS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS COMPARED TO RELAXATION BREATHING. THE GROUPS DID NOT DIFFER IN SALIVARY CORTISOL, ALPHA AMYLASE OR SUBJECTIVE STRESS REACTIVITY DURING THE 30-MIN INTERVENTION. HOWEVER, IN RESPONSE TO THE TSST-G, THE LY, BUT NEITHER THE RELAXATION BREATHING, NOR THE CONTROL CONDITION, SHOWED AN ATTENUATED CORTISOL STRESS RESPONSE. THESE FINDINGS HIGHLIGHT THE POTENTIAL OF LY TO BUFFER THE ENDOCRINE STRESS RESPONSE. THEREFORE, LY COULD BE USED AS A CHEAP AND EASILY-TO-IMPLEMENT ADD-ON TO MORE TRADITIONAL STRESS INTERVENTIONS. LAY SUMMARY IN RECENT YEARS, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED TO FEEL STRESSED. ALTHOUGH OUR BODY IS WELL EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH ACUTE STRESS, CHRONIC STRESS CAN TIRE OUR SYSTEM AND CONTRIBUTE TO ILLNESS IN THE LONG RUN. THEREFORE, WE NEED AFFORDABLE AND EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO REDUCE STRESS. IN THIS STUDY WE HAVE INVESTIGATED WHETHER A SINGLE LAUGHTER YOGA SESSION CAN HELP US TO DEAL WITH ACUTE STRESS. ALTHOUGH LAUGHTER YOGA DID NOT CHANGE HOW STRESSFUL A SITUATION WAS PERCEIVED, IT REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF STRESS HORMONES THAT WERE RELEASED IN RESPONSE TO THE SITUATION. AS SUCH, LAUGHTER YOGA MIGHT BE A CHEAP AND EASILY-TO-IMPLEMENT ADD-ON TO MORE TRADITIONAL STRESS REDUCTION INTERVENTIONS. 2021 5 1548 18 LAUGHTER YOGA ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER PEOPLE LIVING IN RESIDENTIAL AGED CARE HOMES: A FEASIBILITY STUDY. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF A LAUGHTER YOGA ACTIVITIES (LY) PROGRAM FOR OLDER PEOPLE LIVING IN RESIDENTIAL AGED CARE HOMES (RACHS). METHODS: A 6-WEEK LY PROGRAM WAS IMPLEMENTED AT THREE RACHS WITH TWENTY-EIGHT RESIDENTS. A PRE-POST DESIGN WAS USED TO MEASURE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT, HAPPINESS, BLOOD PRESSURE AND PULSE. RESULTS: POST-SESSION MEAN SCORES FOR POSITIVE MOOD, AND HAPPINESS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN PRE-SESSION SCORES IN WEEKS 1, 3 AND 6, AND THE POST-SESSION MEAN NEGATIVE MOOD SCORES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN PRE-SESSION SCORES IN WEEKS 3 AND 6. POST-SESSION READINGS FOR MEAN SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN PRE-SESSION READINGS IN WEEKS 1 AND 6. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATES THE POTENTIAL FOR USING LY TO IMPROVE MOOD AND LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE OF OLDER PEOPLE LIVING IN RACHS. 2017 6 1238 22 FEASIBILITY OF A GROUP-BASED LAUGHTER YOGA INTERVENTION AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR RESIDUAL SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS IN PEOPLE WITH DEPRESSION. BACKGROUND: LAUGHTER YOGA (LY) IS A GROUP-BASED INTERVENTION INVOLVING SIMULATED LAUGHTER, GENTLE STRETCHING, RHYTHMIC BREATHING AND MEDITATION. THERE IS SOME LIMITED EVIDENCE THAT LY REDUCES DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS OVER THE SHORT TERM. HOWEVER, THE QUALITY OF PREVIOUS LY STUDIES IS POOR AND NONE INVOLVED WORKING-AGED PEOPLE WITH A CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS OF DEPRESSION. THEREFORE, THIS STUDY AIMED TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY AND POTENTIAL EFFICACY OF LY FOR IMPROVING RESIDUAL MOOD, ANXIETY AND STRESS SYMPTOMS IN ADULTS DIAGNOSED WITH DEPRESSION. METHODS: FIFTY PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMISED TO THE GROUP LY INTERVENTION (N=23) CONSISTING OF EIGHT SESSIONS OVER FOUR WEEKS, OR TREATMENT-AS-USUAL (N=27). PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE DEPRESSION ANXIETY STRESS SCALE AND THE SHORT FORM 12 ITEM HEALTH SURVEY AT BASELINE (T0), POST-INTERVENTION (T1) AND AT 3 MONTHS FOLLOW-UP (T2). LY PARTICIPANTS ALSO COMPLETED A CLIENT SATISFACTION QUESTIONNAIRE (CSQ8) AT T1 AND ELEVEN PARTICIPATED IN INDIVIDUAL QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS AT T2. RESULTS: THE LY GROUP HAD STATISTICALLY GREATER DECREASES IN DEPRESSION AND IMPROVEMENTS IN MENTAL HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP FROM T0 TO T1. THE CSQ8 SCORES INDICATED A FAVOURABLE LEVEL OF SATISFACTION WITH THE LY INTERVENTION. THE QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS HIGHLIGHTED ASPECTS OF THE INTERVENTION THAT WERE EFFECTIVE AND THOSE REQUIRING MODIFICATION. LIMITATIONS: LIMITATIONS INCLUDE THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AND TREATMENT-AS-USUAL CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: A FULL SCALE RCT OF LY COULD BE FEASIBLE IF SOME MODIFICATIONS WERE MADE TO THE PROTOCOL/INTERVENTION. THE INTERVENTION MAY BE EFFECTIVE TO IMPROVE DEPRESSION AND MENTAL HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IMMEDIATELY POST INTERVENTION. 2019 7 1551 24 LAUGHTER YOGA, ADULTS LIVING WITH PARKINSONS DISEASE, AND CAREGIVERS: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY EXPLORED OUTCOMES OF LAUGHTER YOGA IN ADULTS WITH PARKINSONS DISEASE (PD) AND THEIR CAREGIVERS. LAUGHTER HAS BEEN SHOWN TO GENERALLY IMPROVE MOOD IN PHYSICALLY HEALTHY ADULTS, AND SPECIFICALLY IN ADULTS WITH HEART DISEASE OR CANCER, BUT LITTLE RESEARCH EXISTS REGARDING THE IMPACT OF LAUGHTER IN ADULTS WITH PARKINSONS DISEASE. LOW MOOD IS FREQUENTLY A CO-MORBID CONDITION FOR ADULTS WITH PARKINSONS DISEASE, AND CAN NEGATIVELY AFFECT THEIR CAREGIVERS. DESIGN: PRE-EXPERIMENTAL (O1 X O2) PRETEST-POSTTEST DESIGN. SETTINGS/LOCATION: DATA COLLECTION OCCURRED AT SIX UNIQUE PD SUPPORT GROUPS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. SUBJECTS: PARTICIPANTS (N = 85) COMPRISED A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF ADULTS DIAGNOSED WITH PARKINSONS DISEASE (N = 47) AND ACCOMPANYING CAREGIVERS (N = 38). INTERVENTION: SUBJECTS PARTICIPATED IN A 45-MIN LAUGHTER YOGA (LY) SESSION CONDUCTED BY A CERTIFIED LAUGHTER YOGA TEACHER. OUTCOME MEASURES: THIS STUDY UTILIZED THE LAUGHTER YOGA "HOW DO YOU FEEL?" (HDYF) FORM. THE FORM CONSISTS OF A SERIES OF 10 SCALES LABELED "WELL-BEING" MEASURES INCLUDING ENTHUSIASM, ENERGY LEVEL, MOOD, OPTIMISM, STRESS LEVEL, LEVEL OF FRIENDSHIP WITH GROUP MEMBERS, LEVEL OF AWARENESS ABOUT BREATHING, LEVEL OF MUSCLE RELAXATION, LEVEL OF MENTAL RELAXATION, AND ABILITY TO LAUGH WITHOUT A REASON. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: PAIRED SAMPLE T-TESTS REVEAL STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN WELL-BEING FOR ADULTS WITH PD AND THEIR CAREGIVERS AFTER ATTENDING AN LY SESSION. THERAPISTS AND OTHER CLINICIANS SHOULD CONSIDER UTILIZING THIS UNIQUE TECHNIQUE WITH ADULTS WITH PD TO ADDRESS CO-MORBID LOW-MOOD CONDITIONS AND INCLUDE CAREGIVERS IN THE LY SESSIONS FOR SUPPORT AND THEIR OWN BENEFIT. 2016 8 1826 23 PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF LAUGHTER YOGA SESSIONS IN JAPAN: A PILOT STUDY. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE AND EVALUATE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF MULTIPLE SESSIONS OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON COMMUNITY MEMBERS. PARTICIPANTS TOOK PART IN A 45 MIN LAUGHTER YOGA SESSION ONCE PER MONTH FOR 6 MONTHS. BEFORE AND AFTER ALL SESSIONS, PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES-BRIEF JAPANESE VERSION (J-POMS-B) QUESTIONNAIRE TO ASSESS THEIR MOOD, AND HAD BLOOD DRAWN FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF STRESS INDICATORS AND IMMUNE FUNCTION. SERIAL CHANGES IN J-POMS-B SCORES WERE TESTED BY THREE WAY ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE, AND CHANGES IN LABORATORY RESULTS PER SESSION WERE EVALUATED WITH A PAIRED T-TEST. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT REPEATED SESSIONS OF LAUGHTER YOGA HAD PSYCHOLOGICALLY BENEFICIAL EFFECTS, ESPECIALLY ON THE ASPECTS OF TENSION-ANXIETY, AND VIGOR. ADRENOCORTICOTROPIC HORMONE AND CORTISOL VALUES RELATED TO THE PARTICIPANTS' STRESS LEVELS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED AFTER THE FOURTH LAUGHTER YOGA SESSION. THESE RESULTS INDICATED THAT MULTIPLE LAUGHTER YOGA SESSIONS APPEARED TO BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STATUS OF HEALTHY ADULTS. 2018 9 1550 30 LAUGHTER YOGA VERSUS GROUP EXERCISE PROGRAM IN ELDERLY DEPRESSED WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: LAUGHTER YOGA FOUNDED BY M. KATARIA IS A COMBINATION OF UNCONDITIONED LAUGHTER AND YOGIC BREATHING. ITS EFFECT ON MENTAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS WAS SHOWN TO BE BENEFICIAL. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO COMPARE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF KATARIA'S LAUGHTER YOGA AND GROUP EXERCISE THERAPY IN DECREASING DEPRESSION AND INCREASING LIFE SATISFACTION IN OLDER ADULT WOMEN OF A CULTURAL COMMUNITY OF TEHRAN, IRAN. METHODS: SEVENTY DEPRESSED OLD WOMEN WHO WERE MEMBERS OF A CULTURAL COMMUNITY OF TEHRAN WERE CHOSEN BY GERIATRIC DEPRESSION SCALE (SCORE>10). AFTER COMPLETION OF LIFE SATISFACTION SCALE PRE-TEST AND DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONNAIRE, SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO THREE GROUPS OF LAUGHTER THERAPY, EXERCISE THERAPY, AND CONTROL. SUBSEQUENTLY, DEPRESSION POST-TEST AND LIFE SATISFACTION POST-TEST WERE DONE FOR ALL THREE GROUPS. THE DATA WERE ANALYZED USING ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE AND BONFERRONI'S CORRECTION. RESULTS: SIXTY SUBJECTS COMPLETED THE STUDY. THE ANALYSIS REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN DECREASE IN DEPRESSION SCORES OF BOTH LAUGHTER YOGA AND EXERCISE THERAPY GROUP IN COMPARISON TO CONTROL GROUP (P<0.001 AND P<0.01, RESPECTIVELY). THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAUGHTER YOGA AND EXERCISE THERAPY GROUPS. THE INCREASE IN LIFE SATISFACTION OF LAUGHTER YOGA GROUP SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN COMPARISON WITH CONTROL GROUP (P<0.001). NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND BETWEEN EXERCISE THERAPY AND EITHER CONTROL OR LAUGHTER YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSION: OUR FINDINGS SHOWED THAT LAUGHTER YOGA IS AT LEAST AS EFFECTIVE AS GROUP EXERCISE PROGRAM IN IMPROVEMENT OF DEPRESSION AND LIFE SATISFACTION OF ELDERLY DEPRESSED WOMEN. 2011 10 830 30 EFFECT OF YOGA ON MENTAL HEALTH: COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN YOUNG AND SENIOR SUBJECTS IN JAPAN. BACKGROUND: JAPAN HAS A LARGE NUMBER OF SENIOR CITIZENS. YOGA CAN BE WISELY APPLIED IN OLD AGE CARE. THERE IS NO ANY AGE RESTRICTION TO PRACTICE YOGA. THE EFFECT MAY DIFFER BY AGE. THERE IS A NEED TO STUDY THE MECHANISM OF ACTION OF YOGA WITH RESPECT TO AGE. AIM: THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN JAPAN TO FIND THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON MENTAL HEALTH BETWEEN YOUNG AND SENIOR PEOPLE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TWENTY-FIVE NORMAL HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS OF BOTH SEXES WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS ACCORDING TO AGE. FIFTEEN PARTICIPANTS OF THE AGE GROUP BETWEEN 65 TO 75 YEARS AND 10 PARTICIPANTS OF THE AGE GROUP BETWEEN 20 TO 30 YEARS WERE SELECTED. THIS STUDY WAS APPROVED BY THE ETHICAL COMMITTEE OF KAWASAKI UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL WELFARE. SELECTED INDIVIDUALS WERE SUBJECTED TO 90 MIN OF YOGA CLASSES ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK FOR A MONTH. SALIVARY AMYLASE ACTIVITY WAS ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER YOGA PRACTICE. STATE TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY (STAI) WAS GIVEN BEFORE YOGA ON THE FIRST DAY AND AFTER ONE MONTH OF PRACTICE TO ASSESS THE CHANGE IN STATE ANXIETY AND TRAIT ANXIETY. RESULTS: SENIOR GROUP - SALIVARY AMYLASE ACTIVITY DECREASED FROM 111.2+/-42.7 TO 83.48+/-39.5 KU/L [AVERAGE+/-STANDARD DEVIATION]. YOUNGER GROUP - SALIVARY AMYLASE ACTIVITY REDUCED FROM 60.74+/-31.8 TO 42.39+/-24 KU/L. SENIOR GROUP - STATE ANXIETY SCORE DECREASED FROM 41.13 +/-8.43 TO 30.8+/-6.49, TRAIT ANXIETY SCORE REDUCED FROM 45.66+/-7.5 TO 40.73+/-8.3. YOUNGER GROUP - STATE ANXIETY SCORE REDUCED FROM 38.7+/-4.8 TO 30.8+/-4.1,TRAIT ANXIETY SCORE REDUCED FROM 46.2+/-7.9 TO 42.9+/-9.1. CHANGES WERE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT WITH P<0.05. CONCLUSION: DECREASE IN SALIVARY AMYLASE ACTIVITY MAY BE DUE TO REDUCTION IN SYMPATHETIC RESPONSE. REDUCTION IN STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY SCORE SIGNIFIES THAT YOGA HAS BOTH IMMEDIATE AS WELL AS LONG-TERM EFFECT ON ANXIETY REDUCTION. THUS YOGA HELPS TO IMPROVE THE MENTAL HEALTH IN BOTH THE GROUPS. 2011 11 1001 23 EFFECTS OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS' PLASMA-BETA ENDORPHIN LEVELS, PAIN LEVELS AND SLEEP QUALITY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. THIS STUDY EVALUATES THE EFFECTS OF "LAUGHTER YOGA" ON THE PLASMA BETA-ENDORPHIN LEVELS, PAIN LEVELS AND SLEEP QUALITY OF HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS. IT IS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. THE STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT BETWEEN JULY AND OCTOBER 2018. A TOTAL OF 68 PATIENTS RECEIVING HEMODIALYSIS TREATMENT AT TWO DIFFERENT DIALYSIS CENTERS WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. THE DURATION OF THE LAUGHTER YOGA WAS 30 MIN, AND A TOTAL OF 16 SESSIONS WERE PERFORMED ON A TWICE-WEEKLY BASIS. THE DATA WERE COLLECTED BY USING A SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION FORM, THE VISUAL ANALOG SCALE AND THE PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX, AND BLOOD SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED TO DETERMINE BETA-ENDORPHIN LEVELS. FOLLOWING THE LAUGHTER YOGA IMPLEMENTATION, THE PAIN LEVEL OF THE INTERVENTION GROUP PATIENTS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED, AND THEIR SLEEP QUALITY SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE OCCURRED IN THE PATIENTS' BETA-ENDORPHIN LEVELS. LAUGHTER YOGA WAS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING PAIN AND INCREASING SLEEP QUALITY. 2021 12 2041 34 THALAMIC GAMMA AMINOBUTYRIC ACID LEVEL CHANGES IN MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER AFTER A 12-WEEK IYENGAR YOGA AND COHERENT BREATHING INTERVENTION. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE IF A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION (YI) WAS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED GAMMA AMINOBUTYRIC ACID (GABA) LEVELS AND DECREASED DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN PARTICIPANTS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD). METHODS: SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO A HIGH-DOSE GROUP (HDG) OF THREE YIS A WEEK AND A LOW-DOSE GROUP (LDG) OF TWO YIS A WEEK. THALAMIC GABA LEVELS WERE OBTAINED USING MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY AT SCAN-1 BEFORE RANDOMIZATION. AFTER THE ASSIGNED 12-WEEK INTERVENTION, SCAN-2 WAS OBTAINED, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A YI AND SCAN-3. BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY II (BDI-II) SCORES WERE OBTAINED BEFORE SCAN-1 AND SCAN-3. SETTINGS/LOCATION: SCREENINGS AND INTERVENTIONS OCCURRED AT THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER. IMAGING OCCURRED AT MCLEAN HOSPITAL. SUBJECTS: SUBJECTS MET CRITERIA FOR MDD. INTERVENTION: NINETY MINUTES OF IYENGAR YOGA AND COHERENT BREATHING AT FIVE BREATHS PER MINUTE PLUS HOMEWORK. OUTCOME MEASURES: GABA LEVELS AND THE BDI-II. RESULTS: BDI-II SCORES IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN BOTH GROUPS. GABA LEVELS FROM SCAN-1 TO SCAN-3 AND FROM SCAN-2 TO SCAN-3 WERE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED IN THE LDG (N = 15) AND SHOWED A TREND IN THE TOTAL COHORT. POST HOC, PARTICIPANTS WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS BASED ON HAVING AN INCREASE IN GABA LEVELS AT SCAN-2. INCREASES IN SCAN-2 GABA LEVELS WERE OBSERVED IN PARTICIPANTS WHOSE MEAN TIME BETWEEN THEIR LAST YI AND SCAN-2 WAS 3.93 +/- 2.92 STANDARD DEVIATION (SD) DAYS, BUT NOT IN THOSE WHOSE MEAN TIME BETWEEN THEIR LAST YI AND SCAN-2 WAS 7.83 +/- 6.88 SD. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY TENTATIVELY SUPPORTS THE HYPOTHESIS THAT ONE OF THE MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH YOGA IMPROVES MOOD IS BY INCREASING THE ACTIVITY OF THE GABA SYSTEM. THE OBSERVED INCREASE IN GABA LEVELS FOLLOWING A YI THAT WAS NO LONGER OBSERVED 8 DAYS AFTER A YI SUGGESTS THAT THE ASSOCIATED INCREASE IN GABA AFTER A YI IS TIME LIMITED SUCH THAT AT LEAST ONE YI A WEEK MAY BE NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN THE ELEVATED GABA LEVELS. 2020 13 1497 27 INTRADIALYTIC LAUGHTER YOGA THERAPY FOR HAEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS: A PRE-POST INTERVENTION FEASIBILITY STUDY. BACKGROUND: LAUGHTER YOGA CONSISTS OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE, RELAXATION TECHNIQUES AND SIMULATED VIGOROUS LAUGHTER. IT HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS FOR PEOPLE IN DIVERSE CLINICAL AND NON-CLINICAL SETTINGS, BUT HAS NOT YET BEEN TESTED IN A HAEMODIALYSIS SETTING. THE STUDY HAD THREE AIMS: 1) TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF CONDUCTING LAUGHTER YOGA FOR PATIENTS WITH END STAGE KIDNEY DISEASE IN A DIALYSIS SETTING; 2) TO EXPLORE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL IMPACT OF LAUGHTER YOGA FOR THESE PATIENTS; AND 3) TO ESTIMATE THE SAMPLE SIZE REQUIRED FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. METHODS: PRE/POST INTERVENTION FEASIBILITY STUDY. EIGHTEEN PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED INTO THE STUDY AND LAUGHTER YOGA THERAPISTS PROVIDED A FOUR WEEK INTRADIALYTIC PROGRAM (30-MIN INTERVENTION THREE TIMES PER WEEK). PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE PSYCHOLOGICAL ITEMS MEASURED AT THE FIRST AND LAST LAUGHTER YOGA SESSION, INCLUDING: QUALITY OF LIFE; SUBJECTIVE WELLBEING; MOOD; OPTIMISM; CONTROL; SELF-ESTEEM; DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS. SECONDARY OUTCOMES WERE: BLOOD PRESSURE, INTRADIALYTIC HYPOTENSIVE EPISODES AND LUNG FUNCTION (FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME). DIALYSIS NURSES EXPOSED TO THE INTERVENTION COMPLETED A LAUGHTER YOGA ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS SURVEY (N = 11). DATA WERE ANALYSED USING IBM SPSS STATISTICS V22, INCLUDING DESCRIPTIVE AND INFERENTIAL STATISTICS, AND SAMPLE SIZE ESTIMATES WERE CALCULATED USING G*POWER. RESULTS: ONE PARTICIPANT WITHDREW FROM THE STUDY FOR MEDICAL REASONS THAT WERE UNRELATED TO THE STUDY DURING THE FIRST WEEK (94 % RETENTION RATE). THERE WERE NON-SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN HAPPINESS, MOOD, AND OPTIMISM AND A DECREASE IN STRESS. EPISODES OF INTRADIALYTIC HYPOTENSION DECREASED FROM 19 PRE AND 19 DURING LAUGHTER YOGA TO 4 POST LAUGHTER YOGA. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN LUNG FUNCTION OR BLOOD PRESSURE. ALL NURSES AGREED OR STRONGLY AGREED THAT LAUGHTER YOGA HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON PATIENTS' MOOD, IT WAS A FEASIBLE INTERVENTION AND THEY WOULD RECOMMEND LAUGHTER YOGA TO THEIR PATIENTS. SAMPLE SIZE CALCULATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH INDICATED THAT A MINIMUM OF 207 PARTICIPANTS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT POWER TO DETECT CHANGE IN KEY PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY PROVIDES EVIDENCE THAT LAUGHTER YOGA IS A SAFE, LOW-INTENSITY FORM OF INTRADIALYTIC PHYSICAL ACTIVITY THAT CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED FOR PATIENTS IN DIALYSIS SETTINGS. LARGER STUDIES ARE REQUIRED, HOWEVER, TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON KEY PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES. TRIAL REGISTRATION: AUSTRALIAN NEW ZEALAND CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY - ACTRN12614001130651 . REGISTERED 23 OCTOBER 2014. 2015 14 207 20 A SHORT-TERM, COMPREHENSIVE, YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IS EFFICACIOUS IN REDUCING ANXIETY, IMPROVING SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING AND PERSONALITY. OBJECTIVE: TO ASSESS THE EFFICACY OF A SHORT-TERM COMPREHENSIVE YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN REDUCING ANXIETY, IMPROVING SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING AND PERSONALITY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY IS A PART OF AN ONGOING LARGER STUDY AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL. PARTICIPANTS (N=90) INCLUDED PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASES ATTENDING A 10-DAY, YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC DISEASES, AND HEALTHY CONTROLS (N=45) NOT ATTENDING ANY SUCH INTERVENTION. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: CHANGE IN STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY QUESTIONNAIRE (STAI-Y; 40 ITEMS), SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING INVENTORY (SUBI; 40 ITEMS), AND NEUROTICISM EXTRAVERSION OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE FIVE FACTOR PERSONALITY INVENTORY REVISED (NEO-FF PI-R; 60 ITEMS) AT THE END OF INTERVENTION. RESULTS: FOLLOWING INTERVENTION, THE STAI-Y SCORES REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY (P<0.001) AT DAY 10 (66.7 +/- 13.0) VERSUS DAY 1 (72.5 +/- 14.7). ALSO, POSITIVE SUBI SCORES (F1- F6) IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY (P<0.01) AT DAY 10 VERSUS DAY 1. SIMILARLY NEO-FF PI-R SCORES IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY (P<0.001) AT DAY 10 VERSUS DAY 1. CONTROL GROUP SHOWED AN INCREASE IN STAI-Y WHILE SUBI AND NEO-FF PI-R SCORES REMAINED COMPARABLE AT DAY 10 VERSUS DAY 1. CONCLUSIONS: THE OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST THAT A SHORT-TERM, YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION MAY SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE ANXIETY AND IMPROVE SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING AND PERSONALITY IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASES. 2012 15 723 33 EFFECT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON MENTAL SYMPTOMS AND SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS IN FIRST-YEAR NURSING STUDENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ARE FACED WITH SEVERAL STRESS FACTORS AFFECTING THEIR MENTAL HEALTH. THEREFORE, THE FIRST YEAR AT UNIVERSITY IS A PERIOD THAT CALLS FOR CAREFUL ATTENTION AND RESEARCH. AIM: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON MENTAL SYMPTOMS AND CORTISOL LEVELS IN NURSING STUDENTS. METHODS: THIS STUDY IS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY EMPLOYING A PRE-/POST-TEST DESIGN WITH A CONTROL GROUP. A TOTAL OF 75 HEALTHY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WERE ASSIGNED TO THE INTERVENTION GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP. THE BRIEF SYMPTOM INVENTORY WAS APPLIED TO BOTH GROUPS BEFORE SESSION 1 AND AFTER SESSION 8. SALIVA SAMPLES WERE TAKEN FROM THE STUDENTS TO MEASURE THEIR CORTISOL LEVELS BEFORE AND AFTER EACH SESSION. RESULTS: EVALUATION OF THE MEAN SCORES OBTAINED FROM THE BRIEF SYMPTOM INVENTORY BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE SCORES BETWEEN GROUPS (P < 0.05). IN THREE OUT OF THE EIGHT SESSIONS, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP REGARDING THE MEAN VALUES OF PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: LAUGHTER YOGA CAN PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE MEANS TO HELP FIRST-YEAR NURSING STUDENTS COPE WITH STRESS AND REDUCE MENTAL SYMPTOMS. 2021 16 1019 28 EFFECTS OF WEEKLY ONE-HOUR HATHA YOGA THERAPY ON RESILIENCE AND STRESS LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA-SPECTRUM DISORDERS: AN EIGHT-WEEK RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA THERAPY ON RESILIENCE, BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF) LEVELS, AND SALIVARY ALPHA AMYLASE (SAA) ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA-SPECTRUM DISORDERS. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: SINGLE-BLINDED, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY IN WHICH OUTPATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA OR RELATED PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS (ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF DISEASES, 10TH REVISION) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA OR A CONTROL GROUP. SETTING: NOVEMBER 2012-APRIL 2013 AT YAMANASHI PREFECTURAL KITA HOSPITAL, JAPAN. INTERVENTIONS: IN THE YOGA GROUP, PATIENTS RECEIVED WEEKLY 1-HOUR HATHA YOGA SESSIONS, IN ADDITION TO REGULAR TREATMENT, FOR 8 WEEKS. THOSE IN THE CONTROL GROUP UNDERWENT REGULAR TREATMENT, WHICH INCLUDED A DAYCARE REHABILITATION PROGRAM. OUTCOME MEASURES: ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED THE 25-ITEM RESILIENCE SCALE (RS), POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SYNDROME SCALE (PANSS), PLASMA AND SALIVARY BDNF LEVEL, AND SAA ACTIVITY. RESULTS: FIFTY PATIENTS PARTICIPATED (25 IN EACH GROUP; MEAN AGE+/-STANDARD DEVIATION, 50.9+/-11.3 YEARS; MEAN DURATION OF ILLNESS, 25.0+/-10.3 YEARS; MEAN TOTAL PANSS SCORE, 78.2+/-17.3). NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN CHANGES IN ANY VARIABLE FROM BASELINE TO WEEK 8 WERE FOUND BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS (CHANGES IN THE YOGA GROUP VERSUS THE CONTROL GROUP: RS SCORE, -1.6+/-19.9 VERSUS 0.3+/-17.2; PANSS SCORE, 0.5+/-12.0 VERSUS 5.0+/-15.6; PLASMA BDNF, 41.6+/-377.0 PG/DL VERSUS 73.4+/-346.0 PG/DL; SAA, -26.2+/-72.6 KU/L VERSUS -13.8+/-68.0 KU/L, RESPECTIVELY). CONCLUSIONS: ADJUNCT YOGA THERAPY SHOWED NO POSITIVE CHANGES IN RESILIENCE LEVEL OR STRESS MARKERS. DURATION AND INTENSITY OF YOGA SESSIONS AND THE FOCUS ON PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS MAY EXPLAIN THE NEGATIVE OBSERVATIONS IN LIGHT OF PAST POSITIVE EVIDENCE REGARDING YOGA THERAPY. 2014 17 1727 22 PERFORMANCE IN A SUBSTITUTION TASK AND STATE ANXIETY FOLLOWING YOGA IN ARMY RECRUITS. 140 MEN (M AGE = 30.3 YR., SD = 5.7) FROM THE INDIAN ARMY IN NORTH INDIA PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. THEY WERE NAIVE TO YOGA AND WERE ASSIGNED TO YOGA AND BREATH AWARENESS GROUPS RANDOMLY, WITH 70 IN EACH GROUP. 20 HEALTHY MALES OF COMPARABLE AGE (M AGE = 33.7 YR., SD = 7.0) FORMED A COMPARISON GROUP. THEIR PERFORMANCE IN A DIGIT-LETTER SUBSTITUTION TASK AND A STATE ANXIETY SUBSCALE WAS ASSESSED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER TWO 45-MIN. SESSIONS. THE TWO GROUPS OF SOLDIERS PRACTICED EITHER YOGA OR BREATH AWARENESS. THE COMPARISON GROUP LISTENED TO MEDITATION MUSIC. DIGIT-LETTER SUBSTITUTION SCORES INCREASED IN BOTH GROUPS OF ARMY PERSONNEL AND IN THE COMPARISON GROUP. STATE ANXIETY DECREASED AFTER YOGA AND LISTENING TO MEDITATION MUSIC, BUT NOT AFTER BREATH AWARENESS. THIS SUGGESTS THAT EVEN IN ARMY PERSONNEL NAIVE TO YOGA, A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION OR LISTENING TO MEDITATION MUSIC COULD REDUCE ANXIETY WHILE INCREASING PERFORMANCE ON AN ATTENTION TASK. 2012 18 863 22 EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICES ON MICRONUTRIENT ABSORPTION IN URBAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL CHILDREN. [PURPOSE] THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED WITH A VIEW TO FIND OUT THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICES ON MICRONUTRIENT ABSORPTION IN URBAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL CHILDREN. [SUBJECTS AND METHODS] THE STUDY POPULATION COMPRISED 66 URBAN SCHOOL CHILDREN AGED 11-15 YEARS STAYING IN A RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL IN PUNE CITY, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA. A STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLING METHOD WAS USED TO DIVIDE THE STUDENTS INTO EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS. THERE WERE 33 STUDENTS IN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND 33 STUDENTS IN CONTROL GROUP. BOTH EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS WERE ASSESSED FOR THE STATUS OF ZINC, COPPER, IRON AND MAGNESIUM AT THE BASELINE AND AT THE END OF 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING. THE STUDY PARTICIPANTS OF EXPERIMENTAL GROUP UNDERWENT YOGA TRAINING FOR 12 WEEKS, FOR ONE HOUR IN THE MORNING FOR SIX DAYS A WEEK. THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT UNDERGO ANY YOGA TRAINING DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. [RESULTS] THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP PARTICIPANTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN MICRONUTRIENT ABSORPTION AS COMPARED TO CONTROL GROUP. [CONCLUSION] THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY INDICATE THAT YOGA PRACTICES COULD IMPROVE MICRONUTRIENT ABSORPTION IN URBAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL CHILDREN. 2017 19 755 21 EFFECT OF SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED-BREATHING ON PERI-OPERATIVE ANXIETY IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING CARDIAC SURGERY. BACKGROUND: PERI-OPERATIVE ANXIETY IN PATIENTS SCHEDULED FOR CARDIAC SURGERY IS DETRIMENTAL. THIS STUDY EVALUATED THE EFFECT OF SHORT-TERM YOGA BASED-BREATHING WITH DIFFERENT VARIATIONS ON PERI-OPERATIVE ANXIETY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN PATIENTS AGED 20-60 YEARS SCHEDULED FOR MAJOR CARDIAC SURGERY. PATIENTS IN YOGA GROUP WERE TRAINED FOR YOGA BASED-BREATHING WITH DIFFERENT VARIATIONS FOR 5 DAYS; NO INTERVENTION WAS DONE IN CONTROLS. RESULTS: WE ANALYZED TWENTY PATIENTS IN EACH GROUP. ANXIETY SCORES MEASURED AT BASELINE, PRESURGERY, AND POSTSURGERY WERE ENTERED AS THE WITHIN-SUBJECTS FACTOR; GROUP STATUS WAS ENTERED AS THE BETWEEN-SUBJECTS FACTOR IN THE RMANOVA. BASELINE DEMOGRAPHICS AND ANXIETY SCORES WERE COMPARABLE. THE SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED BREATHING EXERCISE-TRAINING PROGRAM HAD A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON STATE (F = 13.45, P < 0.0001), TRAIT (F = 13.29, P < 0.0001) AND TOTAL ANXIETY SCORES (F = 29.44, P < 0.0001) AT DIFFERENT TIME POINTS FOR YOGA OVER CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED BREATHING FOR 5 DAYS LOWERS PRESURGERY AND POSTSURGERY ANXIETY IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING CARDIAC SURGERY. 2021 20 2221 20 THE IMPACT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON THE STRESS OF CANCER PATIENTS BEFORE CHEMOTHERAPY. BACKGROUND: CANCER IS USUALLY ACCOMPANIED BY CONSIDERABLE STRESS FOR THE SUFFERER, AND THE STRESS HAS DESTRUCTIVE EFFECTS ON CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENT PROCESS. THEREFORE, THE CURRENT RESEARCH DEALS WITH THE EFFECT OF YOGA LAUGHTER ON THE CANCER PATIENTS' STRESS BEFORE CHEMOTHERAPY. METHODS: IN THIS RESEARCH, AS THE FIRST STEP, 37 CANCER SUFFERERS , WHO HAD BEEN HOSPITALIZED IN SHOHADA TAJRISH HOSPITAL (BEHNAM DANESHPOOR CHARITY ORGANIZATION) AND HAD THE REQUIREMENTS NECESSARY FOR BEING TAKEN AS RESEARCH SAMPLES, WERE SELECTED FOR DATA COLLECTION. THE MENTIONED PATIENTS WERE CLASSIFIED RANDOMLY IN EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS. COLLECTED DATA WERE ANALYZED BY THE MULTI-VARIABLE COVARIANCE ANALYSIS TEST. RESULTS: THE RESULTS SHOW THERE IS A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE IN THE STRESS AVERAGE BEFORE AND AFTER INTERFERENCE IN THE TEST GROUP (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: LAUGHTER YOGA CAN DECREASE THE STRESS IN CANCER SUFFERERS BEFORE CHEMOTHERAPY. 2014