1 2325 144 TREATMENT OF MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER WITH IYENGAR YOGA AND COHERENT BREATHING: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED DOSING STUDY. OBJECTIVES: THE AIMS OF THIS STUDY WERE TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF AN INTERVENTION OF IYENGAR YOGA AND COHERENT BREATHING AT FIVE BREATHS PER MINUTE ON DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND TO DETERMINE OPTIMAL INTERVENTION YOGA DOSING FOR FUTURE STUDIES IN INDIVIDUALS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD). METHODS: SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO THE HIGH-DOSE GROUP (HDG) OR LOW-DOSE GROUP (LDG) FOR A 12-WEEK INTERVENTION OF THREE OR TWO INTERVENTION CLASSES PER WEEK, RESPECTIVELY. ELIGIBLE SUBJECTS WERE 18-64 YEARS OLD WITH MDD, HAD BASELINE BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY-II (BDI-II) SCORES >/=14, AND WERE EITHER ON NO ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS OR ON A STABLE DOSE OF ANTIDEPRESSANTS FOR >/=3 MONTHS. THE INTERVENTION INCLUDED 90-MIN CLASSES PLUS HOMEWORK. OUTCOME MEASURES WERE BDI-II SCORES AND INTERVENTION COMPLIANCE. RESULTS: FIFTEEN HDG (MAGE = 38.4 +/- 15.1 YEARS) AND 15 LDG (MAGE = 34.7 +/- 10.4 YEARS) SUBJECTS COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION. BDI-II SCORES AT SCREENING AND COMPLIANCE DID NOT DIFFER BETWEEN GROUPS (P = 0.26). BDI-II SCORES DECLINED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM SCREENING (24.6 +/- 1.7) TO WEEK 12 (6.0 +/- 3.8) FOR THE HDG (-18.6 +/- 6.6; P < 0.001), AND FROM SCREENING (27.7 +/- 2.1) TO WEEK 12 (10.1 +/- 7.9) IN THE LDG (-17.7 +/- 9.3; P < 0.001). THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS, BASED ON RESPONSE (I.E., >50% DECREASE IN BDI-II SCORES; P = 0.65) FOR THE HDG (13/15 SUBJECTS) AND LDG (11/15 SUBJECTS) OR REMISSION (I.E., NUMBER OF SUBJECTS WITH BDI-II SCORES <14; P = 1.00) FOR THE HDG (14/15 SUBJECTS) AND LDG (13/15 SUBJECTS) AFTER THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION, ALTHOUGH A GREATER NUMBER OF SUBJECTS IN THE HDG HAD 12-WEEK BDI-II SCORES /=14 AND A DIAGNOSIS OF MDD (USING DSM-IV CRITERIA) WERE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER A LOW DOSE GROUP (LDG) OR HIGH DOSE GROUP (HDG) AND RECEIVED A 12-WEEK MANUALIZED INTERVENTION. THE LDG INCLUDED TWO 90-MIN YOGA CLASSES PLUS THREE 30-MIN HOMEWORK SESSIONS WEEKLY. THE HDG OFFERED THREE 90-MIN CLASSES PLUS FOUR 30-MIN HOMEWORK SESSIONS WEEKLY. RESULTS: THIRTY-TWO INDIVIDUALS WITH MDD WERE RANDOMIZED, OF WHICH 30 COMPLETED THE PROTOCOL. AT SCREENING, SI WITHOUT INTENT WAS ENDORSED ON THE BDI-II BY 9 PARTICIPANTS; AFTER COMPLETING THE INTERVENTION, 8 OUT OF 9 REPORTED RESOLUTION OF SI. THERE WERE 17 ADVERSE EVENTS POSSIBLY-RELATED AND 15 DEFINITELY-RELATED TO THE INTERVENTION. THE MOST COMMON PROTOCOL-RELATED ADVERSE EVENT WAS MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, WHICH RESOLVED OVER THE COURSE OF THE STUDY. CONCLUSIONS: THE IYENGAR YOGA PLUS COHERENT BREATHING INTERVENTION WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RESOLUTION OF SI IN 8 OUT OF 9 PARTICIPANTS, WITH MILD SIDE EFFECTS THAT WERE PRIMARILY MUSCULOSKELETAL IN NATURE. THIS PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THIS INTERVENTION MAY REDUCE SI WITHOUT INTENT AND BE SAFE FOR USE IN THOSE WITH MDD. 2018 3 2854 46 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 4 1831 64 PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTION, IYENGAR YOGA, AND COHERENT BREATHING: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED DOSING STUDY. BACKGROUND: EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD). STUDIES EVALUATING THE "DOSING" OF YOGA TREATMENT AND EFFICACY FOR MDD ARE NEEDED. THE GOAL OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF AN INTERVENTION COMBINING IYENGAR YOGA AND COHERENT BREATHING IN PARTICIPANTS WITH MDD AND DETERMINE THE OPTIMAL INTERVENTION DOSE. METHODS: THIRTY-TWO PARTICIPANTS (18 TO 65 Y OF AGE) DIAGNOSED WITH MDD WERE RANDOMIZED TO A HIGH-DOSE GROUP (HDG) OR A LOW-DOSE GROUP (LDG) OF YOGA AND COHERENT BREATHING FOR 12 WEEKS. THE HDG (N=15) INVOLVED THREE 90-MINUTE YOGA CLASSES AND FOUR 30-MINUTE HOMEWORK SESSIONS PER WEEK. THE LDG (N=15) INVOLVED TWO 90-MINUTE YOGA CLASSES AND THREE 30-MINUTE HOMEWORK SESSIONS PER WEEK. PARTICIPANTS WERE EVALUATED AT BASELINE, WEEK 4, WEEK 8, AND WEEK 12 WITH THE FOLLOWING INSTRUMENTS: POSITIVITY SELF-TEST, SPIELBERGER STATE ANXIETY INVENTORY, PATIENT HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE-9, PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX, AND EXERCISE-INDUCED FEELING INVENTORY. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING INTENT-TO-TREAT METHODS. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN ALL OUTCOME MEASURES WERE FOUND FOR BOTH GROUPS, WITH ACUTE AND CUMULATIVE BENEFITS. ALTHOUGH THE HDG SHOWED GREATER IMPROVEMENTS ON ALL SCALES, BETWEEN-GROUP DIFFERENCES DID NOT REACH SIGNIFICANCE, POSSIBLY DUE TO LACK OF POWER BECAUSE OF THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE. CUMULATIVE YOGA MINUTES WERE CORRELATED WITH IMPROVEMENT IN OUTCOME MEASURES. LIMITATION: THIS DOSING STUDY DID NOT INCLUDE A NON-YOGA CONTROL. CONCLUSIONS: IMPROVEMENT IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS CORRELATED WITH CUMULATIVE YOGA PRACTICE. BOTH INTERVENTIONS REDUCED SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AND INCREASED FEELINGS OF POSITIVITY. THE TIME COMMITMENT FOR YOGA PRACTICE NEEDS TO BE WEIGHED AGAINST BENEFITS WHEN DESIGNING YOGA INTERVENTIONS. 2019 5 2668 22 YOGA IN MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER: MOLECULAR MECHANISMS AND CLINICAL UTILITY. MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) IS A MIND-BODY DISORDER. CELLULAR AGING HAS BEEN IMPLICATED IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF MDD WITH THE ALTERED MIND-BODY COMMUNICATION MARKERS LIKE STRESS RESPONSE, IMMUNE RESPONSE, NUTRITION SENSING, AND A RANGE OF OTHER REGULATORY FEEDBACK SYSTEMS. IN THIS AGE OF SUPER SPECIALIZATIONS, ONE SPECIFIC TARGET AND INTERVENTIONS (PREFERABLY A DRUG) ON IT ARE BEING RIGOROUSLY SOUGHT BY THE HEALTH CARE COMMUNITY AND INDUSTRY, BUT HAVE FAILED IN IT IN THE LAST FIFTY YEARS IN SPITE OF ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY. SINCE, DEPRESSION IS A COMPLEX DISORDER ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED INCIDENCE OF OTHER COMPLEX DISORDERS, IT MUST BE TREATED BY AN INTEGRATED HOLISTIC APPROACH THAT CAN ADDRESS THE COMPLEXITY OF MDD. INTERVENTIONS TARGETING ACCELERATED BIOLOGICAL AGING TO INCREASE CELLULAR HEALTH IN WHOLE BODY HAVE POTENTIAL TO MANAGE COMPLEX CONDITIONS LIKE MDD AND ITS OVERLAPPING SYMPTOMS AND COMORBIDITIES. YOGA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE THE NEXUS BETWEEN, CLINICAL MANAGEMENT OF MDD AND OTHER LIFESTYLE DISEASES. 2021 6 978 55 EFFECTS OF BODY-ORIENTED YOGA: A RCT STUDY FOR PATIENTS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER. THE MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON MENTAL ILLNESSES WORLDWIDE. CURRENT TREATMENT STANDARDS RECOMMEND A COMBINED THERAPY WITH MEDICATION AND PSYCHOTHERAPY. AS AN ADDITIVE COMPONENT AND TO FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATMENT, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SUCH AS YOGA MAY BE INTEGRATED INTO CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATES THE IMPACT OF A 3-MONTH BODY-ORIENTED YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD). IN TOTAL, N = 83 PATIENTS WERE INCLUDED. AN INTERVENTION GROUP RECEIVED A VIGOROUS ASHTANGA-YOGA THREE TIMES A WEEK. THE WAITING-LIST CONTROL GROUP OBTAINED A TREATMENT AS USUAL (TAU). AS A PRIMARY OUTCOME DEPRESSION SCORES (BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY-II (BDI-II), MONTGOMERY ASBERG DEPRESSION RATING SCALE (MADRS)) WERE TESTED AT THREE TIME POINTS. SECONDARY OUTCOME WAS THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT [POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCALE (PANAS)] AND REMISSION RATES. TO ANALYZE THE DATA, MULTILEVEL MODELS AND EFFECT SIZES WERE CONDUCTED. THE RESULTS SHOWED AN IMPROVEMENT IN BDI-II SCORES FOR BOTH GROUPS OVER TIME [GAMMA = - 3.46, T(165) = - 7.99, P < 0.001] BUT NOT BETWEEN GROUPS [GAMMA = 0.98, T(164) = 1.12, P = 0.263]. AN INTERACTION EFFECT (TIME X GROUP) OCCURRED FOR MADRS [GAMMA = 2.10, T(164) = 2.10, P < 0.038]. POSITIVE AFFECTS IMPROVED OVER TIME FOR BOTH GROUPS [GAMMA = 1.65, T(165) = 4.03, P < 0.001]. NEGATIVE AFFECTS DECREASED FOR ALL OVER TIME [GAMMA = - 1.00, T(165) = - 2.51, P = 0.013]. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT GROUP DIFFERENCES IN PANAS. POST HOC TESTS REVEALED A GREATER SYMPTOM REDUCTION WITHIN THE FIRST 6 WEEKS FOR ALL MEASUREMENTS. THE EFFECT SIZES FOR DEPRESSION SCORES SHOWED A POSITIVE TREND. REMISSION RATES INDICATED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE YOGA GROUP (BDI-II: 46.81%, MADRS: 17.02%) COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP (BDI: 33.33%, MADRS: 8.33%). THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THERE IS A TRENDSETTING ADDITIVE EFFECT OF ASHTANGA-YOGA AFTER 3 MONTHS ON PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND MOOD WITH A GREATER IMPROVEMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE INTERVENTION. FURTHER RESEARCH IN THIS FIELD CAN HELP TO ACHIEVE MORE DIFFERENTIATED RESULTS. 2021 7 225 29 A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF MECHANISMS OF CHANGE IN BODY-ORIENTED YOGA IN MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS. INTRODUCTION: DESPITE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFICACY OF BODY-ORIENTED YOGA AS ADD-ON TREATMENT FOR MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD), THE SPECIFIC MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA LEADS TO THERAPEUTIC CHANGES REMAIN UNCLEAR. BY MEANS OF A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW, WE EVALUATE HOW THE FIELD IS PROGRESSING IN ITS EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF MECHANISMS OF CHANGE IN YOGA FOR MDD. METHODS: TO IDENTIFY RELEVANT STUDIES, A SYSTEMATIC SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED. RESULTS: THE SEARCH PRODUCED 441 ARTICLES, OF WHICH 5 WERE INCLUDED, THAT EMPIRICALLY EXAMINED 2 PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS (MINDFULNESS, RUMINATION) AND 3 BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS (VAGAL CONTROL, HEART RATE VARIABILITY [HRV], BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR [BDNF], CORTISOL). 2 STUDIES FOUND THAT DECREASED RUMINATION AND 1 STUDY THAT INCREASED MINDFULNESS WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON TREATMENT OUTCOME. IN ADDITION, PRELIMINARY STUDIES SUGGEST THAT ALTERATIONS IN CORTISOL, BDNF, AND HRV MAY PLAY A ROLE IN HOW YOGA EXERTS ITS CLINICAL EFFECT. DISCUSSION: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT BODY-ORIENTED YOGA COULD WORK THROUGH SOME OF THE THEORETICALLY PREDICTED MECHANISMS. HOWEVER, THERE IS A NEED FOR MORE RIGOROUS DESIGNS THAT CAN ASSESS GREATER LEVELS OF CAUSAL SPECIFICITY. 2018 8 287 30 ADJUNCT YOGA THERAPY: INFLUENCE ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY IN MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER - A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. HRV IS INVERSELY PROPORTIONAL TO SEVERITY OF DEPRESSION. EFFECT OF 12-WEEKS ADJUNCT YOGA THERAPY ON HRV IN PATIENTS WITH MDD WAS ASSESSED THROUGH A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. SIXTY-EIGHT SUBJECTS (40 FEMALES) WITH MEAN AGE 31.58 +/- 8.79 YEARS, SCORING >/= 18 ON HDRS WERE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER (YG; N = 35) OR (WG; N = 33). LINEAR MIXED MODEL ANALYSIS SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS. ON COMPARING CHANGE IN MEAN PERCENTAGE, SUBSTANTIAL MORE DECREASE COULD BE ELICITED ONLY FOR LF/HF RATIO IN YG COMPARED TO WG, WHILE BEING COMPARABLE FOR OTHER VARIABLES ACROSS THE GROUPS. FINDINGS SUGGEST YOGA THERAPY MAY HELP IN BRINGING PARASYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE IN PATIENTS WITH MDD. 2021 9 1254 31 FEASIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY, AND EFFECTS OF GENTLE HATHA YOGA FOR WOMEN WITH MAJOR DEPRESSION: FINDINGS FROM A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED MIXED-METHODS STUDY. MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) IS A COMMON, DEBILITATING CHRONIC CONDITION IN THE UNITED STATES AND WORLDWIDE. PARTICULARLY IN WOMEN, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS ARE OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS AND RUMINATIONS, OR REPETITIVE SELF-CRITICAL NEGATIVE THINKING. THERE IS A RESEARCH AND CLINICAL IMPERATIVE TO EVALUATE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES THAT ARE ACCEPTABLE AND FEASIBLE FOR WOMEN WITH DEPRESSION AND THAT TARGET SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF DEPRESSION IN WOMEN, SUCH AS RUMINATIONS. TO BEGIN TO ADDRESS THIS NEED, WE CONDUCTED A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED, MIXED-METHODS COMMUNITY-BASED STUDY COMPARING AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION WITH AN ATTENTION-CONTROL ACTIVITY IN 27 WOMEN WITH MDD. AFTER CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE STRESS, THERE WAS A DECREASE IN DEPRESSION OVER TIME IN BOTH THE YOGA GROUP AND THE ATTENTION-CONTROL GROUP, WITH THE YOGA GROUP HAVING A UNIQUE TREND IN DECREASED RUMINATIONS. PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED EXPERIENCING INCREASED CONNECTEDNESS AND GAINING A COPING STRATEGY THROUGH YOGA. THE FINDINGS PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR FUTURE LARGE SCALE RESEARCH TO EXPLORE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR DEPRESSED WOMEN AND THE UNIQUE ROLE OF YOGA IN DECREASING RUMINATION. 2013 10 86 29 A MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION FOR YOUNG WOMEN WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER: DESIGN AND BASELINE SAMPLE CHARACTERISTICS OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: DESPITE THE GAINS MADE BY CURRENT FIRST-LINE INTERVENTIONS FOR MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD), MODEST RATES OF TREATMENT RESPONSE AND HIGH RELAPSE INDICATE THE NEED TO AUGMENT EXISTING INTERVENTIONS. FOLLOWING THEORY AND INITIAL RESEARCH INDICATING THE PROMISE OF MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTIONS (MYIS), THIS STUDY EXAMINES MINDFUL YOGA AS A TREATMENT OF MDD. METHODS/DESIGN: THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL USES A SAMPLE OF YOUNG FEMALES (18-34 YEARS) TO EXAMINE THE EFFICACY AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF A 9-WEEK MANUALIZED MYI ADDED TO TREATMENT AS USUAL (TAU) VERSUS TAU ALONE. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES CONSIST OF CLINICIAN-ADMINISTERED (HAMILTON DEPRESSION RATING SCALE) AND SELF-REPORT (DEPRESSION-ANXIETY-STRESS SCALES) MEASURES OF DEPRESSION. UNDERLYING MECHANISMS WILL BE EXAMINED, INCLUDING RUMINATION, NEGATIVE SELF-EVALUATION, INTOLERANCE OF UNCERTAINTY, INTEROCEPTIVE AWARENESS, AND DISPOSITIONAL MINDFULNESS. ASSESSMENTS WERE CONDUCTED AT PREINTERVENTION AND WILL BE CONDUCTED AT POSTINTERVENTION, 6-, AND 12-MONTH FOLLOW UP. RESULTS: THE BASELINE SAMPLE CONSISTS OF 171 FEMALES (88 WERE RANDOMIZED INTO THE MYI), REPORTING A BASELINE MAGE = 25.08 YEARS (SDAGE = 4.64), MHAMILTON-DEPRESSION = 18.39 (SDHAMILTON = 6.00), AND A MDASS-DEPRESSION = 21.02 (SDDASS = 9.36). CONCLUSION: THIS TRIAL WILL PROVIDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE BENEFITS OF ADDING YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS TO TAU FOR YOUNG WOMEN WITH MDD AND THE MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH SUCH BENEFITS MAY OCCUR. 2020 11 2041 66 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 12 1 29 "A FEELING OF CONNECTEDNESS": PERSPECTIVES ON A GENTLE YOGA INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH MAJOR DEPRESSION. MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON AND DEBILITATING HEALTH CONDITIONS IN WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES AND WORLDWIDE. MANY WOMEN WITH MDD SEEK OUT COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR THEIR DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, EITHER AS AN ADJUNCT OR ALTERNATIVE TO THE USUAL CARE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO UNDERSTAND THE EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR THEIR DEPRESSION. THE FINDINGS FROM THIS INTERPRETIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY ARE DERIVED FROM INTERVIEWS WITH AND DAILY LOGS BY 12 WOMEN WITH MDD WHO TOOK PART IN AN 8-WEEK GENTLE YOGA INTERVENTION AS PART OF A LARGER PARENT RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL. RESULTS SHOW THAT THE WOMEN'S EXPERIENCE OF DEPRESSION INVOLVED STRESS, RUMINATIONS, AND ISOLATION. IN ADDITION, THEIR EXPERIENCES OF YOGA WERE THAT IT SERVED AS A SELF-CARE TECHNIQUE FOR THE STRESS AND RUMINATIVE ASPECTS OF DEPRESSION AND THAT IT SERVED AS A RELATIONAL TECHNIQUE, FACILITATING CONNECTEDNESS AND SHARED EXPERIENCES IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. FUTURE LONG-TERM RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO EVALUATE THESE CONCEPTS AS POTENTIAL MECHANISMS FOR THE EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR DEPRESSION. 2013 13 99 41 A PATIENT WITH ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY-RESISTANT MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER WITH A FULL RESPONSE TO HEATED YOGA: A CASE REPORT. DEPRESSION REMAINS DIFFICULT TO TREAT AS A RESULT OF LESS THAN OPTIMAL EFFICACY AND TROUBLESOME SIDE EFFECTS OF ANTIDEPRESSANTS. THE AUTHORS PRESENT THE CASE OF A PATIENT WITH TREATMENT-RESISTANT DEPRESSION WITH MELANCHOLIC FEATURES WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN UNRESPONSIVE TO ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY (ECT) PLUS AN ANTIDEPRESSANT REGIMEN BUT WHOSE CONDITION FULLY REMITTED WITH THE ADDITION OF A STANDARDIZED FORM OF HEATED HATHA YOGA (HY; BIKRAM YOGA) PRACTICED IN A ROOM HEATED TO 105 DEGREES F. THE PATIENT WAS A 28-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO UNDERWENT 8 WEEKS OF HY AS PART OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF HY FOR DEPRESSION WHILE CONTINUING HER ANTIDEPRESSANT TREATMENT. THE PATIENT WAS ASKED TO ATTEND A MINIMUM OF 2 WEEKLY, 90-MINUTE HY CLASSES. AFTER 8 WEEKS (12 CLASSES IN TOTAL), THE PATIENT NO LONGER MET THE CRITERIA FOR A MAJOR DEPRESSIVE EPISODE WITH MELANCHOLIC FEATURES, PER MINI-INTERNATIONAL NEUROPSYCHIATRIC INTERVIEW (MINI) CRITERIA. HER DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS HAD IMPROVED DRAMATICALLY, WITH INVENTORY OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMATOLOGY, CLINICIAN-RATED (IDS-C30), AND HAMILTON DEPRESSION RATING SCALE (HAM-D28) SCORES DECREASING FROM 28 AT BASELINE TO 3, AND FROM 28 AT BASELINE TO 4, RESPECTIVELY, INDICATING REMISSION. THIS PATIENT'S ECT-RESISTANT DEPRESSION REMITTED WITH THE ADDITION OF HY TO HER ANTIDEPRESSANT REGIMEN. BECAUSE OF HER YOUTH AND ATHLETICISM, THIS PATIENT WAS LIKELY WELL SUITED TO THIS RIGOROUS FORM OF YOGA. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO EXPLORE HY AS A POTENTIAL INTERVENTION FOR TREATMENT-RESISTANT DEPRESSION. 2021 14 1770 33 POTENTIAL LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF A MIND-BODY INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER: SUSTAINED MENTAL HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS WITH A PILOT YOGA INTERVENTION. DESPITE PHARMACOLOGIC AND PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC ADVANCES OVER THE PAST DECADES, MANY INDIVIDUALS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) EXPERIENCE RECURRENT DEPRESSIVE EPISODES AND PERSISTENT DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS DESPITE TREATMENT WITH THE USUAL CARE. YOGA IS A MIND-BODY THERAPEUTIC MODALITY THAT HAS RECEIVED ATTENTION IN BOTH THE LAY AND RESEARCH LITERATURE AS A POSSIBLE ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY FOR DEPRESSION. ALTHOUGH PROMISING, RECENT FINDINGS ABOUT THE POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF YOGA ARE LIMITED BECAUSE FEW STUDIES HAVE USED STANDARDIZED OUTCOME MEASURES AND NONE OF THEM HAVE INVOLVED LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP BEYOND A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD. THE GOAL OF OUR RESEARCH STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY, AND EFFECTS OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH MDD USING STANDARDIZED OUTCOME MEASURES AND A LONG FOLLOW-UP PERIOD (1YEAR AFTER THE INTERVENTION). THE KEY FINDING IS THAT PREVIOUS YOGA PRACTICE HAS LONG-TERM POSITIVE EFFECTS, AS REVEALED IN BOTH QUALITATIVE REPORTS OF PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES AND IN THE QUANTITATIVE DATA ABOUT DEPRESSION AND RUMINATION SCORES OVER TIME. ALTHOUGH GENERALIZABILITY OF THE STUDY FINDINGS IS LIMITED BECAUSE OF A VERY SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AT THE 1-YEAR FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENT, THE TRENDS IN THE DATA SUGGEST THAT EXPOSURE TO YOGA MAY CONVEY A SUSTAINED POSITIVE EFFECT ON DEPRESSION, RUMINATIONS, STRESS, ANXIETY, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE. WHETHER AN INDIVIDUAL CONTINUES WITH YOGA PRACTICE, SIMPLE EXPOSURE TO A YOGA INTERVENTION APPEARS TO PROVIDE SUSTAINED BENEFITS TO THE INDIVIDUAL. THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT IS RARE THAT ANY INTERVENTION, PHARMACOLOGIC OR NON-PHARMACOLOGIC, FOR DEPRESSION CONVEYS SUCH SUSTAINED EFFECTS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MDD, PARTICULARLY AFTER THE TREATMENT IS DISCONTINUED. 2014 15 1920 33 ROLE OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS IN SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESSES: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS ITS ORIGIN FROM THE ANCIENT TIMES. IT IS AN INTEGRATION OF MIND, BODY, AND SOUL. BESIDES, MINDFULNESS EMPHASIZES FOCUSED AWARENESS AND ACCEPTING THE INTERNAL EXPERIENCES WITHOUT BEING JUDGEMENTAL. THESE TECHNIQUES OFFER A TRENDING NEW DIMENSION OF TREATMENT IN VARIOUS PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. AIMS: WE AIMED TO REVIEW THE STUDIES ON THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS AS A TREATMENT MODALITY IN SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESSES (SMIS). SMI INCLUDES SCHIZOPHRENIA, MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD), AND BIPOLAR DISORDER (BD). METHODS: WE CONDUCTED A LITERATURE SEARCH USING PUBMED, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, AND COCHRANE LIBRARY WITH THE SEARCH TERMS "YOGA," "MEDITATION," "BREATHING EXERCISES," "MINDFULNESS," "SCHIZOPHRENIA SPECTRUM AND OTHER PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS," "DEPRESSIVE DISORDER," AND "BIPOLAR DISORDER" FOR THE LAST 10-YEAR PERIOD. WE ALSO INCLUDED RELEVANT ARTICLES FROM THE CROSS-REFERENCES. RESULTS: WE FOUND THAT ASANAS AND PRANAYAMA ARE THE MOST COMMONLY STUDIED FORMS OF YOGA FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA. THESE STUDIES FOUND A REDUCTION IN GENERAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY RATINGS AND AN IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITION AND FUNCTIONING. SOME STUDIES ALSO FOUND MODEST BENEFITS IN NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE SYMPTOMS. MINDFULNESS HAS NOT BEEN EXTENSIVELY TRIED, BUT THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE HAS SHOWN BENEFITS IN IMPROVING PSYCHOTIC SYMPTOMS, IMPROVING LEVEL OF FUNCTIONING, AND AFFECT REGULATION. IN MDD, BOTH YOGA AND MINDFULNESS HAVE DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT IN REDUCING THE SEVERITY OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. THERE IS VERY SPARSE DATA WITH RESPECT TO BD. CONCLUSION: BOTH YOGA AND MINDFULNESS INTERVENTIONS APPEAR TO BE USEFUL AS AN ADJUNCT IN THE TREATMENT OF SMI. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, ANXIETY, COGNITION, AND FUNCTIONING OF PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. SIMILARLY, BOTH THE TECHNIQUES HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED AS AN EFFECTIVE ADJUVANT IN MDD. HOWEVER, MORE RIGOROUSLY DESIGNED AND LARGER TRIALS MAY BE NECESSARY, SPECIFICALLY FOR BD. 2019 16 418 48 BREATHING-FOCUSED YOGA AS AUGMENTATION FOR UNIPOLAR AND BIPOLAR DEPRESSION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL: LE YOGA AXE SUR LA RESPIRATION COMME TRAITEMENT D'APPOINT POUR LA DEPRESSION UNIPOLAIRE ET BIPOLAIRE: UN ESSAI RANDOMISE CONTROLE. OBJECTIVE: PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION FREQUENTLY EXPERIENCE PERSISTENT RESIDUAL SYMPTOMS EVEN WITH OPTIMAL INTERVENTIONS. THESE PATIENTS OFTEN USE COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENTS, INCLUDING YOGA, AS A PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE OR ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT. THERE IS EVIDENCE FOR THE BENEFIT OF YOGA FOR DEPRESSION, BUT THIS HAS NOT BEEN RIGOROUSLY EVALUATED, PARTICULARLY IN BIPOLAR DEPRESSION. WE AIMED TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND BENEFIT OF MANUALIZED BREATHING-FOCUSED YOGA IN COMPARISON TO PSYCHOEDUCATION AS AUGMENTATION TO PHARMACOTHERAPY FOR IMPROVING RESIDUAL SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION IN UNIPOLAR AND BIPOLAR PATIENTS. METHODS: USING A RANDOMIZED SINGLE-BLIND CROSSOVER DESIGN, 72 OUTPATIENTS WITH UNIPOLAR OR BIPOLAR DEPRESSION WERE AUGMENTED WITH THE TWO 8-WEEK INTERVENTIONS AT SEPARATE TIMES, AS ADD-ONS TO CURRENT FIRST-LINE ANTIDEPRESSANTS AND MOOD STABILIZERS. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS THE MONTGOMERY-ASBERG DEPRESSION RATING SCALE (MADRS). DUE TO THE HIGH DROPOUT OF PARTICIPANTS AFTER CROSSOVER AT WEEK 8, ANALYSIS FOCUSED ON BETWEEN-GROUP COMPARISONS OF YOGA AND PSYCHOEDUCATION DURING THE INITIAL 8 WEEKS OF THE STUDY. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, AS MEASURED BY THE MADRS, FOLLOWING 8 WEEKS OF YOGA. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN MADRS RATINGS BETWEEN INTERVENTION GROUPS. SIMILAR IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-RATED DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND WELL-BEING WERE ALSO OBSERVED ACROSS TIME. CONCLUSIONS: BOTH YOGA AND PSYCHOEDUCATION MAY IMPROVE RESIDUAL SYMPTOMS OF UNIPOLAR AND BIPOLAR DEPRESSION AS ADD-ON TO MEDICATIONS. IN-CLASS GROUP SESSIONS AND LONG STUDY DURATIONS MAY REDUCE FEASIBILITY FOR THIS POPULATION. LARGER TRIALS WITH PARALLEL GROUP DESIGN AND SHORTER DURATION MAY BE MORE FEASIBLE. 2021 17 327 44 ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFICACY OF SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA (SKY) IN MELANCHOLIA: A RANDOMIZED COMPARISON WITH ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY (ECT) AND IMIPRAMINE. BACKGROUND: SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA (SKY) IS A PROCEDURE THAT INVOLVES ESSENTIALLY RHYTHMIC HYPERVENTILATION AT DIFFERENT RATES OF BREATHING. THE ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFICACY OF SKY WAS DEMONSTRATED IN DYSTHYMIA IN A PROSPECTIVE, OPEN CLINICAL TRIAL. THIS STUDY COMPARED THE RELATIVE ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFICACY OF SKY IN MELANCHOLIA WITH TWO OF THE CURRENT STANDARD TREATMENTS, ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY (ECT) AND IMIPRAMINE (IMN). METHODS: CONSENTING, UNTREATED MELANCHOLIC DEPRESSIVES (N=45) WERE HOSPITALIZED AND RANDOMIZED EQUALLY INTO THREE TREATMENT GROUPS. THEY WERE ASSESSED AT RECRUITMENT AND WEEKLY THEREAFTER FOR FOUR WEEKS. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN THE TOTAL SCORES ON BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY (BDI) AND HAMILTON RATING SCALE FOR DEPRESSION (HRSD) OCCURRED ON SUCCESSIVE OCCASIONS IN ALL THREE GROUPS. THE GROUPS, HOWEVER, DID NOT DIFFER. SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION BETWEEN THE GROUPS AND OCCASION OF ASSESSMENT OCCURRED. AT WEEK THREE, THE SKY GROUP HAD HIGHER SCORES THAN THE ECT GROUP BUT WAS NOT DIFFERENT FROM THE IMN GROUP. REMISSION (TOTAL HRSD SCORE OF SEVEN OR LESS) RATES AT THE END OF THE TRIAL WERE 93, 73 AND 67% IN THE ECT, IMN AND SKY GROUPS, RESPECTIVELY. NO CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT SIDE EFFECTS WERE OBSERVED. DISCUSSION: WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF THE DESIGN (LACK OF DOUBLE BLIND CONDITIONS), IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT, ALTHOUGH INFERIOR TO ECT, SKY CAN BE A POTENTIAL ALTERNATIVE TO DRUGS IN MELANCHOLIA AS A FIRST LINE TREATMENT. 2000 18 1543 24 KUNDALINI YOGA FOR GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER: AN EXPLORATION OF TREATMENT EFFICACY AND POSSIBLE MECHANISMS. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFICACY OF KUNDALINI YOGA IN REDUCING SYMPTOMS OF GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER (GAD) COMPARED TO A COMMON TREATMENT-AS-USUAL CONDITION USING COGNITIVE TECHNIQUES. A SECONDARY OBJECTIVE WAS TO EXPLORE POTENTIAL TREATMENT MECHANISMS. FEMALES AGED 24 TO 75 YEARS WITH GAD ( N = 49) RECEIVED EITHER AN 8-WEEK KUNDALINI YOGA INTERVENTION ( N = 34) OR AN 8-WEEK TREATMENT-AS-USUAL CONDITION ( N = 15). THE YOGA CONDITION RESULTED IN LOWER LEVELS OF ANXIETY RELATIVE TO THE TREATMENT-AS-USUAL CONDITION. FURTHERMORE, CHANGES IN SOMATIC SYMPTOMS MEDIATED TREATMENT OUTCOME FOR KUNDALINI YOGA. KUNDALINI YOGA MAY SHOW PROMISE AS A TREATMENT FOR GAD, AND THIS TREATMENT MIGHT CONVEY ITS EFFECT ON SYMPTOM SEVERITY BY REDUCING SOMATIC SYMPTOMS. 2018 19 2796 30 YOGA THERAPY FOR OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD): A CASE SERIES FROM INDIA. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT SCIENCE WHICH HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE HELPFUL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SEVERAL PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS INCLUDING OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD). YOGA AS ADD-ON TREATMENT IN OCD MAY HELP ADDRESS ISSUES LIKE PARTIAL RESPONSE AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF MEDICATIONS. HOWEVER, RESEARCH IN THIS AREA IS SPARSE, WHICH LED US TO EXPLORE IT THROUGH THIS CASE SERIES. IN THIS CASE SERIES WE HAVE DESCRIBED THE BENEFITS OF 1 MONTH OF YOGA AS ADD-ON TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH OCD. ALL PATIENTS WERE ON STABLE DOSES OF MEDICATIONS PRIOR TO AND DURING YOGA PRACTICE. PRE-POST ASSESSMENTS FOR THE CORE SYMPTOMS OF OBSESSION/COMPULSIONS AS WELL AS DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS WERE DONE. THE ASSESSMENTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN Y-BOCS AND HAM-D SCORES AFTER 1 MONTH OF YOGA. YOGA THERAPY COULD BE AN EFFECTIVE ADD-ON THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF OCD. 2021 20 1761 34 POSITIVE THERAPEUTIC AND NEUROTROPIC EFFECTS OF YOGA IN DEPRESSION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY. CONTEXT: THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF YOGA IN DEPRESSION IS RECOGNIZED. NEUROPLASTIC EFFECTS OF ANTIDEPRESSANT THERAPIES ARE INFERRED BY ELEVATIONS IN BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF). ROLE OF YOGA IN BOTH THESE EFFECTS HAS NOT BEEN STUDIED. MATERIALS AND METHODS: NON-SUICIDAL, CONSECUTIVE OUT-PATIENTS OF DEPRESSION WERE OFFERED YOGA EITHER ALONE OR WITH ANTIDEPRESSANTS. THE DEPRESSION SEVERITY WAS RATED ON HAMILTON DEPRESSION RATING SCALE (HDRS) BEFORE AND AT 3 MONTHS. SERUM BDNF LEVELS WERE MEASURED AT THE SAME TIME POINTS. REPEATED-MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WAS PERFORMED TO LOOK AT CHANGE ACROSS GROUPS WITH RESPECT TO HDRS SCORES AND BDNF LEVELS OVER 3 MONTHS OF FOLLOW-UP. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHANGE IN SERUM BDNF LEVELS AND CHANGE IN HDRS SCORES WAS ASSESSED USING THE PEARSON'S CORRELATION COEFFICIENT. RESULTS: BOTH YOGA GROUPS WERE BETTER THAN DRUGS-ONLY GROUP WITH RESPECT TO REDUCTION IN HDRS SCORES. SERUM BDNF ROSE IN THE TOTAL SAMPLE IN THE 3-MONTH PERIOD. THIS WAS NOT, HOWEVER, DIFFERENT ACROSS TREATMENT GROUPS. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN FALL IN HDRS AND RISE IN SERUM BDNF LEVELS IN YOGA-ONLY GROUP (R=0.702; P=0.001), BUT NOT IN THOSE RECEIVING YOGA AND ANTIDEPRESSANTS OR ANTIDEPRESSANTS-ALONE. CONCLUSIONS: NEUROPLASTIC MECHANISMS MAY BE RELATED TO THE THERAPEUTIC MECHANISMS OF YOGA IN DEPRESSION. 2013