1 1347 180 HYPOXIA IN CNS PATHOLOGIES: EMERGING ROLE OF MIRNA-BASED NEUROTHERAPEUTICS AND YOGA BASED ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES. CELLULAR RESPIRATION IS A VITAL PROCESS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF LIFE. ANY CONDITION THAT RESULTS IN DEPRIVATION OF OXYGEN (ALSO TERMED AS HYPOXIA) MAY EVENTUALLY LEAD TO DELETERIOUS EFFECTS ON THE FUNCTIONING OF TISSUES. BRAIN BEING THE HIGHEST CONSUMER OF OXYGEN IS PRONE TO INCREASED RISK OF HYPOXIA-INDUCED NEUROLOGICAL INSULTS. THIS IN TURN HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH MANY DISEASES OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) SUCH AS STROKE, ALZHEIMER'S, ENCEPHALOPATHY ETC. ALTHOUGH SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE INVESTIGATED THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING ISCHEMIC/HYPOXIC CNS DISEASES, THE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PROTECTIVE THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES TO AMELIORATE THE AFFECTED NEURONAL CELLS IS MEAGER. THIS HAS AUGMENTED THE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE HYPOXIC AND ISCHEMIC EVENTS OCCURRING IN THE BRAIN AND IDENTIFY NOVEL AND ALTERNATE TREATMENT MODALITIES FOR SUCH INSULTS. MICRORNA (MIRNAS), SMALL NON-CODING RNA MOLECULES, HAVE RECENTLY EMERGED AS POTENTIAL NEUROPROTECTIVE AGENTS AS WELL AS TARGETS, UNDER HYPOXIC CONDITIONS. THESE 18-22 NUCLEOTIDE LONG RNA MOLECULES ARE PROFUSELY PRESENT IN BRAIN AND OTHER ORGANS AND FUNCTION AS GENE REGULATORS BY CLEAVING AND SILENCING THE GENE EXPRESSION. IN BRAIN, THESE ARE KNOWN TO BE INVOLVED IN NEURONAL DIFFERENTIATION AND PLASTICITY. THEREFORE, TARGETING MIRNA EXPRESSION REPRESENTS A NOVEL THERAPEUTIC APPROACH TO INTERCEDE AGAINST HYPOXIC AND ISCHEMIC BRAIN INJURY. IN THE FIRST PART OF THIS REVIEW, WE WILL DISCUSS THE NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES CAUSED AS A RESULT OF HYPOXIA, FOLLOWED BY THE CONTRIBUTION OF HYPOXIA IN THE NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES. SECONDLY, WE WILL PROVIDE RECENT UPDATES AND INSIGHTS INTO THE ROLES OF MIRNA IN THE REGULATION OF GENES IN OXYGEN AND GLUCOSE DEPRIVED BRAIN IN ASSOCIATION WITH CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS AND HOW THESE CAN BE TARGETED AS NEUROPROTECTIVE AGENTS FOR CNS INJURIES. FINALLY, WE WILL EMPHASIZE ON ALTERNATE BREATHING OR YOGIC INTERVENTIONS TO OVERCOME THE HYPOXIA ASSOCIATED ANOMALIES THAT COULD ULTIMATELY LEAD TO IMPROVEMENT IN CEREBRAL PERFUSION. 2017 2 450 43 CHANGES IN CIRCULATING MICRORNA AFTER RECUMBENT ISOMETRIC YOGA PRACTICE BY PATIENTS WITH MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS/CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME: AN EXPLORATIVE PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A REPRESENTATIVE MIND-BODY THERAPY. OUR PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT ISOMETRIC YOGA (I.E. YOGA PROGRAMS THAT WE DEVELOPED SO INDIVIDUALS CAN PRACTICE YOGA POSES WITH A SELF-ADJUSTABLE ISOMETRIC LOAD) REDUCES THE FATIGUE OF PATIENTS WITH MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS/CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME (ME/CFS); HOWEVER, THE UNDERLYING MECHANISMS REMAIN UNCLEAR. SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE SUGGESTED THAT THE MICRO-RIBONUCLEIC ACID (MIRNA) EXPRESSION OF ME/CFS PATIENTS IS DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF HEALTHY SUBJECTS. HOWEVER, IT HAS NOT TO DATE BEEN DETERMINED IF THE PRACTICE OF ISOMETRIC YOGA CAN AFFECT MIRNA EXPRESSION. THEREFORE, WE SOUGHT TO INVESTIGATE IF ISOMETRIC YOGA IS ASSOCIATED WITH CHANGES IN THE EXPRESSION LEVELS OF SERUM MIRNA OF PATIENTS WITH ME/CFS. METHODS: THE STUDY INCLUDED NINE PATIENTS WITH ME/CFS WHO FAILED TO SHOW SATISFACTORY IMPROVEMENT AFTER AT LEAST 6 MONTHS OF TREATMENT ADMINISTERED AT OUR HOSPITAL. PATIENTS PRACTICED RECUMBENT ISOMETRIC YOGA FOR 3 MONTHS; THEY MET WITH A YOGA INSTRUCTOR EVERY 2 TO 4 WEEKS AND PARTICIPATED IN DAILY IN-HOME SESSIONS. THE EFFECT OF RECUMBENT ISOMETRIC YOGA ON FATIGUE WAS ASSESSED BY COMPARING PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION SCORES ON THE JAPANESE VERSION OF THE 11-ITEM CHALDER FATIGUE SCALE (CFQ 11). PATIENT BLOOD SAMPLES WERE DRAWN PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION, JUST PRIOR TO PRACTICING RECUMBENT ISOMETRIC YOGA WITH AN INSTRUCTOR. THE SERUM WAS USED FOR MIRNA ARRAY ANALYSIS WITH KNOWN HUMAN MIRNAS. RESULTS: THE AVERAGE CFQ 11 SCORE DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (FROM 25.3 +/- 5.5 TO 17.0 +/- 5.8, P < 0.0001) AFTER PRACTICING RECUMBENT ISOMETRIC YOGA FOR 3 MONTHS. THE MIRNA MICROARRAY ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT FOUR MIRNAS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY UPREGULATED, AND 42 WERE DOWNREGULATED AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD. CONCLUSIONS: THIS EXPLORATIVE PILOT STUDY IS THE FIRST TO DEMONSTRATE CHANGES IN THE SERUM LEVELS OF SEVERAL MIRNAS AFTER REGULAR PRACTICE OF RECUMBENT ISOMETRIC YOGA. THESE MIRNAS MIGHT REPRESENT BIOMARKERS FOR THE FATIGUE-RELIEVING EFFECTS OF ISOMETRIC YOGA OF PATIENTS WITH ME/CFS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL MEDICAL INFORMATION NETWORK (UMIN CTR) 000023472. REGISTERED AUG 4, 2016. 2019 3 1506 28 IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME: YOGA AS REMEDIAL THERAPY. IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS) IS A GROUP OF SYMPTOMS MANIFESTING AS A FUNCTIONAL GASTROINTESTINAL (GI) DISORDER IN WHICH PATIENTS EXPERIENCE ABDOMINAL PAIN, DISCOMFORT, AND BLOATING THAT IS OFTEN RELIEVED WITH DEFECATION. IBS IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH A HOST OF SECONDARY COMORBIDITIES SUCH AS ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, HEADACHES, AND FATIGUE. IN THIS REVIEW, WE EXAMINED THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF PANCHA KOSHA (FIVE SHEATHS OF HUMAN EXISTENCE) CONCEPT FROM AN INDIAN SCRIPTURE TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD AND THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF A DISEASE FROM THE YOGA APPROACH, YOGA VASISTHA'S ADHI (ORIGINATED FROM MIND) AND VYADHI (AILMENT/DISEASE) CONCEPT. AN ANALOGY BETWEEN THE AGE OLD, THE MOST PROFOUND CONCEPT OF ADHI-VYADHI, AND MODERN SCIENTIFIC STRESS-INDUCED DYSREGULATION OF BRAIN-GUT AXIS, AS IT RELATES TO IBS THAT COULD PAVE WAY FOR IMPACTING IBS, IS EMPHASIZED. BASED ON THESE PERSPECTIVES, A PLAUSIBLE YOGA MODULE AS A REMEDIAL THERAPY IS PROVIDED TO BETTER MANAGE THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SYMPTOMS OF IBS. 2015 4 1089 36 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM, GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC-ACID, AND ALLOSTASIS IN EPILEPSY, DEPRESSION, AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. A THEORY IS PROPOSED TO EXPLAIN THE BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICES IN DIVERSE, FREQUENTLY COMORBID MEDICAL CONDITIONS BASED ON THE CONCEPT THAT YOGA PRACTICES REDUCE ALLOSTATIC LOAD IN STRESS RESPONSE SYSTEMS SUCH THAT OPTIMAL HOMEOSTASIS IS RESTORED. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT STRESS INDUCES (1) IMBALANCE OF THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (ANS) WITH DECREASED PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (PNS) AND INCREASED SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (SNS) ACTIVITY, (2) UNDERACTIVITY OF THE GAMMA AMINO-BUTYRIC ACID (GABA) SYSTEM, THE PRIMARY INHIBITORY NEUROTRANSMITTER SYSTEM, AND (3) INCREASED ALLOSTATIC LOAD. IT IS FURTHER HYPOTHESIZED THAT YOGA-BASED PRACTICES (4) CORRECT UNDERACTIVITY OF THE PNS AND GABA SYSTEMS IN PART THROUGH STIMULATION OF THE VAGUS NERVES, THE MAIN PERIPHERAL PATHWAY OF THE PNS, AND (5) REDUCE ALLOSTATIC LOAD. DEPRESSION, EPILEPSY, POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD), AND CHRONIC PAIN EXEMPLIFY MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT ARE EXACERBATED BY STRESS, HAVE LOW HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) AND LOW GABAERGIC ACTIVITY, RESPOND TO PHARMACOLOGIC AGENTS THAT INCREASE ACTIVITY OF THE GABA SYSTEM, AND SHOW SYMPTOM IMPROVEMENT IN RESPONSE TO YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS. THE OBSERVATION THAT TREATMENT RESISTANT CASES OF EPILEPSY AND DEPRESSION RESPOND TO VAGAL NERVE STIMULATION CORROBORATES THE NEED TO CORRECT PNS UNDERACTIVITY AS PART OF A SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT PLAN IN SOME CASES. ACCORDING TO THE PROPOSED THEORY, THE DECREASED PNS AND GABAERGIC ACTIVITY THAT UNDERLIES STRESS-RELATED DISORDERS CAN BE CORRECTED BY YOGA PRACTICES RESULTING IN AMELIORATION OF DISEASE SYMPTOMS. THIS HAS FAR-REACHING IMPLICATIONS FOR THE INTEGRATION OF YOGA-BASED PRACTICES IN THE TREATMENT OF A BROAD ARRAY OF DISORDERS EXACERBATED BY STRESS. 2012 5 1698 28 PAIN-RELATED ENCEPHALIC REGIONS INFLUENCED BY YOGA MEDITATION: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW. INTRODUCTION: THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE USE OF YOGA IN PAIN RELIEF ARE STILL UNCLEAR. THIS STUDY REVIEWED LITERATURE REPORTS ON ENCEPHALIC ACTIVITY RELATED TO ANALGESIA INDUCED BY YOGA MEDITATION PRACTICE. METHODS: THIS INTEGRATIVE REVIEW EXAMINED STUDIES PUBLISHED IN THE PUBMED, LILACS AND MEDLINE DATABASES WITHOUT RESTRICTION OF THE YEAR OF PUBLICATION. THE RESEARCH INVOLVED 16 DESCRIPTORS RELATED TO THE WORDS: YOGA, PAIN AND NEUROIMAGING METHODS. INCLUSION CRITERIA INVOLVED ONLY THE PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE, WITH FREE ACCESS AND WRITTEN IN ENGLISH. RESULTS: 2 CASE STUDIES AND 1 PILOT STUDY MET THE CRITERIA. YOGA MEDITATION PRACTICE INDUCES ANALGESIA PRIMARILY THROUGH ATTENUATION OF THE MEDIAL PAIN PERCEPTION SYSTEM INCLUDING THE ANTERIOR CINGULATE CORTEX AND INSULA REGIONS, AS WELL AS THE LATERAL SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SECONDARY SENSORY CORTEX AND THALAMUS. CONCLUSION: YOGA INDUCED ANALGESIA IS A POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT ADJUNCT TO CURRENT PAIN MANAGEMENT. THIS INTEGRATIVE REVIEW REVEALED THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR FURTHER RESEARCH THAT ANALYZES THE ENCEPHALIC REGIONS RELATED TO ANALGESIA INDUCED BY YOGA PRACTICE. 2018 6 610 30 DEVELOPMENT OF A RECUMBENT ISOMETRIC YOGA PROGRAM FOR PATIENTS WITH SEVERE CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME/MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS: A PILOT STUDY TO ASSESS FEASIBILITY AND EFFICACY. BACKGROUND: OUR PREVIOUS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL DEMONSTRATED THAT ISOMETRIC YOGA IN A SITTING POSITION REDUCES FATIGUE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME/MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS (CFS/ME). HOWEVER, SOME PATIENTS EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTIES SITTING OR PRACTICING ISOMETRIC YOGA IN A SITTING POSITION FOR LONG PERIODS. TO DATE, THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS FOR PATIENTS WITH SEVERE SYMPTOMS HAVE NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED. THEREFORE, WE DEVELOPED A RECUMBENT ISOMETRIC YOGA PROGRAM, WHICH TAKES APPROXIMATELY 20 MIN TO COMPLETE, DESIGNED TO REDUCE FATIGUE IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE CFS/ME. THE AIM OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY, SAFETY, AND USEFULNESS OF THIS PROGRAM. METHODS: THIS PILOT STUDY INCLUDED 12 ADULT PATIENTS WITH CFS/ME. SIX PATIENTS WERE RELUCTANT TO PRACTICE ISOMETRIC YOGA IN A SITTING POSITION BECAUSE OF THE SEVERITY OF THEIR FATIGUE (GROUP 1). THE REMAINING SIX PATIENTS HAD PREVIOUSLY PRACTICED ISOMETRIC YOGA IN A SITTING POSITION (GROUP 2). FOR 3 MONTHS, THE PATIENTS OF BOTH GROUPS PRACTICED RECUMBENT ISOMETRIC YOGA EVERY 2 TO 4 WEEKS WITH A YOGA INSTRUCTOR AND AT HOME ON OTHER DAYS IF THEY COULD. THE SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF ISOMETRIC YOGA ON FATIGUE WERE ASSESSED USING THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATUS (POMS) QUESTIONNAIRE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR FINAL SESSION WITH THE YOGA INSTRUCTOR. THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF ISOMETRIC YOGA ON FATIGUE WERE ASSESSED USING THE CHALDER FATIGUE SCALE (FS) QUESTIONNAIRE BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD. ADVERSE EVENTS, SATISFACTION WITH THE PROGRAM, AND PREFERENCE OF YOGA POSITION (SITTING OR RECUMBENT) WERE ALSO RECORDED. RESULTS: ALL SUBJECTS COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION. IN BOTH GROUPS, THE POMS FATIGUE SCORE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED AFTER PRACTICING THE 20-MIN YOGA PROGRAM AND THE CHALDER FS SCORE WAS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER THE 3-MONTH INTERVENTION PERIOD. THERE WERE NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS. ALL SUBJECTS IN GROUP 2 PREFERRED THE RECUMBENT ISOMETRIC YOGA PROGRAM OVER A SITTING YOGA PROGRAM. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY SUGGESTS THAT RECUMBENT ISOMETRIC YOGA IS A FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH CFS/ME, EVEN FOR PATIENTS WHO EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY PRACTICING ISOMETRIC YOGA IN THE SITTING POSITION. 2017 7 1639 41 MODULATION OF IMMUNE RESPONSES IN STRESS BY YOGA. STRESS IS A CONSTANT FACTOR IN TODAY'S FASTPACED LIFE THAT CAN JEOPARDIZE OUR HEALTH IF LEFT UNCHECKED. IT IS ONLY IN THE LAST HALF CENTURY THAT THE ROLE OF STRESS IN EVERY AILMENT FROM THE COMMON COLD TO AIDS HAS BEEN EMPHASIZED, AND THE MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS HAVE BEEN STUDIED. STRESS INFLUENCES THE IMMUNE RESPONSE PRESUMABLY THROUGH THE ACTIVATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY ADRENAL AXIS, HYPOTHALAMIC PITUITARY-GONADAL AXIS, AND THE SYMPATHETIC-ADRENAL-MEDULLARY SYSTEM. VARIOUS NEUROTRANSMITTERS, NEUROPEPTIDES, HORMONES, AND CYTOKINES MEDIATE THESE COMPLEX BIDIRECTIONAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. THE EFFECTS OF STRESS ON THE IMMUNE RESPONSES RESULT IN ALTERATIONS IN THE NUMBER OF IMMUNE CELLS AND CYTOKINE DYSREGULATION. VARIOUS STRESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES SUCH AS MEDITATION, YOGA, HYPNOSIS, AND MUSCLE RELAXATION HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF STRESS IN CANCERS AND HIV INFECTION. THIS REVIEW AIMS TO DISCUSS THE EFFECT OF STRESS ON THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND EXAMINE HOW RELAXATION TECHNIQUES SUCH AS YOGA AND MEDITATION COULD REGULATE THE CYTOKINE LEVELS AND HENCE, THE IMMUNE RESPONSES DURING STRESS. 2008 8 321 40 ANALOGY BETWEEN CLASSICAL YOGA/ZEN BREATHING AND MODERN CLINICAL RESPIRATORY THERAPY. ANESTHESIOLOGISTS AND INTENSIVISTS ARE MODERN-DAY PROFESSIONALS WHO PROVIDE APPROPRIATE RESPIRATORY CARE, VITAL FOR PATIENT SURVIVAL. RECENTLY, ANESTHESIOLOGISTS HAVE INCREASINGLY FOCUSED THEIR ATTENTION ON THE TYPE OF SPONTANEOUS BREATHING MADE BY NON-INTUBATED PATIENTS WITH PULMONARY DISEASE CARED FOR IN AN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT, AND ALSO PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC PAIN RECEIVING COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY. PRIOR TO OUR MODERN UNDERSTANDING OF RESPIRATORY PHYSIOLOGY, ZEN MEDITATORS RECOGNIZED THAT BREATHING HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON A PERSON'S MENTAL STATE AND GENERAL PHYSICAL WELL-BEING. EXAMPLES OF THIS KNOWLEDGE REGARDING RESPIRATION INCLUDE THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF DEEP INHALATION AND SLOW EXHALATION ON ANXIETY AND GENERAL WELLNESS. THE CLASSICAL LITERATURE HAS NOTED MANY SUGGESTIONS FOR BREATHING AND ITS PSYCHO-PHYSICAL EFFECTS. IN THE PRESENT REVIEW, WE EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF CLASSICAL BREATHING METHODS AND FIND AN ANALOGY BETWEEN TYPICAL YOGA/ZEN BREATHING AND MODERN CLINICAL RESPIRATORY THERAPY. EVIDENCE IS INCREASING ABOUT HISTORICAL BREATHING AND RELATED MEDITATION TECHNIQUES THAT MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN MODERN CLINICAL PRACTICE, ESPECIALLY IN THE FIELD OF ANESTHESIOLOGY, SUCH AS IN IMPROVING RESPIRATORY FUNCTION AND REDUCING CHRONIC PAIN. CLARIFICATION OF THE DETAILED MECHANISMS INVOLVED IS ANTICIPATED. 2020 9 1773 45 POTENTIAL YOGA MODULES FOR TREATMENT OF HEMATOPOIETIC INHIBITION IN HIV-1 INFECTION. THIS ARTICLE IS EXPECTED TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING THE THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF SPECIFIC YOGA MODULES ON THE INHIBITION OF REPLICATION AND ENHANCEMENT TO NORMAL LEVELS OF HEMATOPOIESIS IN HIV-1 INFECTED SUBJECTS. MORE UNIQUE COULD BE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE INDIRECT EFFECTS OF HIV-1 INDUCED HEMATOPOIETIC INHIBITION OF THE CD34+ PROGENITOR STEM CELLS, VIA THE CD4+ T LYMPHOCYTES. SUCH INDIRECT EFFECTS MAY BE CAUSED BY HOST CELLULAR FACTORS. YOGA PRACTICES MAY ALSO IMPROVE THE SELF RENEWAL CAPACITY (A STEP THAT PRECEDES COMMITMENT OF CD34+ PROGENITOR CELLS TO TERMINAL DIFFERENTIATION), VIA STAT5 GENE REGULATION. THIS MAY ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR CONSTITUTIVE STAT5 GENE EXPRESSION THROUGH GENE THERAPY. IN THIS ARTICLE RECENT RESEARCH AND ANCIENT INDIAN LITERATURE ARE REVIEWED TO DEVISE YOGA MODULES FOR THE POTENTIAL TREATMENT OF HEMATOPOIETIC INHIBITION IN HIV-1 INFECTION. THE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH HEMATOPOIETIC INHIBITION MAY OCCUR IN HIV-1 INFECTED PATIENTS ARE FIRST DESCRIBED FOLLOWED BY THE ROLE OF STRESS IN THE PROGRESSION OF HIV WHERE PROBABLE INVOLVEMENT OF PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNOLOGICAL AXIS (PNI) IS HIGHLIGHTED. YOGA THERAPY IS INTRODUCED AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN TERMS OF EVIDENCE IN RELEVANT AREA IS REVIEWED. FURTHER, THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY [IAYT] ARE DESCRIBED AND DEPENDING ON THE POTENTIAL MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH YOGA THERAPY MAY ACT, BOTH MODERN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND ANCIENT "SCRIPTURAL" EVIDENCE ARE PROVIDED AT ALL THE FIVE LEVELS OF EXISTENCE (BODY, LIFE FORCE, EMOTIONAL, INTELLECTUAL AND BLISS). THIS WILL ENABLE TO DESIGN COMPREHENSIVE YOGA MODULES THAT MAY INTERVENE IN THIS INDIRECT INHIBITION OF HAEMATOPOIESIS IN HIV-1 INFECTED INDIVIDUALS AND POTENTIALLY RESTORE NORMAL LEVELS OF HAEMATOPOIESIS. 2010 10 433 28 CAN YOGA THERAPY STIMULATE STEM CELL TRAFFICKING FROM BONE MARROW? IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED THAT MESENCHYMAL STROMAL CELLS (MSCS) FROM BONE MARROW ENTER THE PERIPHERAL CIRCULATION INTERMITTENTLY FOR POSSIBLE TISSUE REGENERATION, REPAIR AND TO TAKE CARE OF DAILY WEAR AND TEAR. THIS IS EVIDENT FROM THE DETECTION OF MSCS FROM PERIPHERAL BLOOD. THE FACTORS GOVERNING THIS MIGRATION REMAIN ELUSIVE. THESE MSCS CARRY OUT THE WORK OF POLICING AND ARE SUPPOSED TO REPAIR THE INJURED TISSUES. THUS, THESE CELLS HELP IN MAINTAINING THE TISSUE AND ORGAN HOMEOSTASIS. YOGA AND PRANAYAMA ORIGINATED IN INDIA AND IS NOW BEING PRACTICED ALL OVER THE WORLD FOR POSITIVE HEALTH. SO FAR, THE CHEMICAL STIMULATION OF BONE MARROW HAS BEEN WIDELY USED EMPLOYING INJECTION OF COLONY STIMULATING FACTOR. HOWEVER, THE ROLE OF PHYSICAL FACTORS SUCH AS MECHANICAL STIMULATION AND STRETCHING HAS NOT BEEN SUBSTANTIATED. IT IS CLAIMED THAT PRACTICING YOGA DELAYS SENESCENCE, IMPROVES THE PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS OF HEART AND LUNG AND YOGA POSTURES MAKE THE BODY ELASTIC. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER THE YOGA THERAPY PROMOTES TRAFFICKING OF THE STEM CELLS FROM BONE MARROW FOR POSSIBLE REPAIR AND REGENERATION OF WORN OUT AND DEGENERATING TISSUES. WE COVER IN THIS SHORT REVIEW, MAINLY THE ROLE OF PHYSICAL FACTORS ESPECIALLY THE YOGA THERAPY ON STEM CELLS TRAFFICKING FROM BONE MARROW. 2016 11 1149 46 ENHANCEMENT OF CANCER STEM CELL SUSCEPTIBILITY TO CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS THROUGH COMPLEMENTARY YOGA THERAPY: POSSIBLE CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS. CANCER STEM CELLS (CSCS) ARE STEM-LIKE TUMOR POPULATIONS THAT ARE REPORTED TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS TUMOR GROWTH, MAINTENANCE AND RECURRENCE AFTER THERAPY. HYPOXIA INCREASES CSC FRACTION AND PROMOTES ACQUISITION OF A STEM-CELL-LIKE STATE. CANCER STEM CELLS ARE CRITICALLY DEPENDANT ON THE HYPOXIA-INDUCIBLE FACTOR-1 (HIF-1) FOR SURVIVAL, SELF-RENEWAL, TUMOR GROWTH AND MAINTENANCE OF THEIR UNDIFFERENTIATED PHENOTYPE. RECENT RESEARCHES SHOW THAT STAGE OF DIFFERENTIATION OF THE TUMOR CELLS IS PREDICTIVE OF THEIR SUSCEPTIBILITY TO NATURAL KILLER CELL (NK) CELL MEDIATED CYTOTOXICITY AND CANCER STEM CELLS ARE SIGNIFICANT TARGETS OF NK CELL CYTOTOXICITY. STUDIES ALSO SHOW THAT REVERSION OF TUMOR CELLS TO A LESS-DIFFERENTIATED PHENOTYPE CAN BE ACHIEVED BY BLOCKING NFKAPPAB. YOGA THERAPY (YOGIC LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS ENCOMPASSING PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING PRACTICES, RELAXATION TECHNIQUES AND MEDITATIONS) IS KNOWN TO MODULATE NEURAL, ENDOCRINE AND IMMUNE FUNCTIONS AT THE CELLULAR LEVEL THROUGH INFLUENCING CELL CYCLE CONTROL, AGING, OXIDATIVE STRESS, APOPTOSIS AND SEVERAL PATHWAYS OF STRESS SIGNALING MOLECULES. YOGA THERAPY HAS ALSO BEEN SHOWN TO ENHANCE NATURAL KILLER CELL ACTIVITY AND MODULATE STRESS AND DNA DAMAGE IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS RECEIVING RADIOTHERAPY. RECENT STUDY FOUND THAT BRIEF DAILY YOGIC MEDITATION MAY REVERSE THE PATTERN OF INCREASED NFKAPPAB-RELATED TRANSCRIPTION OF PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES IN LEUKOCYTES. THUS, YOGA THERAPY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REDUCE CANCER STEM CELL SURVIVAL, SELF -RENEWAL AND TUMOR GROWTH BY MODIFYING THE TUMOR MICRO-ENVIRONMENT THROUGH VARIOUS MECHANISMS SUCH AS; 1) REDUCING HIF-1 ACTIVITY BY ENHANCED OXYGENATION, 2) PROMOTING NK CELL ACTIVITY DIRECTLY (OR INDIRECTLY THROUGH DOWN REGULATING NFKAPPAB EXPRESSION), THEREBY ENHANCING NK CELL MEDIATED CSC LYSIS, AND 3) BY MINIMIZING THE ABERRANT EXPRESSIONS OR ACTIVITIES OF VARIOUS HORMONES, CYTOKINES, CHEMOKINES AND TUMOR SIGNALING PATHWAYS. YOGA THERAPY MAY HAVE A SYNERGISTIC EFFECT WITH CONVENTIONAL MODALITIES OF TREATMENT IN PREVENTING CANCER PROGRESSION AND RECURRENCES. 2012 12 1669 41 NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND NEUROCOGNITIVE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED PRACTICES: TOWARDS A COMPREHENSIVE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK. DURING RECENT DECADES NUMEROUS YOGA-BASED PRACTICES (YBP) HAVE EMERGED IN THE WEST, WITH THEIR AIMS RANGING FROM FITNESS GAINS TO THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT. YOGA IS ALSO BEGINNING TO SPARK GROWING INTEREST WITHIN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY, AND YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH MEASUREABLE CHANGES IN PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS, PERCEIVED EMOTIONAL STATES, AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING. YBP TYPICALLY INVOLVE A COMBINATION OF POSTURES OR MOVEMENT SEQUENCES, CONSCIOUS REGULATION OF THE BREATH, AND VARIOUS TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE ATTENTIONAL FOCUS. HOWEVER, SO FAR LITTLE IF ANY RESEARCH HAS ATTEMPTED TO DECONSTRUCT THE ROLE OF THESE DIFFERENT COMPONENT PARTS IN ORDER TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEIR RESPECTIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE EFFECTS OF YBP. A CLEAR OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF YOGA-BASED THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS FOR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES, AS WELL AS A COMPREHENSIVE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FROM WHICH TESTABLE HYPOTHESES CAN BE FORMULATED, IS THEREFORE NEEDED. HERE WE PROPOSE SUCH A FRAMEWORK, AND OUTLINE THE BOTTOM-UP NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND TOP-DOWN NEUROCOGNITIVE MECHANISMS HYPOTHESIZED TO BE AT PLAY IN YBP. 2015 13 1590 24 MEDITATION AND YOGA CAN MODULATE BRAIN MECHANISMS THAT AFFECT BEHAVIOR AND ANXIETY-A MODERN SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE. MEDITATION AND YOGA TECHNIQUES ARE RECEIVING INCREASED ATTENTION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, DUE TO THE ACCUMULATION OF EVIDENCE BASED RESEARCH THAT PROVES THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT BENEFITS OF SUCH PRACTICES. BASED ON STUDIES CONDUCTED SO FAR, IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION TRIGGERS NEUROTRANSMITTERS THAT MODULATE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS SUCH AS ANXIETY. THIS PAPER WILL REVIEW THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION, THE ROLE OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS, AND STUDIES USING EEG AND FMRI. 2015 14 226 35 A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF RANDOMISED CONTROL TRIALS ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS MEASURES AND MOOD. STRESS RELATED DISORDERS SUCH AS DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY ARE LEADING SOURCES OF DISABILITY WORLDWIDE, AND CURRENT TREATMENT METHODS SUCH AS CONVENTIONAL ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS ARE NOT BENEFICIAL FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT YOGA HAS MOOD-ENHANCING PROPERTIES POSSIBLY RELATED TO ITS INHIBITORY EFFECTS ON PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS AND INFLAMMATION, WHICH ARE FREQUENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. HOWEVER THE BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS VIA WHICH YOGA EXERTS ITS THERAPEUTIC MOOD-MODULATING EFFECTS ARE LARGELY UNKNOWN. THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW INVESTIGATES THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND HYPOTHALAMIC PITUITARY ADRENAL AXIS REGULATION MEASURES. IT FOCUSES ON STUDIES COLLECTING PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS SUCH AS BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, CORTISOL, PERIPHERAL CYTOKINE EXPRESSION AND/OR STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL BRAIN MEASURES IN REGIONS INVOLVED IN STRESS AND MOOD REGULATION. OVERALL THE 25 RANDOMISED CONTROL STUDIES DISCUSSED PROVIDE PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTICE LEADS TO BETTER REGULATION OF THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL SYSTEM, AS WELL AS A DECREASE IN DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIOUS SYMPTOMS IN A RANGE OF POPULATIONS. FURTHER RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO CONFIRM THESE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS AND FACILITATE IMPLEMENTATION IN CLINICAL SETTINGS. 2015 15 1873 32 RAPID GENE EXPRESSION CHANGES IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES UPON PRACTICE OF A COMPREHENSIVE YOGA PROGRAM. ONE OF THE MOST COMMON INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE (IM) MODALITIES IS YOGA AND RELATED PRACTICES. PREVIOUS WORK HAS SHOWN THAT YOGA MAY IMPROVE WELLNESS IN HEALTHY PEOPLE AND HAVE BENEFITS FOR PATIENTS. HOWEVER, THE MECHANISMS OF HOW YOGA MAY POSITIVELY AFFECT THE MIND-BODY SYSTEM ARE LARGELY UNKNOWN. HERE WE HAVE ASSESSED POSSIBLE RAPID CHANGES IN GLOBAL GENE EXPRESSION PROFILES IN THE PERIPHERAL BLOOD MONONUCLEAR CELLS (PBMCS) IN HEALTHY PEOPLE THAT PRACTICED EITHER A COMPREHENSIVE YOGA PROGRAM OR A CONTROL REGIMEN. THE EXPERIMENTAL SESSIONS INCLUDED GENTLE YOGA POSTURES, BREATHING EXERCISES, AND MEDITATION (SUDARSHAN KRIYA AND RELATED PRACTICES--SK&P) COMPARED WITH A CONTROL REGIMEN OF A NATURE WALK AND LISTENING TO RELAXING MUSIC. WE SHOW THAT THE SK&P PROGRAM HAS A RAPID AND SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER EFFECT ON GENE EXPRESSION IN PBMCS COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL REGIMEN. THESE DATA SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND RELATED PRACTICES RESULT IN RAPID GENE EXPRESSION ALTERATIONS WHICH MAY BE THE BASIS FOR THEIR LONGER TERM CELL BIOLOGICAL AND HIGHER LEVEL HEALTH EFFECTS. 2013 16 588 40 DETERMINING PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGIC MARKERS OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR PERSONS DIAGNOSED WITH PTSD: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. THERE IS A GROWING BODY OF RESEARCH ON YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) ACCOMPANIED BY SPECULATIONS ON UNDERLYING PHYSIOLOGIC MECHANISMS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW IS TO IDENTIFY, QUALITATIVELY EVALUATE, AND SYNTHESIZE STUDIES OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR PTSD THAT MEASURED PHYSIOLOGIC OUTCOMES IN ORDER TO GAIN INSIGHTS INTO POTENTIAL MECHANISMS. THE FOCUS IS ON STUDIES EVALUATING YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR PTSD RATHER THAN FOR TRAUMA EXPOSURE, PTSD PREVENTION, OR SUBCLINICAL PTSD. MULTIPLE DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR PUBLICATIONS FROM THE PAST TWO DECADES USING TERMS DERIVED FROM THE QUESTION, "IN PEOPLE WITH PTSD, WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON OBJECTIVE OUTCOMES?" ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA INCLUDED YOGA-ONLY MODALITIES TESTED AS AN INTERVENTION FOR FORMALLY DIAGNOSED PTSD WITH AT LEAST ONE PHYSIOLOGIC OUTCOME. RESULTS OF THIS REVIEW CONFIRMED THAT, THOUGH MUCH OF THE PUBLISHED LITERATURE PROPOSES PHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING YOGA'S EFFECTS ON PTSD, VERY FEW STUDIES ( N = 3) HAVE ACTUALLY EVALUATED PHYSIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE. ADDITIONALLY, SEVERAL STUDIES HAD METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS. IN LIGHT OF THE LIMITED DATA SUPPORTING YOGA'S BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM DYSREGULATION, WE PRESENT A THEORETICAL MODEL OF THE PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGIC PROCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH PTSD AND THE EFFECTS YOGA MAY HAVE ON THESE PROCESSES TO GUIDE FUTURE RESEARCH. GAPS IN THE LITERATURE REMAIN FOR MECHANISMS RELATED TO ACTIVATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL AXIS AND INFLAMMATION. ADDITIONAL RIGOROUS MECHANISTIC STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO GUIDE DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR PTSD TO AUGMENT EXISTING EVIDENCE-BASED PTSD TREATMENTS. 2018 17 2224 35 THE IMPACT OF THE "YOGIC LIFESTYLE" ON CANCER PROGNOSIS AND SURVIVAL: CAN WE TARGET CANCER STEM CELLS WITH YOGA? CANCER HAS RECENTLY BEEN KNOWN TO ORIGINATE FROM STEM CELL-LIKE CELLS, CALLED CANCER STEM CELLS (CSCS). THEIR UNIQUE PROPERTIES OF SELF-DUPLICATION, MULTIPLICATION, AS WELL AS MIGRATION GIVE THE CSC RESISTANCE OVER CONVENTIONAL CANCER THERAPIES. NEWER THERAPIES ARE IN DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE TO TARGET THESE STEM CELL-LIKE POPULATIONS AND BECOME THE VANGUARD OF FUTURE TREATMENTS. SEVERAL COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS HAVE BEEN USED IN CANCER MANAGEMENT AS AN ADJUNCT TO CONVENTIONAL THERAPY TO IMPROVE THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE AND REDUCE RECURRENCE. YOGA STANDS AS THE THIRD MOST POPULAR OF ALL COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE TREATMENTS CURRENTLY USED IN CANCER PATIENTS TODAY. PRELIMINARY RESULTS SHOW THAT YOGA MODULATES NEURAL, HORMONAL, AND IMMUNE FUNCTIONS AT A CELLULAR LEVEL. THE SCOPE OF THIS COMMENTARY IS TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE ON YOGA AND ITS EFFECT ON CSCS. 2017 18 1640 51 MOLECULAR SIGNATURE OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO YOGA THERAPY IN STRESS-RELATED CHRONIC DISEASE CONDITIONS: AN INSIGHT. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DEFINES HEALTH AS COMPLETE WELL-BEING IN TERMS OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL, AND NOT MERELY THE ABSENCE OF DISEASE. TO ATTAIN THIS, INDIVIDUAL SHOULD ADAPT AND SELF-MANGE THE SOCIAL, PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES OF LIFE. EXPOSURE TO CHRONIC STRESS DUE TO URBANIZATION, WORK STRESS, NUCLEAR FAMILY, POLLUTION, UNHEALTHY FOOD HABITS, LIFESTYLE, ACCIDENTAL DEATH IN THE FAMILY, AND NATURAL CALAMITIES ARE THE TRIGGERING FACTORS, LEADING TO HORMONAL IMBALANCE AND INFLAMMATION IN THE TISSUE. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRESS AND ILLNESS IS COMPLEX; ALL CHRONIC ILLNESSES SUCH AS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND ASTHMA HAVE THEIR ROOT IN CHRONIC STRESS ATTRIBUTED BY INFLAMMATION. IN RECENT TIMES, YOGA THERAPY HAS EMERGED AS AN IMPORTANT COMPLEMENTARY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE FOR MANY HUMAN DISEASES. YOGA THERAPY HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON MIND AND BODY; IT ACTS BY INCORPORATING APPROPRIATE BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND MINDFULNESS TO ATTAIN CONSCIOUS DIRECTION OF OUR AWARENESS OF THE PRESENT MOMENT BY MEDITATION, WHICH HELPS ACHIEVE HARMONY BETWEEN THE BODY AND MIND. STUDIES HAVE ALSO DEMONSTRATED THE IMPORTANT REGULATORY EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS. DESPITE THESE ADVANCES, THE CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA THERAPY RENDERS ITS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ARE INADEQUATELY KNOWN. A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA THERAPY HAS IMMUNOMODULATORY EFFECTS. HOWEVER, THE PRECISE MECHANISTIC BASIS HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED EMPIRICALLY. IN THIS REVIEW, WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTIONING WITH AN AIM TO IDENTIFY IMPORTANT IMMUNOLOGICAL SIGNATURES THAT INDEX THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY. TOWARD THIS, WE HAVE SUMMARIZED THE AVAILABLE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE SHOWING POSITIVE IMPACTS OF YOGA THERAPY. FINALLY, WE HAVE EMPHASIZED THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN IMPROVING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. YOGA HAS BEEN A PART OF INDIAN CULTURE AND TRADITION FOR LONG; NOW, THE TIME HAS COME TO SCIENTIFICALLY VALIDATE THIS AND IMPLEMENT THIS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT METHOD FOR STRESS-RELATED CHRONIC DISEASE. 2020 19 2486 54 YOGA AS AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH FOR PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF ORAL CANCER. DESPITE TREMENDOUS ADVANCEMENTS IN MEDICINE, THE NUMBER OF ORAL CANCER CASES CONTINUES TO INCREASE, AND THE NEED FOR INTEGRATING ALTERNATE MEDICINE OR ADOPTING AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH HAS BECOME A COMPELLING COST-EFFECTIVE REQUIREMENT FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT OF DISEASES. CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT OF ORAL CANCER INVOLVES SURGERY FOLLOWED BY RADIOTHERAPY WITH OR WITHOUT CHEMOTHERAPY WHICH CAUSES SEVERAL COMPLICATIONS INCLUDING POOR QUALITY OF LIFE AND HIGH CHANCES OF RECURRENCE OF CANCER. ORAL CANCER IS OFTEN LINKED WITH OBESITY WHICH IS MAJOR RISK FACTORS IN OTHER CANCERS. APART FROM OBESITY, ORAL CANCER IS THOUGHT TO HAVE AN INVERSE RELATION WITH NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS PRESUMABLY BECAUSE CELL DEATH DECREASES IN THE FORMER CASE AND INCREASES IN THE LATTER. ANCIENT MIND-BODY TECHNIQUES SUCH AS YOGA HAVE NOT BEEN ADEQUATELY TESTED AS A TOOL TO SYNERGIZE THE CELLULAR EQUILIBRIUM PERTAINING TO THE TREATMENT OF ORAL CANCER. NERVE GROWTH FACTOR (NGF), TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR-ALPHA (TNF-ALPHA), AND INTERLEUKIN-6 (IL-6) ARE AMONG THE EARLY EXPERIMENTAL CELLULAR BIOMARKERS THAT MAY BE USED TO PROBE THE MODULATION OF ORAL CANCER, OBESITY, AND NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS. YOGA HAS BEEN REPORTED TO INFLUENCE THESE MOLECULES IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS BUT WHETHER THEIR EXPRESSION CAN BE ALTERED IN PATIENTS OF ORAL CANCER BY YOGA INTERVENTION IS THE SUBJECT OF THIS RESEARCH BEING DISCUSSED IN THIS REVIEW ARTICLE. THEREFORE, THE PRESENT ARTICLE NOT ONLY REVIEWS THE CURRENT STATUS OF RESEARCH STUDIES IN ORAL CANCER, OBESITY, AND NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS BUT ALSO HOW THESE ARE LINKED TO EACH OTHER AND WHY THE INVESTIGATIONS OF THE PUTATIVE NGF PATHWAY, INVOLVING TNF-ALPHA AND IL-6, COULD PROVIDE USEFUL CLUES TO UNDERSTAND THE MOLECULAR EFFECTS BROUGHT ABOUT BY YOGA INTERVENTION IN SUCH PATIENTS. 2018 20 451 28 CHANGES IN FATIGUE, AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS, AND BLOOD BIOMARKERS DUE TO SITTING ISOMETRIC YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME. BACKGROUND: IN A PREVIOUS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, WE FOUND THAT SITTING ISOMETRIC YOGA IMPROVES FATIGUE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME (CFS) WHO ARE RESISTANT TO CONVENTIONAL THERAPY. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS BEHIND THIS FINDING, FOCUSING ON THE SHORT-TERM FATIGUE-RELIEVING EFFECT, BY COMPARING AUTONOMIC NERVOUS FUNCTION AND BLOOD BIOMARKERS BEFORE AND AFTER A SESSION OF ISOMETRIC YOGA. METHODS: FIFTEEN PATIENTS WITH CFS WHO REMAINED SYMPTOMATIC DESPITE AT LEAST 6 MONTHS OF CONVENTIONAL THERAPY PRACTICED SITTING ISOMETRIC YOGA (BIWEEKLY 20 MIN PRACTICE WITH A YOGA INSTRUCTOR AND DAILY HOME PRACTICE) FOR EIGHT WEEKS. ACUTE EFFECTS OF SITTING ISOMETRIC YOGA ON FATIGUE, AUTONOMIC FUNCTION, AND BLOOD BIOMARKERS WERE INVESTIGATED AFTER THE FINAL SESSION WITH AN INSTRUCTOR. THE EFFECT OF A SINGLE SESSION OF SITTING ISOMETRIC YOGA ON FATIGUE WAS ASSESSED BY THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATUS (POMS) QUESTIONNAIRE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER THE SESSION. AUTONOMIC NERVOUS FUNCTION (HEART RATE (HR) VARIABILITY) AND BLOOD BIOMARKERS (CORTISOL, DHEA-S, TNF-ALPHA, IL-6, IFN-GAMMA, IFN-ALPHA, PROLACTIN, CARNITINE, TGF-BETA1, BDNF, MHPG, AND HVA) WERE COMPARED BEFORE AND AFTER THE SESSION. RESULTS: SITTING ISOMETRIC YOGA SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THE POMS FATIGUE SCORE (P < 0.01) AND INCREASED THE VIGOR SCORE (P < 0.01). IT ALSO REDUCED HR (P < 0.05) AND INCREASED THE HIGH FREQUENCY POWER (P < 0.05) OF HR VARIABILITY. SITTING ISOMETRIC YOGA INCREASED SERUM LEVELS OF DHEA-S (P < 0.05), REDUCED LEVELS OF CORTISOL (P < 0.05) AND TNF-ALPHA (P < 0.05), AND HAD A TENDENCY TO REDUCE SERUM LEVELS OF PROLACTIN (P < 0.1). DECREASES IN FATIGUE SCORES CORRELATED WITH CHANGES IN PLASMA LEVELS OF TGF-BETA1 AND BDNF. IN CONTRAST, INCREASED VIGOR POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH HVA. CONCLUSIONS: A SINGLE SESSION OF SITTING ISOMETRIC YOGA REDUCED FATIGUE AND INCREASED VIGOR IN PATIENTS WITH CFS. YOGA ALSO INCREASED VAGAL NERVE FUNCTION AND CHANGED BLOOD BIOMARKERS IN A PATTERN THAT SUGGESTED ANTI-STRESS AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECTS. THESE CHANGES APPEAR TO BE RELATED TO THE SHORT-TERM FATIGUE-RELIEVING EFFECT OF SITTING ISOMETRIC YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH CFS. FURTHERMORE, DOPAMINERGIC NERVOUS SYSTEM ACTIVATION MIGHT ACCOUNT FOR SITTING ISOMETRIC YOGA-INDUCED INCREASES IN ENERGY IN THIS PATIENT POPULATION. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL MEDICAL INFORMATION NETWORK (UMIN CTR) UMIN000009646. REGISTERED DEC 27, 2012. 2018