1 2796 88 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	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
2 1544 39 KUNDALINI YOGA MEDITATION VERSUS THE RELAXATION RESPONSE MEDITATION FOR TREATING ADULTS WITH OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. BACKGROUND: OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD) IS OFTEN A LIFE-LONG DISORDER WITH HIGH PSYCHOSOCIAL IMPAIRMENT. SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS (SRIS) ARE THE ONLY FDA APPROVED DRUGS, AND APPROXIMATELY 50% OF PATIENTS ARE NON-RESPONDERS WHEN USING A CRITERION OF 25% TO 35% IMPROVEMENT WITH THE YALE-BROWN OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE SCALE (Y-BOCS). ABOUT 30% ARE NON-RESPONDERS TO COMBINED FIRST-LINE THERAPIES (SRIS AND EXPOSURE AND RESPONSE PREVENTION). PREVIOUS RESEARCH (ONE OPEN, ONE RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL) HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT KUNDALINI YOGA (KY) MEDITATION CAN LEAD TO AN IMPROVEMENT IN SYMPTOMS OF OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE SEVERITY. WE EXPAND HERE WITH A LARGER TRIAL. DESIGN: THIS TRIAL COMPARED TWO PARALLEL RUN GROUPS [KY VS. RELAXATION RESPONSE MEDITATION (RR)]. PATIENTS WERE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED BASED ON GENDER AND Y-BOCS SCORES. THEY WERE TOLD TWO DIFFERENT (UNNAMED) TYPES OF MEDITATION WOULD BE COMPARED, AND INFORMED IF ONE SHOWED GREATER BENEFITS, THE GROUPS WOULD MERGE FOR 12 MONTHS USING THE MORE EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION. RATERS WERE BLIND IN PHASE ONE (0-4.5 MONTHS) TO PATIENT ASSIGNMENTS, BUT NOT IN PHASE TWO. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PRIMARY OUTCOME VARIABLE, CLINICIAN-ADMINISTERED Y-BOCS. SECONDARY SCALES: DIMENSIONAL YALE-BROWN OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE SCALE (CLINICIAN-ADMINISTERED), PROFILE OF MOOD SCALES, BECK ANXIETY INVENTORY, BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, CLINICAL GLOBAL IMPRESSION, SHORT FORM 36 HEALTH SURVEY. RESULTS: PHASE ONE: BASELINE Y-BOCS SCORES: KY MEAN = 26.46 (SD 5.124; N = 24), RR MEAN = 26.79 (SD = 4.578; N = 24). AN INTENT-TO-TREAT ANALYSIS WITH THE LAST OBSERVATION CARRIED FORWARD FOR DROPOUTS SHOWED STATISTICALLY GREATER IMPROVEMENT WITH KY COMPARED TO RR ON THE Y-BOCS, AND STATISTICALLY GREATER IMPROVEMENT ON FIVE OF SIX SECONDARY MEASURES. FOR COMPLETERS, THE Y-BOCS SHOWED 40.4% IMPROVEMENT FOR KY (N = 16), 17.9% FOR RR (N = 11); 31.3% IN KY WERE JUDGED TO BE IN REMISSION COMPARED TO 9.1% IN RR. KY COMPLETERS SHOWED GREATER IMPROVEMENT ON FIVE OF SIX SECONDARY MEASURES. AT THE END OF PHASE TWO (12 MONTHS), PATIENTS, DRAWN FROM THE INITIAL GROUPS, WHO ELECTED TO RECEIVE KY CONTINUED TO SHOW IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR Y-BOCS SCORES. CONCLUSION: KY SHOWS PROMISE AS AN ADD-ON OPTION FOR OCD PATIENTS UNRESPONSIVE TO FIRST LINE THERAPIES. FUTURE STUDIES WILL ESTABLISH KY'S RELATIVE EFFICACY COMPARED TO EXPOSURE AND RESPONSE PREVENTION AND/OR MEDICATIONS, AND THE MOST EFFECTIVE TREATMENT SCHEDULE. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: WWW.CLINICALTRIALS.GOV, IDENTIFIER NCT01833442.	2019	

3  915 41 EFFECTIVENESS OF RAJYOGA MEDITATION AS AN ADJUNCT TO FIRST-LINE TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A SET OF MENTAL, PHYSICAL, AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICES WITH ITS ORIGIN IN ANCIENT INDIA. THE RENEWED INTEREST IN YOGA HAS LED TO THE EXPLORATION OF ITS BENEFITS IN A VARIETY OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS SUCH AS SCHIZOPHRENIA, DEPRESSION, AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. THERE IS A DEARTH OF LITERATURE ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD) IN THE INDIAN CONTEXT. AIM: THE PRESENT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO FIND OUT THE EFFICACY OF RAJYOGA MEDITATION (RM) AS AN ADJUNCT TO THE FIRST-LINE TREATMENT IN THE TREATMENT OF OCD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PATIENTS WITH OCD (DIAGNOSED ACCORDING TO DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL DISORDERS FIFTH EDITION) WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS - (I) THE MEDITATION GROUP (MG), WHICH INCLUDED 28 PATIENTS AND (II) THE NONMEDITATIVE GROUP (NMG), WHICH INCLUDED 22 PATIENTS. MG PRACTICED RM PROTOCOL FOR 3 MONTHS DURATION IN ADDITION TO THE PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT. THE NMG CONTINUED ON PHARMACOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT AS USUAL. THE SYMPTOMATOLOGY WAS ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND 3 MONTHS USING THE YALE-BROWN OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE SCALE (Y-BOCS). RESULTS: AT 3 MONTHS, BOTH GROUPS DEMONSTRATED IMPROVEMENT IN SYMPTOMS. THE IMPROVEMENT IN MG WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT WITH A CHANGE OF 9.0 +/- 3.16 IN Y-BOCS AND A 49.76 +/- 9.52% REDUCTION IN SYMPTOMS. IMPROVEMENT SCORES OF NMG WERE ALSO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT WITH A CHANGE OF 3.13 +/- 2.59 IN Y-BOCS AND 18.09 +/- 14.69% REDUCTION IN SYMPTOMS. MG SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE IMPROVEMENT IN Y-BOCS SCORES (49.76 +/- 9.52) AS COMPARED TO NMG (18.09 +/- 14.69) USING THE STUDENT'S PAIRED T-TEST (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: THE PRESENT STUDY SUGGESTS THAT THE RM IS AN EFFECTIVE ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY TO REDUCE OBSESSIONS AND COMPULSIONS IN PATIENTS WITH OCD.	2020	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
4  580 31 DESIGNING AND VALIDATION OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER. SOME YOGA-BASED PRACTICES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE USEFUL FOR PATIENTS WITH OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD). THE AUTHORS COULD NOT FIND A VALIDATED YOGA THERAPY MODULE AVAILABLE FOR OCD. THIS STUDY ATTEMPTED TO FORMULATE A GENERIC YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MODULE FOR OCD. A YOGA MODULE WAS DESIGNED BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGA LITERATURE. THE MODULE WAS SENT TO 10 YOGA EXPERTS FOR CONTENT VALIDATION. THE EXPERTS RATED THE USEFULNESS OF THE PRACTICES ON A SCALE OF 1-5 (5 = EXTREMELY USEFUL). THE FINAL VERSION OF THE MODULE WAS PILOT-TESTED ON PATIENTS WITH OCD (N = 17) FOR BOTH FEASIBILITY AND EFFECT ON SYMPTOMS. EIGHTY-EIGHT PER CENT (22 OUT OF 25) OF THE ITEMS IN THE INITIAL MODULE WERE RETAINED, WITH MODIFICATIONS IN THE MODULE AS SUGGESTED BY THE EXPERTS ALONG WITH PATIENTS' INPUTS AND AUTHORS' EXPERIENCE. THE MODULE WAS FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE AND SHOWED AN IMPROVEMENT IN SYMPTOMS OF OCD ON TOTAL YALE-BROWN OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE SCALE (YBOCS) SCORE (P = 0.001). A GENERIC YOGA THERAPY MODULE FOR OCD WAS VALIDATED BY EXPERTS IN THE FIELD AND FOUND FEASIBLE TO PRACTICE IN PATIENTS. A DECREASE IN THE SYMPTOM SCORES WAS ALSO FOUND FOLLOWING YOGA PRACTICE OF 2 WEEKS. FURTHER CLINICAL VALIDATION IS WARRANTED TO CONFIRM EFFICACY.	2016	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
5  320 28 AN INTRODUCTION TO KUNDALINI YOGA MEDITATION TECHNIQUES THAT ARE SPECIFIC FOR THE TREATMENT OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. THE ANCIENT SYSTEM OF KUNDALINI YOGA INCLUDES A VAST ARRAY OF MEDITATION TECHNIQUES AND MANY WERE DISCOVERED TO BE SPECIFIC FOR TREATING THE PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS AS WE KNOW THEM TODAY. ONE SUCH TECHNIQUE WAS FOUND TO BE SPECIFIC FOR TREATING OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD), THE FOURTH MOST COMMON PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER, AND THE TENTH MOST DISABLING DISORDER WORLDWIDE. TWO PUBLISHED CLINICAL TRIALS ARE DESCRIBED HERE FOR TREATING OCD USING A SPECIFIC KUNDALINI YOGA PROTOCOL. THIS OCD PROTOCOL ALSO INCLUDES TECHNIQUES THAT ARE USEFUL FOR A WIDE RANGE OF ANXIETY DISORDERS, AS WELL AS A TECHNIQUE SPECIFIC FOR LEARNING TO MANAGE FEAR, ONE FOR TRANQUILIZING AN ANGRY MIND, ONE FOR MEETING MENTAL CHALLENGES, AND ONE FOR TURNING NEGATIVE THOUGHTS INTO POSITIVE THOUGHTS. PART OF THAT PROTOCOL IS INCLUDED HERE AND PUBLISHED IN DETAIL ELSEWHERE. IN ADDITION, A NUMBER OF OTHER DISORDER-SPECIFIC MEDITATION TECHNIQUES ARE INCLUDED HERE TO HELP BRING THESE TOOLS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY. THESE TECHNIQUES ARE SPECIFIC FOR PHOBIAS, ADDICTIVE AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDERS, MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS, DYSLEXIA, GRIEF, INSOMNIA AND OTHER SLEEP DISORDERS.	2004	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
6 1705 40 PATIENT PERSPECTIVES: KUNDALINI YOGA MEDITATION TECHNIQUES FOR PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY AND AS POTENTIAL THERAPIES FOR CANCER. THE ANCIENT SYSTEM OF KUNDALINI YOGA (KY) INCLUDES A VAST ARRAY OF MEDITATION TECHNIQUES. SOME WERE DISCOVERED TO BE SPECIFIC FOR TREATING PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS AND OTHERS ARE SUPPOSEDLY BENEFICIAL FOR TREATING CANCERS. TO DATE, 2 CLINICAL TRIALS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED FOR TREATING OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD). THE FIRST WAS AN OPEN UNCONTROLLED TRIAL AND THE SECOND A SINGLE-BLINDED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) COMPARING A KY PROTOCOL AGAINST THE RELAXATION RESPONSE AND MINDFULNESS MEDITATION (RRMM) TECHNIQUES COMBINED. BOTH TRIALS SHOWED EFFICACY ON ALL PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES USING THE KY PROTOCOL; HOWEVER, THE RCT SHOWED NO EFFICACY ON ANY SCALE WITH THE RRMM CONTROL GROUP. THE KY PROTOCOL EMPLOYED AN OCD-SPECIFIC MEDITATION TECHNIQUE COMBINED WITH OTHER TECHNIQUES THAT ARE INDIVIDUALLY SPECIFIC FOR ANXIETY, LOW ENERGY, FEAR, ANGER, MEETING MENTAL CHALLENGES, AND TURNING NEGATIVE THOUGHTS INTO POSITIVE THOUGHTS. IN ADDITION TO OCD SYMPTOMS, OTHER SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, WERE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. ELEMENTS OF THE KY PROTOCOL OTHER THAN THE OCD-SPECIFIC TECHNIQUE ALSO MAY HAVE APPLICATIONS FOR PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY PATIENTS AND ARE DESCRIBED HERE. TWO DEPRESSION-SPECIFIC KY TECHNIQUES ARE DESCRIBED THAT ALSO HELP COMBAT MENTAL FATIGUE AND LOW ENERGY. A 7-PART PROTOCOL IS DESCRIBED THAT WOULD BE USED IN KY PRACTICE TO AFFECT THE FULL SPECTRUM OF EMOTIONS AND DISTRESS THAT COMPLICATE A CANCER DIAGNOSIS. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE KY TECHNIQUES THAT PRACTITIONERS HAVE USED IN TREATING CANCER. THESE TECHNIQUES HAVE NOT YET BEEN SUBJECTED TO FORMAL CLINICAL TRIALS BUT ARE DESCRIBED HERE AS POTENTIAL ADJUNCTIVE THERAPIES. A CASE HISTORY DEMONSTRATING RAPID ONSET OF ACUTE RELIEF OF INTENSE FEAR IN A TERMINAL BREAST CANCER PATIENT USING A KY TECHNIQUE SPECIFIC FOR FEAR IS PRESENTED. A SECOND CASE HISTORY IS REPORTED FOR A SURVIVING MALE DIAGNOSED IN 1988 WITH TERMINAL PROSTATE CANCER WHO HAS USED KY THERAPY LONG TERM AS PART OF A SELF-DIRECTED INTEGRATIVE CARE APPROACH.	2005	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
7 2436 32 YOGA AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: A REVIEW OF BIOMARKER EVIDENCE. TRADITIONALLY, YOGA HAS BEEN USED AS A MEANS FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH BUT OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES OR SO ITS THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS HAVE BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY EXPLORED. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE USEFUL AS A MONO-THERAPY IN MILD TO MODERATE DEPRESSION AND AS AN ADJUVANT IN SEVERAL PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS INCLUDING SCHIZOPHRENIA, ANXIETY DISORDERS, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AND MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT. FURTHERMORE, SYSTEMATIC ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO UNDERSTAND THE BIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF YOGA IN THESE PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. GIVEN THAT NO PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER HAS STRONG AND ESTABLISHED BIOMARKERS, IT IS INTERESTING THAT PRELIMINARY RESEARCH HAS DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN CERTAIN IMPORTANT BIOMARKERS FOLLOWING REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE. IN THIS BRIEF REVIEW, WE PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON BIOCHEMICAL, NEURO-PHYSIOLOGICAL AND NEURO-IMAGING RELATED BIO-MARKERS IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. ALTHOUGH FINDINGS AND TRENDS ARE PROMISING, MUCH MORE RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO ESTABLISH A DEFINITE BIOLOGICAL BASIS FOR YOGA IN PSYCHIATRY.	2021	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
8 2541 26 YOGA FOR ANXIETY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH EVIDENCE. BETWEEN MARCH AND JUNE 2004, A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WAS CARRIED OUT OF THE RESEARCH EVIDENCE ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. EIGHT STUDIES WERE REVIEWED. THEY REPORTED POSITIVE RESULTS, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE MANY METHODOLOGICAL INADEQUACIES. OWING TO THE DIVERSITY OF CONDITIONS TREATED AND POOR QUALITY OF MOST OF THE STUDIES, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SAY THAT YOGA IS EFFECTIVE IN TREATING ANXIETY OR ANXIETY DISORDERS IN GENERAL. HOWEVER, THERE ARE ENCOURAGING RESULTS, PARTICULARLY WITH OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER. FURTHER WELL CONDUCTED RESEARCH IS NECESSARY WHICH MAY BE MOST PRODUCTIVE IF FOCUSED ON SPECIFIC ANXIETY DISORDERS.	2005	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
9 1918 30 ROLE OF YOGA AND MEDITATION AS COMPLIMENTARY THERAPEUTIC REGIME FOR STRESS-RELATED NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: UTILIZATION OF BRAIN WAVES ACTIVITY AS NOVEL TOOL. DURING RECENT DECADES, STRESS-RELATED NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS SUCH AS ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, CHRONIC TENSION HEADACHE, AND MIGRAINE HAVE ESTABLISHED THEIR STRONGHOLD IN THE LIVES OF A VAST NUMBER OF PEOPLE WORLDWIDE. IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THIS GLOBAL PHENOMENON, INTENSIVE STUDIES HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT LEADING TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF DRUGS LIKE ANTI-DEPRESSANTS, ANXIOLYTICS, AND ANALGESICS WHICH ALTHOUGH HELP IN COMBATING THE SYMPTOMS OF SUCH DISORDERS BUT ALSO CREATE LONG-TERM SIDE EFFECTS. THUS, AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO SUCH CLINICAL PRACTICES, VARIOUS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES SUCH AS YOGA AND MEDITATION HAVE BEEN PROVED TO BE EFFECTIVE IN ALLEVIATING THE CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS OF DIFFERENT NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. THE ROLE OF ALTERED BRAIN WAVES IN THIS CONTEXT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AND NEEDS TO BE PURSUED AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. THUS, THE CURRENT STUDY PROVIDES A REVIEW FOCUSED ON DESCRIBING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ON ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AS WELL AS EXPLORING BRAIN WAVES AS A TOOL FOR ASSESSING THE POTENTIAL OF THESE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR SUCH DISORDERS.	2020	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
10 2798 37 YOGA THERAPY FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA. SCHIZOPHRENIA IS ONE OF THE MOST SEVERE MENTAL DISORDERS. DESPITE SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES IN PHARMACOTHERAPY, TREATMENT REMAINS SUB-OPTIMAL, WITH MANY PATIENTS HAVING PERSISTING DEFICITS, ESPECIALLY IN COGNITIVE AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING. YOGA AS A THERAPY HAS PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE AS A SOLE OR ADDITIONAL INTERVENTION IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS SUCH AS DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. RECENTLY, THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT INTEREST IN THE APPLICATION OF YOGA THERAPY IN PSYCHOSIS AND SCHIZOPHRENIA. TO REVIEW A) THE EVIDENCE FOR THE USE OF YOGA THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA B) STUDIES WHICH HAVE BEEN DONE IN THIS AREA, C) THE BARRIERS FOR REACHING YOGA TO PATIENTS, AND D) FUTURE DIRECTIONS, AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LITERATURE SEARCH OF PUBMED/MEDLINE, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, AND EBSCO AS WELL AS GREY LITERATURE WAS DONE. RESEARCH REPORTS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFICACY OF YOGA AS AN ADD-ON THERAPY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA, PARTICULARLY IN IMPROVING NEGATIVE SYMPTOMATOLOGY AND SOCIAL COGNITION. HOWEVER, THE BIOLOGICAL UNDERPINNINGS OF THIS EFFECT REMAIN UNCLEAR, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SOME INDICATIONS THAT HORMONES LIKE OXYTOCIN MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE CHANGES IN SOCIAL COGNITION.	2012	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
11  576 29 DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DISORDERS: BENEFITS OF EXERCISE, YOGA, AND MEDITATION. MANY PEOPLE WITH DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY TURN TO NONPHARMACOLOGIC AND NONCONVENTIONAL INTERVENTIONS, INCLUDING EXERCISE, YOGA, MEDITATION, TAI CHI, OR QI GONG. META-ANALYSES AND SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS HAVE SHOWN THAT THESE INTERVENTIONS CAN IMPROVE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT, EXERCISE SEEMS MOST HELPFUL FOR TREATMENT-RESISTANT DEPRESSION, UNIPOLAR DEPRESSION, AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. YOGA AS MONOTHERAPY OR ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY SHOWS POSITIVE EFFECTS, PARTICULARLY FOR DEPRESSION. AS AN ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY, IT FACILITATES TREATMENT OF ANXIETY DISORDERS, PARTICULARLY PANIC DISORDER. TAI CHI AND QI GONG MAY BE HELPFUL AS ADJUNCTIVE THERAPIES FOR DEPRESSION, BUT EFFECTS ARE INCONSISTENT. AS MONOTHERAPY OR AN ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY, MINDFULNESS-BASED MEDITATION HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON DEPRESSION, AND ITS EFFECTS CAN LAST FOR SIX MONTHS OR MORE. ALTHOUGH POSITIVE FINDINGS ARE LESS COMMON IN PEOPLE WITH ANXIETY DISORDERS, THE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS ADJUNCTIVE USE. THERE ARE NO APPARENT NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS, AND THEIR GENERAL HEALTH BENEFITS JUSTIFY THEIR USE AS ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DISORDERS.	2019	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
12 1543 19 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	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
13 2776 31 YOGA SCHOOL OF THOUGHT AND PSYCHIATRY: THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL. YOGA IS A TRADITIONAL LIFE-STYLE PRACTICE USED FOR SPIRITUAL REASONS. HOWEVER, THE PHYSICAL COMPONENTS LIKE THE ASANAS AND PRANAYAAMAS HAVE DEMONSTRATED PHYSIOLOGICAL AND THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS. THERE IS EVIDENCE FOR YOGA AS BEING A POTENT ANTIDEPRESSANT THAT MATCHES WITH DRUGS. IN DEPRESSIVE DISORDER, YOGA 'CORRECTS' AN UNDERLYING COGNITIVE PHYSIOLOGY. IN SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS, YOGA HAS BENEFITS AS AN ADD-ON INTERVENTION IN PHARMACOLOGICALLY STABILIZED SUBJECTS. THE EFFECTS ARE PARTICULARLY NOTABLE ON NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS. YOGA ALSO HELPS TO CORRECT SOCIAL COGNITION. YOGA CAN BE INTRODUCED EARLY IN THE TREATMENT OF PSYCHOSIS WITH SOME BENEFITS. ELEVATION OF OXYTOCIN MAY BE A MECHANISM OF YOGA EFFECTS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. CERTAIN COMPONENTS OF YOGA HAVE DEMONSTRATED NEUROBIOLOGICAL EFFECTS SIMILAR TO THOSE OF VAGAL STIMULATION, INDICATING THIS (INDIRECT OR AUTOGENOUS VAGAL STIMULATION) AS A POSSIBLE MECHANISM OF ITS ACTION. IT IS TIME, PSYCHIATRISTS EXPLOITED THE BENEFITS IF YOGA FOR A COMPREHENSIVE CARE IN THEIR PATIENTS.	2013	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
14  875 33 EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON PLASMA OXYTOCIN AND FACIAL EMOTION RECOGNITION DEFICITS IN PATIENTS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA. CONTEXT: YOGA THERAPY HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED TO BE USEFUL IN TREATMENT OF NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS AND IMPROVING THE SOCIO-OCCUPATIONAL FUNCTIONING AND EMOTION RECOGNITION DEFICITS IN ANTIPSYCHOTIC-STABILIZED SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS. OXYTOCIN HAS BEEN RECENTLY IMPLICATED IN SOCIAL COGNITION DEFICITS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON OXYTOCIN LEVELS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA HAS NOT BEEN STUDIED. AIMS: THIS STUDY AIMED TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON SYMPTOMS, SOCIO-OCCUPATIONAL FUNCTIONING, FACIAL EMOTION RECOGNITION DEFICITS AND PLASMA OXYTOCIN LEVELS IN ANTIPSYCHOTIC STABILIZED SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY ON 43 CONSENTING, MEDICATION STABILIZED PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA IN A TERTIARY PSYCHIATRIC CENTER USING YOGA INTERVENTION AND WAITLISTED GROUPS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A TOTAL OF 43 SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO YOGA GROUP (N=15) OR WAITLIST GROUP (N=28). PATIENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP RECEIVED TRAINING IN A SPECIFIC YOGA THERAPY MODULE FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA. PATIENTS IN BOTH GROUPS WERE CONTINUED ON STABLE ANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICATION. ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED SCALE FOR ASSESSMENT OF POSITIVE SYMPTOMS, SCALE FOR ASSESSMENT OF NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS, SOCIO-OCCUPATIONAL FUNCTIONING SCALE AND TOOL FOR RECOGNITION OF EMOTIONS IN NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS (TRENDS) AND PLASMA OXYTOCIN LEVELS; PERFORMED AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF 1 MONTH. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 15 PATIENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP AND 12 IN WAITLIST GROUP COMPLETED THE STUDY. THE YOGA THERAPY GROUP SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN SOCIO-OCCUPATIONAL FUNCTIONING, PERFORMANCE ON TRENDS (P<0.001) AND PLASMA INCREASE IN OXYTOCIN LEVELS (P=0.01) AS COMPARED WITH THE WAITLIST GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE STUDY SUPPORTED THE ROLE OF ADD-ON YOGA THERAPY IN MANAGEMENT OF SCHIZOPHRENIA AND DEMONSTRATED AN IMPROVEMENT IN ENDOGENOUS PLASMA OXYTOCIN LEVELS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS RECEIVING YOGA THERAPY.	2013	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
15 1920 38 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  581 27 DESIGNING AND VALIDATION OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA. CONTEXT: SCHIZOPHRENIA IS A CHRONIC MENTAL ILLNESS WHICH CAUSES SIGNIFICANT DISTRESS AND DYSFUNCTION. YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE EFFECTIVE AS AN ADD-ON THERAPY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. MODULES OF YOGA USED IN PREVIOUS STUDIES WERE BASED ON INDIVIDUAL RESEARCHER'S EXPERIENCE. AIM: THIS STUDY AIMED TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE A SPECIFIC GENERIC YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MODULE FOR PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AT NIMHANS INTEGRATED CENTRE FOR YOGA (NICY). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A YOGA MODULE WAS DESIGNED BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGA LITERATURE AS WELL AS PUBLISHED STUDIES. THE YOGA MODULE ALONG WITH THREE CASE VIGNETTES OF ADULT PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA WAS SENT TO 10 YOGA EXPERTS FOR THEIR VALIDATION. RESULTS: EXPERTS (N = 10) GAVE THEIR OPINION ON THE USEFULNESS OF A YOGA MODULE FOR PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA WITH SOME MODIFICATIONS. IN TOTAL, 87% (13 OF 15 ITEMS) OF THE ITEMS IN THE INITIAL MODULE WERE RETAINED, WITH MODIFICATION IN THE REMAINDER AS SUGGESTED BY THE EXPERTS. CONCLUSION: A SPECIFIC YOGA-BASED MODULE FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA WAS DESIGNED AND VALIDATED BY EXPERTS. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM EFFICACY AND CLINICAL UTILITY OF THE MODULE. ADDITIONAL CLINICAL VALIDATION IS SUGGESTED.	2016	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
17  745 32 EFFECT OF SAHAJ YOGA ON DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS. SAHAJ YOGA IS A MEDITATIVE TECHNIQUE THAT HAS BEEN FOUND TO HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN SOME PSYCHO-SOMATIC ILLNESSES. THE STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT ON 30 CASES (19 MALES, 11 FEMALES, AGE 18-45 YEARS) OF MAJOR DEPRESSION DIAGNOSED ON THE BASIS OF DSM IV CRITERIA. THE PATIENTS WERE THEN RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: GROUP 1: (10 MALES & 5 FEMALES) PATIENTS WHO WERE PRACTISING SAHAJ YOGA AND ALSO RECEIVED CONVENTIONAL ANTI-DEPRESSANTS. GROUP 2: (9 MALES & 6 FEMALES) PATIENTS WHO WERE ONLY RECEIVING CONVENTIONAL ANTI-DEPRESSANTS. TRAINING IN SAHAJ YOGA WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A TRAINED SAHAJ YOGI FOR 8 WEEKS. AT START OF THE STUDY, ALL THE PATIENTS WERE SUBJECTED TO HAMILTON RATING SCALE FOR DEPRESSION (HAM-D) AND HAMILTON RATING SCALE FOR ANXIETY (HAM-A). ABOVE SCALES WERE AGAIN ASSESSED AFTER TWO MONTHS OF TREATMENT. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN HAM-D AS WELL AS HAM-A SCORES IN BOTH GROUP 1 AND GROUP 2 PATIENTS (P<0.001). HOWEVER, PERCENTAGE IMPROVEMENT IN HAM-D SCORES AND HAM-A SCORES IN PATIENTS RECEIVING SAHAJ YOGA WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN IN GROUP 2 PATIENTS. THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS WHO WENT INTO REMISSION AFTER TWO MONTHS OF INTERVENTION WERE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN GROUP 1 PATIENTS (P=0.02). THE PRESENT STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT SAHAJ YOGA HAS GOT A POTENTIAL ROLE AS A COMPONENT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS.	2005	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
18  620 31 DEVELOPMENT, VALIDATION, AND FEASIBILITY OF A GENERIC YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER. CONTEXT: EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA EFFECTIVELY MANAGES ANXIETY, BUT TECHNIQUES ARE DERIVED FROM DIFFERENT YOGA SCHOOLS. THIS PAPER DESCRIBES THE DEVELOPMENT, VALIDATION, AND FEASIBILITY OF A GENERIC YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION IN PATIENTS WITH GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER (GAD). METHODS: THE FIRST PART OF THE STUDY CONSISTED OF DESIGNING A GENERIC YOGA MODULE FROM THE TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGIC LITERATURE AND INPUTS FROM TEN EXPERIENCED YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THE CONTENT WAS VALIDATED USING A CASE-VIGNETTE METHOD FROM 28 YOGA EXPERTS. THESE YOGA EXPERTS RATED THE USEFULNESS OF THE PRACTICES ON A SCALE OF 1-5 (5-EXTREMELY USEFUL). THE SECOND PART CONSISTED OF TESTING THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS VALIDATED GENERIC YOGA INTERVENTION IN AN OPEN-LABEL CLINICAL TRIAL IN PATIENTS WITH GAD. TWO WEEKS OF TEN SUPERVISED YOGA SESSIONS (SYS) WERE OFFERED BY A TRAINED YOGA THERAPIST TO THE RECRUITED PARTICIPANTS AND SUBSEQUENTLY ADVISED FOR HOME PRACTICE. A WEEKLY BOOSTER SYS WAS ALSO PROVIDED FOR THREE MONTHS AFTER 10SYS. RESULTS: YOGA EXPERTS (N = 28) OPINED THAT THE YOGA INTERVENTION WOULD BE HELPFUL IN PATIENTS WITH GAD WITH MINIMAL MODIFICATIONS. ALL EXPERTS OPINED THAT THE MODULE WAS EASY TO TEACH, LEARN AND PRACTICE. THE FINAL YOGA MODULE RETAINED 97.7% (42 OUT OF 43) ITEMS OF THE INITIAL MODULE. IN THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, (N = 20) PATIENTS WERE RECRUITED, AND FIFTEEN FOLLOWED-UP AFTER ONE MONTH. ALL PATIENTS WERE ABLE TO LEARN AND PRACTICE THE FINAL YOGA MODULE WITHIN TEN SESSIONS WITHOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE EFFECTS. THE SEVERITY OF ANXIETY REDUCED SUBSTANTIALLY AFTER THE TEN DAYS OF SYS AND THIS IMPROVEMENT WAS SUSTAINED FOR THE NEXT 4 WEEKS. CONCLUSION: THE DESIGNED GENERIC YOGA INTERVENTION WAS VALIDATED BY YOGA EXPERTS AND FOUND SAFE AND FEASIBLE IN PATIENTS WITH GAD. PATIENTS OBTAINED SIGNIFICANT SYMPTOM REDUCTIONS WHICH NEED TO BE CONFIRMED IN RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS.	2021	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
19 2886 28 YOGA: BALANCING THE EXCITATION-INHIBITION EQUILIBRIUM IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. SOCIAL BEHAVIORAL DISTURBANCES ARE CENTRAL TO MOST PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. A DISEQUILIBRIUM WITHIN THE CORTICAL EXCITATORY AND INHIBITORY NEUROTRANSMITTER SYSTEMS UNDERLIES THESE DEFICITS. GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID (GABA) AND GLUTAMATE ARE THE MOST ABUNDANT EXCITATORY AND INHIBITORY NEUROTRANSMITTERS IN THE BRAIN THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THIS EQUILIBRIUM. SEVERAL CONTEMPORARY THERAPIES USED IN TREATING PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, REGULATE THIS GABA-GLUTAMATE BALANCE. YOGA HAS BEEN STUDIED AS AN ADJUVANT TREATMENT ACROSS A BROAD RANGE OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS AND IS SHOWN TO HAVE SHORT-TERM THERAPEUTIC GAINS. EMERGING EVIDENCE FROM RECENT CLINICAL IN VIVO EXPERIMENTS SUGGESTS THAT YOGA IMPROVES GABA-MEDIATED CORTICAL-INHIBITORY TONE AND ENHANCES PERIPHERAL OXYTOCIN LEVELS. THIS IS LIKELY TO HAVE A MORE CONTROLLED DOWNSTREAM RESPONSE OF THE HYPOTHALAMO-PITUITARY-ADRENAL SYSTEM BY MEANS OF REDUCED CORTISOL RELEASE AND HENCE A BLUNTED SYMPATHETIC RESPONSE TO STRESS. ANIMAL AND EARLY FETAL DEVELOPMENTAL STUDIES SUGGEST AN INTER-DEPENDENT ROLE OF OXYTOCIN AND GABA IN REGULATING SOCIAL BEHAVIORS. IN KEEPING WITH THESE OBSERVATIONS, WE PROPOSE AN INTEGRATED NEUROBIOLOGICAL MODEL TO STUDY THE MECHANISMS OF THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS WITH YOGA. APART FROM PROVIDING A NEUROSCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR APPLYING A TRADITIONAL SYSTEM OF PRACTICE IN THE CLINICAL SETTING, THIS MODEL CAN BE USED AS A FRAMEWORK FOR STUDYING YOGA MECHANISMS IN FUTURE CLINICAL TRIALS.	2019	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
20 2688 33 YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS: A REVIEW. BACKGROUND: PATIENT USE OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS, INCLUDING YOGA, TO MANAGE MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS, HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED. DESPITE RESEARCH INTEREST, THERE ARE FEW RECENT REVIEWS OF THE EVIDENCE OF THE BENEFIT OF YOGA IN THESE CONDITIONS. METHOD: THE PUBMED, MEDLINE AND PSYCINFO DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR LITERATURE PUBLISHED UP TO JULY 2008, RELATING TO YOGA AND DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. RESULTS: THE PAUCITY OF REPORTED STUDIES AND SEVERAL METHODOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS LIMIT DATA INTERPRETATION. IN DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS, YOGA MAY BE COMPARABLE TO MEDICATION AND THE COMBINATION SUPERIOR TO MEDICATION ALONE. THERE IS REASONABLE EVIDENCE FOR ITS USE AS SECOND-LINE MONOTHERAPY OR AUGMENTATION TO MEDICATION IN MILD TO MODERATE MAJOR DEPRESSION AND DYSTHYMIA, WITH EARLY EVIDENCE OF BENEFIT IN MORE SEVERE DEPRESSION. IN ANXIETY DISORDERS, YOGA MAY BE SUPERIOR TO MEDICATION FOR A SUBGROUP OF PATIENTS, BUT ITS BENEFITS IN SPECIFIC CONDITIONS ARE STILL LARGELY UNKNOWN. SECOND-LINE MONOTHERAPY IS INDICATED IN PERFORMANCE OR TEST ANXIETY, BUT ONLY PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE EXISTS FOR OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. YOGA APPEARS TO BE SUPERIOR TO NO TREATMENT AND PROGRESSIVE RELAXATION FOR BOTH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, AND MAY BENEFIT MOOD AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH MEDICAL ILLNESS. IT SHOWS GOOD SAFETY AND TOLERABILITY IN SHORT-TERM TREATMENT. CONCLUSION: REASONABLE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE BENEFIT OF YOGA IN SPECIFIC DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS. THE EVIDENCE IS STILL PRELIMINARY IN ANXIETY DISORDERS. GIVEN ITS PATIENT APPEAL AND THE PROMISING FINDINGS THUS FAR, FURTHER RESEARCH ON YOGA IN THESE CONDITIONS IS ENCOURAGED.	2009