1 360 137 ASSOCIATION OF YOGA PRACTICE AND SERUM CORTISOL LEVELS IN CHRONIC PERIODONTITIS PATIENTS WITH STRESS-RELATED ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. AIM: REDUCING THE PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESS BY VARIOUS METHODS CAN IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH, AND YOGA IS NOW CONSIDERED AS AN EASILY AVAILABLE ALTERNATIVE METHOD. THE PRESENT CROSS-SECTIONAL PILOT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED MAINLY TO FIND THE ASSOCIATION OF YOGA PRACTICE WITH PERIODONTAL DISEASE BY MEASURING SERUM CORTISOL LEVELS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A TOTAL OF 70 SUBJECTS WITH AGE RANGE OF 35-60 YEARS SUFFERING WITH CHRONIC PERIODONTITIS WERE DIVIDED INTO GROUP I (WITH STRESS), GROUP II (WITHOUT STRESS), AND GROUP III (PRACTICING YOGA). PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION WAS CARRIED OUT USING HAMILTON ANXIETY RATING SCALE (HAM-A) AND ZUNG SELF-RATING DEPRESSION SCALE (ZSDS). PERIODONTAL PARAMETERS LIKE PLAQUE INDEX (PI), PROBING POCKET DEPTH (PPD), AND CLINICAL ATTACHMENT LEVEL (CAL) AT 5-8 MM AND >8 MM WERE RECORDED. BLOOD SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED AND SERUM CORTISOL LEVELS WERE MEASURED. RESULTS: MEAN AGE, PLAQUE SCORES, AND NUMBER OF TEETH WITH PPD AND CAL AT 5-8 MM AND >8 MM WERE SIMILAR IN ALL THE GROUPS, EXCEPT BETWEEN GROUP I AND GROUP III WHERE A MULTIPLE COMPARISON WITH TUKEY'S POST-HOC TEST SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN PLAQUE INDEX (P < 0.038) AND THE NUMBER OF TEETH WITH CAL 5-8 MM (P < 0.016). SERUM CORTISOL LEVELS AND HAM-A SCALE AND ZSDS SCORES SHOWED HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT VALUE (P < 0.001) IN GROUP I SUBJECTS WHEN COMPARED WITH GROUP II AND GROUP III SUBJECTS. CONCLUSION: CROSS-SECTIONAL OBSERVATION DONE AMONG THREE GROUPS SHOWED THAT INDIVIDUALS PRACTICING YOGA REGULARLY HAD LOW SERUM CORTISOL LEVELS, HAM-A SCALE AND ZSDS SCORES, AND BETTER PERIODONTAL HEALTH. 2016 2 1409 55 IMPACT OF YOGA ON PERIODONTAL DISEASE AND STRESS MANAGEMENT. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT, EFFECTIVE, AND VALUABLE TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR MAN TO OVERCOME VARIOUS PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS. STRESS CONTRIBUTES SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE PATHOGENESIS OF PERIODONTAL DISEASES; HENCE, IT BECOMES IMPORTANT TO REDUCE THE LEVEL OF STRESS FOR PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF DISEASES. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: THE PRESENT STUDY WAS AIMED: (1) TO UNDERSTAND AND ANALYZE THE POSSIBILITIES OF EMPLOYING YOGIC PRACTICES IN THE TREATMENT OF PERIODONTAL DISEASE ALONG WITH CONVENTIONAL DENTAL THERAPY, (2) TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFECT OF STRESS ON PERIODONTAL TREATMENT OUTCOME, (3) TO EVALUATE THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PERIODONTAL DISEASE WITH REFERENCE TO STRESS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: AN OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT-BASED PARALLEL GROUP RANDOMIZED STUDY WAS PERFORMED WITH STANDARD TREATMENT FOR PERIODONTAL DISEASE YOGA THERAPY AS GROUP II AND ONLY STANDARD TREATMENT AS GROUP I. PERIODONTAL HEALTH STATUS WAS RECORDED USING INDICES OF MODIFIED PLAQUE INDEX (PI), BLEEDING ON PROBING (BOP), PROBING DEPTH, AND CLINICAL ATTACHMENT LOSS (CAL). THE COHEN'S PERCEIVED STRESS QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ALSO USED TO DETERMINE STRESS SEVERITY. THE YOGIC INTERVENTION CONSISTS OF LECTURES AND PRACTICAL SESSIONS ON ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, KRIYAS, AND MEDITATION. RESULTS: REPEATED MEASURE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE (P < 0.001) IN ALL THE OUTCOME VARIABLES WITH RESPECT TO TIME IN BOTH GROUPS. IT WAS OBSERVED THAT MEAN PI SCORE REDUCED BY 1.35 IN GROUP II AS COMPARED TO 0.54 IN GROUP I, MEAN PROBING POCKET DEPTH REDUCED BY 1.60 IN GROUP II AS COMPARED TO ONLY 0.68 IN GROUP I, AND MEAN CAL SCORE REDUCED BY 1.60 IN GROUP II AS COMPARED TO 0.68 IN GROUP I. SIMILARLY, COHEN'S PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE SCORE ALSO REDUCED BY 18.76 POINTS IN GROUP II AS COMPARED TO ONLY 2.58 POINTS IN GROUP I, BOP ALSO SHOWS BETTER IMPROVEMENT IN GROUP II WITH A REDUCTION OF 0.68 AS COMPARED TO REDUCTION OF ONLY 0.08 IN GROUP I. THE RESULTS OBTAINED ASCERTAINED THE ROLE OF YOGA IN STRESS REDUCTION IN PERIODONTAL DISEASE. CONCLUSION: ALTHOUGH YOGA DOES NOT PLAY A DIRECT ROLE IN IMPROVING PERIODONTAL DISEASE, IT ACCELERATES THE TREATMENT OUTCOMES BY COMBATING THE STRESS WHICH IS A MAJOR FACTOR AFFECTING THE TREATMENT OF PERIODONTAL DISEASE. 2017 3 2097 37 THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN STRESS REDUCTION FOR DENTAL STUDENTS PERFORMING THEIR FIRST PERIODONTAL SURGERY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. CONTEXT: THE DENTAL STUDENTS EXPERIENCE A LOT OF STRESS, WHICH INCREASE WHEN THEY PERFORM THEIR FIRST SURGICAL PROCEDURE. YOGA AS AN ANXIOLYTIC TOOL IN ANXIETY REDUCTION HAS BEEN PRACTICED OVER CENTURIES IN INDIA. AIM: TO ASSESS THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN REDUCING THE STATE TRAIT ANXIETY OF DENTAL STUDENTS BEFORE THEIR FIRST PERIODONTAL SURGERY PERFORMANCE. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY USING A TWO-WAY SPLIT PLOT DESIGN (PRE-POST-TEST) WAS CONDUCTED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PERIODONTICS, PACIFIC DENTAL COLLEGE, UDAIPUR, INDIA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ONE HUNDRED CLINICAL DENTAL STUDENTS WHO WERE READY TO PERFORM THEIR FIRST PERIODONTAL SURGERY WERE SELECTED. STUDENTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO TWO GROUPS AND WERE GIVEN A 60-MIN SESSION ON STRESS REDUCTION. GROUP A, YOGIC INTERVENTION GROUP, WERE INSTRUCTED TO DO YOGA AND THEIR PERFORMANCES WERE MONITORED FOR A PERIOD OF ONE WEEK AND GROUP B, CONTROL GROUP, WERE GIVEN A LECTURE ON STRESS REDUCTION WITHOUT ANY YOGA INSTRUCTIONS. THE INVESTIGATOR WHO WAS UNAWARE OF THE GROUPS HAD TAKEN THE STATE TRAIT ANXIETY SCORE OF THE STUDENTS THREE TIMES A) BEFORE ASSIGNING THEM TO EACH GROUP, B) PRIOR TO THE SURGICAL PROCEDURE AND C) IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PERFORMANCE OF SURGERY. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: ANALYSES OF VARIANCE (ANOVA) BY SPSS V.16. RESULTS: THE STATISTICAL RESULTS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE VAS AND STATE TRAIT ANXIETY OF GROUP A COMPARED TO GROUP B (ANOVA; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY CONCLUDES THAT YOGIC BREATHING HAS A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE REDUCTION OF STATE TRAIT ANXIETY LEVEL OF DENTAL STUDENTS. 2012 4 2784 34 YOGA THERAPY AS AN ADJUNCT TO TRADITIONAL TOOTH BRUSHING TRAINING METHODS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. AIM: TO EVALUATE IF YOGA COULD BE AN ADJUNCT TO REGULAR TRAINING METHODS IN TRAINING BRUSHING SKILL TO CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD). METHODS: SEVENTY-TWO CHILDREN WITH ASD AGED 7-15 YEARS WERE SELECTED AND DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS (N = 36). CHILDREN IN GROUP I RECEIVED VISUAL PEDAGOGY AND VIDEO MODELING AND CHILDREN IN GROUP II RECEIVED VISUAL PEDAGOGY AND VIDEO MODELING WITH YOGA. PLAQUE AND GINGIVAL INDICES (PI AND GI) WERE RECORDED AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, AND SIXTH MONTH. THE SCORES WERE SUMMARIZED AS MEAN AND STANDARD DEVIATION AND INTER-GROUP COMPARISON WAS DONE USING INDEPENDENT T-TEST. RESULTS: INTER-GROUP COMPARISON OF MEAN PLAQUE AND GINGIVAL INDICES SCORES WERE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT AT SECOND MONTH (P = .039 FOR PI AND P = .009 FOR GI). THE SCORES WERE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT EVEN AT THIRD MONTH (P = .001 FOR PI AND P = .002 FOR GI) AND SIXTH MONTH (P = .001 PI AND GI), WITH CHILDREN IN GROUP II DEMONSTRATING BETTER ORAL HYGIENE. CONCLUSION: YOGA TRAINING CAN BE USED AS AN ADJUNCT TO ENHANCE TOOTH BRUSHING LEARNING CAPABILITIES OF CHILDREN WITH ASD IN ADDITION TO VISUAL MODELING AND PEDAGOGY. 2019 5 2725 43 YOGA NIDRA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDER. BACKGROUND: EMOTIONAL INSECURITY, STRESS, DEPRESSIVE OR/AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS ARE COMMON WITH VARIABLE SEVERITY AMONG PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDER. YOGIC RELAXATION THERAPY (YOGA NIDRA) LEADS TO CONSCIOUS AND SUBCONSCIOUS RECOGNITION OF THESE UNDERLYING PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS AND HELPS RELEASING OF SUPPRESSED CONFLICTS. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA NIDRA ON ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SUBJECTS WERE RECRUITED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY, C.S.M. MEDICAL UNIVERSITY (ERSTWHILE KGMU), LUCKNOW UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA. THE SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED IN TO TWO GROUPS: INTERVENTION GROUP (WITH YOGIC INTERVENTION) AND CONTROL GROUP (WITHOUT YOGIC INTERVENTION). ASSESSMENTS OF ALL SUBJECTS WERE CARRIED OUT BY ADMINISTERING HAMILTON ANXIETY SCALE (HAM-A) AND HAMILTON RATING SCALE FOR DEPRESSION (HAM-D) AT BASELINE AND AFTER SIX MONTHS. RESULTS: THE MEAN AGE WITH S.D OF THE INTERVENTION GROUP WAS 27.67 +/- 7.85 YEARS, AND FOR CONTROL GROUP WAS 26.58 +/- 6.87 YEARS (AMONG COMPLETED INTERVENTION GROUP NN = 65 AND CONTROL GROUP NN = 61). THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF SCORES IN HAM-A (P<0.003) AND HAM-D (P<0.02) RESPECTIVELY IN SUBJECTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AFTER SIX MONTHS OF YOGA THERAPY (YOGA NIDRA) IN INTERVENTION GROUP IN COMPARISON TO CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE PATIENTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY WITH 'YOGA NIDRA' INTERVENTION. THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE PATIENTS WITH SEVERE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. 2012 6 1400 35 IMPACT OF YOGA NIDRA ON PSYCHOLOGICAL GENERAL WELLBEING IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: YOGIC RELAXATION THERAPY (YOGA NIDRA) HAS BEEN EFFECTIVELY PRESCRIBED IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER MEDICAL AND YOGIC PROCEDURES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SEVERE PSYCHOSOMATIC DISEASES, INCLUDING CANCER, BRONCHIAL ASTHMA, COLITIS, PEPTIC ULCER AND MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES. AIM OF THE STUDY: TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF YOGA NIDRA ON PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PATIENTS WERE RECRUITED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY, C.S.M. MEDICAL UNIVERSITY (ERSTWHILE KGMU), LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA. A TOTAL OF 150 FEMALE SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: 1) GROUP OF 75 SUBJECTS (WITH YOGIC INTERVENTION) AND 2) A CONTROL GROUP OF 75 SUBJECTS (WITHOUT YOGIC INTERVENTION). ASSESSMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL GENERAL WELLBEING (TOOL) WAS USED FOR ALL THE SUBJECTS ASSESSMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL GENERAL WELL BEING (TOOL) WAS USED FOR ALL THE SUBJECTS (CASES AND CONTROLS). THIS ASSESSMENT WAS DONE TWICE FIRST TIME IN THE BEGINNING (BASELINE) AND THEN AFTER SIX MONTHS. RESULTS: ANXIETY DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P<0.003) AND DEPRESSION DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P<0.01) IN THE YOGA GROUP. POSITIVE WELLBEING AND GENERAL HEALTH IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY (P<0.02), AND VITALITY IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY (P<0.01) AFTER SIX MONTHS OF YOGA THERAPY (YOGA NIDRA) IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE CURRENT FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES HAVING PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE AREAS OF THEIR WELLBEING, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION BY LEARNING AND APPLYING A PROGRAM BASED ON YOGIC INTERVENTION (YOGA NIDRA). 2011 7 350 38 ASSESSMENT OF CARDIAC AUTONOMIC TONE FOLLOWING LONG SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA IN ART OF LIVING PRACTITIONERS. OBJECTIVE: THE BREATHING PROCESSES ARE KNOWN TO MODULATE CARDIAC AUTONOMIC TONE AND IMPROVE PSYCHOLOGICAL STATUS. WE INVESTIGATED CARDIAC AUTONOMIC TONE FOLLOWING LONG SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA (SKY) USING HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) AND SKIN CONDUCTANCE LEVEL (SCL). METHODS: THIRTY HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS (AGE 28.3 +/- 8.4 YEARS; 23 M: 7 F) PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. ELECTROCARDIOGRAM (ECG) AND SCL WERE RECORDED FOR 5 MIN EACH, BEFORE AND AFTER LONG SKY. LONG SKY IS A COMBINATION OF PRANAYAMA AND CYCLIC RHYTHMIC BREATHING AND IS PERFORMED BY FOLLOWING THE GUIDED AUDIO INSTRUCTIONS. HRV ANALYSIS WAS USED FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF CARDIAC AUTONOMIC TONE. TIME AND FREQUENCY DOMAIN PARAMETERS OF HRV WERE CALCULATED BY USING RR INTERVAL OF ECG. SCL WAS ACQUIRED USING GALVANIC SKIN RESPONSE (GSR) AMPLIFIER OF POWERLAB IN MICROSEIMENS (MUS). RESULTS: TIME DOMAIN PARAMETERS OF HRV, INCLUDING MEAN RR INTERVAL (P = 0.000), RESPIRATORY SINUS ARRHYTHMIA (RSA) (P = 0.037), STANDARD DEVIATION OF ALL NN INTERVALS (SDNN) (P = 0.013), NN50 COUNT DIVIDED BY THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ALL NN INTERVALS (PNN50) (P = 0.004), AND SQUARE ROOT OF THE MEAN OF THE SUM OF THE SQUARES OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ADJACENT NN INTERVALS (RMSSD) (P = 0.002) INCREASED, AND MEAN HEART RATE DECREASED (P = 0.000) FOLLOWING LONG SKY. IN FREQUENCY DOMAIN ANALYSIS, POWER OF LOW-FREQUENCY (LF) COMPONENT (P = 0.010) AND LF/HF RATIO (P = 0.008) DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY, WHEREAS POWER OF HIGH FREQUENCY (HF) SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED (P = 0.010). SCL DECREASED FOLLOWING LONG SKY, ALTHOUGH IT DID NOT ATTAIN STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT LONG SKY INDUCES SIGNIFICANT OSCILLATIONS IN CARDIAC AUTONOMIC TONE. PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY INCREASES AND SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY DECREASES AND SYMPATHOVAGAL BALANCE IMPROVES FOLLOWING LONG SKY. DECREASE IN SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY IS ALSO DEMONSTRATED BY DECREASE IN CONDUCTANCE ALTHOUGH IT DID NOT REACH STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE. FROM THIS STUDY IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT LONG SKY HAS A BENEFICIAL EFFECT ON CARDIAC AUTONOMIC TONE, AND PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL RELAXATION. IT MAY SERVE AS A TOOL TO IMPROVE HRV, WHICH IS THE MARKER OF CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH. 2017 8 867 41 EFFECT OF YOGA REGIMEN ON LUNG FUNCTIONS INCLUDING DIFFUSION CAPACITY IN CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. BACKGROUND: LUNG FUNCTIONS ARE FOUND TO BE IMPAIRED IN CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE (CAD), CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, LEFT VENTRICULAR DYSFUNCTION, AND AFTER CARDIAC SURGERY. DIFFUSION CAPACITY PROGRESSIVELY WORSENS AS THE SEVERITY OF CAD INCREASES DUE TO REDUCTION IN LUNG TISSUE PARTICIPATING IN GAS EXCHANGE. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: PRANAYAMA BREATHING EXERCISES AND YOGIC POSTURES MAY PLAY AN IMPRESSIVE ROLE IN IMPROVING CARDIO-RESPIRATORY EFFICIENCY AND FACILITATING GAS DIFFUSION AT THE ALVEOLO-CAPILLARY MEMBRANE. THIS STUDY WAS DONE TO SEE THE EFFECT OF YOGA REGIMEN ON LUNG FUNCTIONS PARTICULARLY DIFFUSION CAPACITY IN CAD PATIENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A TOTAL OF 80 STABLE CAD PATIENTS BELOW 65 YEARS OF AGE OF BOTH SEXES WERE SELECTED AND RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS OF 40 EACH. GROUP I CAD PATIENTS WERE GIVEN YOGA REGIMEN FOR 3 MONTHS WHICH CONSISTED OF YOGIC POSTURES, PRANAYAMA BREATHING EXERCISES, DIETARY MODIFICATION, AND HOLISTIC TEACHING ALONG WITH THEIR CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE WHILE GROUP II CAD PATIENTS WERE PUT ONLY ON CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE. LUNG FUNCTIONS INCLUDING DIFFUSION CAPACITY WERE RECORDED THRICE IN BOTH THE GROUPS: 0 DAY AS BASELINE, 22(ND) DAY AND ON 90(TH) DAY BY USING COMPUTERIZED MS MEDISOFT CARDIO-RESPIRATORY INSTRUMENT, HYP'AIR COMPACT MODEL OF CARDIO-RESPIRATORY TESTING MACHINE WAS MANUFACTURED BY P K MORGAN, INDIA. THE RECORDED PARAMETERS WERE STATISTICALLY ANALYZED BY REPEATED MEASURES ANOVA FOLLOWED BY TUKEY'S TEST IN BOTH THE GROUPS. CARDIOVASCULAR PARAMETERS WERE ALSO COMPARED BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION IN BOTH THE GROUPS. RESULTS: STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE SEEN IN SLOW VITAL CAPACITY, FORCED VITAL CAPACITY, PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE, MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION, AND DIFFUSION FACTOR/ TRANSFER FACTOR OF LUNG FOR CARBON MONOXIDE AFTER 3 MONTHS OF YOGA REGIMEN IN GROUP I. FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN 1(ST) SEC (FEV1), AND FEV1 % ALSO SHOWED A TREND TOWARD IMPROVEMENT ALTHOUGH NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. HR, SBP AND DBP ALSO SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN GROUP-I PATIENTS WHO FOLLOWED YOGA REGIMEN. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA REGIMEN WAS FOUND TO IMPROVE LUNG FUNCTIONS AND DIFFUSION CAPACITY IN CAD PATIENTS BESIDES IMPROVING CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTIONS. THUS, IT CAN BE USED AS A COMPLIMENTARY OR ADJUNCT THERAPY ALONG WITH THE CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE FOR THEIR TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION. 2015 9 660 37 EFFECT OF 12 WEEKS OF YOGA THERAPY ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND INDIAN DIABETES RISK SCORE IN NORMOTENSIVE INDIAN YOUNG ADULT PREDIABETICS AND DIABETICS: RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: INDIA HAS BECOME THE EPICENTRE FOR DIABETES, A STRESS-RELATED DISORDER AFFECTING THE WORKING SKILLS AND DAY-TO-DAY LIFESTYLE MANAGEMENT OF YOUNGER POPULATION. MOST OF THE STUDIES HAVE REPORTED THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) IN DIABETIC PATIENTS WITH OTHER COMORBIDITIES. TILL DATE, NO RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL REPORTS ARE AVAILABLE TO SHOW THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON QOL AND INDIAN DIABETES RISK SCORE (IDRS) IN NORMOTENSIVE PREDIABETIC AND DIABETIC YOUNG INDIVIDUALS. AIM: TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF 12 WEEKS OF YOGA THERAPY ON QOL AND IDRS AMONG NORMOTENSIVE PREDIABETIC AND DIABETIC YOUNG INDIAN ADULTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED IN ENDOCRINOLOGY OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT (OPD). NORMOTENSIVE PARTICIPANTS (N=310) AGED 18-45 YEARS WERE DIVIDED INTO HEALTHY CONTROLS (N=62), PREDIABETICS (N=124) AND DIABETICS (N=124). STUDY GROUP SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO GROUP II (N=62, PREDIABETES-STANDARD TREATMENT), GROUP III (N=62, PREDIABETES-STANDARD TREATMENT + YOGA THERAPY), GROUP IV (N=62, DIABETES-STANDARD TREATMENT) AND GROUP V (N=62, DIABETES-STANDARD TREATMENT + YOGA THERAPY). FLANAGAN QOL SCALE, IDRS QUESTIONNAIRE, FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE (FPG) AND INSULIN WERE ASSESSED PRE AND POST 12 WEEKS OF INTERVENTION. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS WAS DONE USING STUDENT'S PAIRED T-TEST AND ONE-WAY ANOVA. RESULTS: PRE-POST INTERVENTION ANALYSIS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN QOL SCALE WITH P<0.01 IN GROUP II AND GROUP IV; P<0.001 IN GROUP III AND GROUP V RESPECTIVELY. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN IDRS IN GROUP II (P<0.05); P<0.001 IN GROUP III, GROUP IV AND GROUP V RESPECTIVELY. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE (P<0.001) IN QOL SCALE AND IDRS WERE FOUND WHEN STUDY GROUPS WITH STANDARD TREATMENT ALONG WITH YOGA THERAPY WERE COMPARED TO STANDARD TREATMENT ALONE. CONCLUSION: YOGA THERAPY ALONG WITH STANDARD TREATMENT FOR 12 WEEKS IMPROVED QOL AND ATTENUATED THE DIABETES RISK AMONG INDIAN PREDIABETICS AND DIABETICS COMPARED TO STANDARD TREATMENT ALONE. 2017 10 745 37 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 11 1130 29 EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR DEPRESSED POSTPARTUM WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: UP TO 20% OF WOMEN EXPERIENCE POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION (PPD). PPD IS ASSOCIATED WITH ANXIETY AND POOR HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL). EFFICACIOUS TREATMENTS ARE CRITICAL; MANY WOMEN WITH PPD PREFER COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES. THUS, THE CURRENT STUDY EXAMINED YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR PPD. METHODS: FIFTY-SEVEN POSTPARTUM WOMEN WITH SCORES >/=12 ON THE HAMILTON DEPRESSION RATING SCALE WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA (N = 28) OR WAIT-LIST CONTROL (N = 29) GROUP. THE YOGA INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 16 CLASSES OVER 8 WEEKS. OUTCOMES WERE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND HRQOL. RESULTS: THE YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER RATE OF IMPROVEMENT IN DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND HRQOL, RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL GROUP WITH MODERATE TO LARGE EFFECTS. RELIABLE CHANGE INDEX ANALYSES REVEALED THAT 78% OF WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE. CONCLUSION: THESE FINDINGS SUPPORT YOGA AS A PROMISING COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR PPD, AND WARRANT LARGE-SCALE REPLICATION STUDIES. TRIAL REGISTRATION: HTTP://CLINICALTRIALS.GOV/NCT02213601. 2015 12 326 32 ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFICACY AND HORMONAL EFFECTS OF SUDARSHANA KRIYA YOGA (SKY) IN ALCOHOL DEPENDENT INDIVIDUALS. BACKGROUND: SUDARSHANA KRIYA YOGA (SKY) HAS DEMONSTRABLE ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFECTS. SKY WAS TESTED FOR THIS EFFECT IN INPATIENTS OF ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE. METHODS: FOLLOWING A WEEK OF DETOXIFICATION MANAGEMENT CONSENTING SUBJECTS (N=60) WERE EQUALLY RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE SKY THERAPY OR NOT (CONTROLS) FOR A TWO-WEEK STUDY. SKY THERAPY INCLUDED ALTERNATE DAY PRACTICE OF SPECIFIED BREATHING EXERCISE UNDER SUPERVISION OF A TRAINED THERAPIST. SUBJECTS COMPLETED THE BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY (BDI) BEFORE AND AFTER THE TWO WEEKS OF THIS INTERVENTION. MORNING PLASMA CORTISOL, ACTH AND PROLACTIN TOO WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AT THE END OF TWO WEEKS. RESULTS: IN BOTH GROUPS REDUCTIONS IN BDI SCORES OCCURRED BUT SIGNIFICANTLY MORE SO IN SKY GROUP. LIKEWISE, IN BOTH GROUPS PLASMA CORTISOL AS WELL AS ACTH FELL AFTER TWO WEEKS BUT SIGNIFICANTLY MORE SO IN SKY GROUP. REDUCTION IN BDI SCORES CORRELATED WITH THAT IN CORTISOL IN SKY BUT NOT IN CONTROL GROUP. LIMITATIONS: ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFECTS OF SKY WERE DEMONSTRATED IN EARLY ABSTINENCE THAT ALSO HAD SUBSTANTIAL SPONTANEOUS IMPROVEMENT. IT IS NOT KNOWN IF THIS EFFECT CONTRIBUTES TO SUSTAINED ABSTINENCE. CONCLUSION: RESULTS EXTEND THE ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFECTS OF SKY IN ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE SUBJECTS. REDUCTION IN STRESS-HORMONE LEVELS (CORTISOL AND ACTH) ALONG WITH BDI REDUCTIONS POSSIBLY SUPPORT A BIOLOGICAL MECHANISM OF SKY IN PRODUCING BENEFICIAL EFFECTS. 2006 13 1975 40 SINGLE SESSION OF INTEGRATED "SILVER YOGA" PROGRAM IMPROVES CARDIOVASCULAR PARAMETERS IN SENIOR CITIZENS. AIM AND OBJECTIVE: THIS PILOT STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT TO DETERMINE CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF A SINGLE SESSION OF AN INTEGRATED "SILVER YOGA" PROGRAM IN SENIOR CITIZENS OF SERENE PELICAN TOWNSHIP, PONDICHERRY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HEART RATE (HR) AND BLOOD PRESSURE (BP) MEASUREMENTS WERE RECORDED IN 124 SENIOR CITIZENS (75 FEMALE, 49 MALE) WITH MEAN AGE OF 67.19 +/- 10.61 YEAR WHO ATTENDED AN INTEGRATED "SILVER YOGA" PROGRAM AT CENTRE FOR YOGA THERAPY, EDUCATION AND RESEARCH FROM AUGUST TO OCTOBER 2014. PARTICIPANTS PRACTICED THE PROTOCOL THAT WAS SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR SENIOR CITIZENS, KEEPING IN MIND THEIR HEALTH STATUS AND PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS. THIS INCLUDED SIMPLE WARM-UPS (JATHIS), BREATH BODY MOVEMENT COORDINATION PRACTICES (KRIYAS), STATIC STRETCHING POSTURES (ASANAS), BREATHING TECHNIQUES (PRANAYAMAS), RELAXATION AND SIMPLE CHANTING. NON-INVASIVE BP APPARATUS WAS USED TO RECORD THE HR, SYSTOLIC (SP) AND DIASTOLIC PRESSURE (DP) BEFORE AND AFTER THE 60 MIN SESSIONS. PULSE PRESSURE (PP), MEAN PRESSURE (MP), RATE-PRESSURE PRODUCT (RPP) AND DOUBLE PRODUCT (DOP) INDICES WERE DERIVED FROM THE RECORDED PARAMETERS. STUDENT'S PAIRED T-TEST WAS USED TO COMPARE DATA THAT PASSED NORMALITY TESTING BY KOLMOGOROV-SMIRNOV TEST AND WILCOXON MATCHED-PAIRS SIGNED-RANKS TEST FOR THOSE THAT DID NOT. P < 0.05 WERE ACCEPTED AS INDICATING SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES FOR PRE-POST COMPARISONS. RESULTS: ALL PARAMETERS WITNESSED A REDUCTION FOLLOWING THE SINGLE SESSION. THIS WAS STATISTICALLY MORE SIGNIFICANT (P < 0. 0001) IN HR, RPP AND DOP WHILE IT WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.01 AND P < 0.05) IN SP AND PP, RESPECTIVELY. THE DECREASE IN MP JUST MISSED SIGNIFICANCE (P = 0.054) WHILE IT WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT IN DP. CONCLUSION: THERE IS A HEALTHY REDUCTION IN HR, BP AND DERIVED CARDIOVASCULAR INDICES FOLLOWING A SINGLE YOGA SESSION IN GERIATRIC SUBJECTS. THESE CHANGES MAY BE ATTRIBUTED TO ENHANCED HARMONY OF CARDIAC AUTONOMIC FUNCTION AS A RESULT OF COORDINATED BREATH-BODY WORK AND MIND-BODY RELAXATION DUE TO AN INTEGRATED "SILVER YOGA" PROGRAM. 2015 14 809 48 EFFECT OF YOGA ON AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STATUS DURING BOTH PHASES OF MENSTRUAL CYCLE IN YOUNG HEALTHY FEMALES. CONTEXT: PREMENSTRUAL STRESS AFFECTS 75% OF WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE AND YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE BENEFICIAL IN MANY PSYCHO-SOMATIC DISORDERS. AIMS: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF INTEGRATED YOGA ON AUTONOMIC PARAMETERS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING DURING BOTH PRE AND POST PHASES OF MENSTRUAL CYCLE IN HEALTHY YOUNG FEMALE SUBJECTS. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: PRESENT STUDY IS A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL AND WAS CONDUCTED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY, LADY HARDINGE MEDICAL COLLEGE, NEW DELHI, INDIA. MATERIAL AND METHODS: FIFTY APPARENTLY HEALTHY FEMALES IN THE AGE GROUP OF 18-20 YEARS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS: GROUP I (N=25) CONSISTED OF SUBJECTS WHO PRACTICED YOGA 35-40 MINUTES PER DAY, SIX TIMES PER WEEK FOR THE DURATION OF THREE MENSTRUAL CYCLES. TRAINING WAS GIVEN BY QUALIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR. GROUP II (N=25) SUBJECTS ACTED AS CONTROLS. FOLLOWING PARAMETERS WERE RECORDED AT THE BEGINNING AND AFTER COMPLETION OF THREE MENSTRUAL CYCLES IN ALL THE SUBJECTS: HEIGHT, WEIGHT (BW), RESTING HEART RATE (HR), RESTING SYSTOLIC (SBP) AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (DBP), PARASYMPATHETIC REACTIVITY TESTS INCLUDING EXPIRATION-INSPIRATION RATIO (E: I RATIO) AND 30:15 RATIO, SYMPATHETIC REACTIVITY TESTS INCLUDING BP CHANGES DUE TO ISOMETRIC HAND GRIP (IHG) EXERCISE, AND COLD PRESSOR TEST (CPT). ASSESSMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STATUS WAS DONE BY ADMINISTERING DIPAS (DEFENSE INSTITUTE OF PHYSIOLOGY AND ALLIED SCIENCES) INVENTORIES OF ANGER SELF REPORT SCALE, TRAIT ANXIETY, SENSE OF WELL-BEING AND DEPRESSION SCALE. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: INTRA-GROUP COMPARISON OF PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS WAS DONE BY USING PAIRED 'T' TEST, WHEREAS INTRA-GROUP COMPARISON OF NON-PARAMETERIC DATA SUCH AS SCORES OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, ANGER AND SENSE OF WELL-BEING WAS DONE BY WILCOXON SIGNED-RANK TEST. INTER-GROUP COMPARISON OF PARAMETERS WAS DONE BY STUDENTS 'T' TEST FOR PARAMETRIC TESTS AND MANN-WHITNEY 'U' TEST FOR NON-PARAMETERIC TESTS. RESULTS: THERE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER BW, RESTING SBP, DBP, SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND BLUNTING OF PARASYMPATHETIC REACTIVITY AND ALSO, SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SCORES OF ANGER, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND DECREASED SCORE OF WELL-BEING IN PREMENSTRUAL PHASE AS COMPARED TO POSTMENSTRUAL PHASE IN BOTH THE GROUPS IN INITIAL CYCLE. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER PERCENTAGE DECREASE IN BW, HR, SBP & DBP IN YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO CONTROL GROUP IN BOTH THE PHASES FROM INITIAL TO SECOND AND ONWARDS BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD MENSTRUAL CYCLE. ALSO, DECREASE IN ANGER, DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AND INCREASE IN WELL-BEING SCORE WAS SIGNIFICANT IN YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO CONTROL GROUP FROM INITIAL TO SECOND AND THIRD CYCLE IN PREMENSTRUAL PHASE WHILE THE CHANGE WAS SIGNIFICANT ONLY IN DEPRESSION SCORE IN POSTMENSTRUAL PHASE. CONCLUSION: OUR STUDY SHOWS THAT THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT ALTERATION OF AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STATUS IN PREMENSTRUAL PHASE WHEN COMPARED WITH POSTMENSTRUAL PHASE IN YOUNG HEALTHY FEMALES. ALSO, REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA HAS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON BOTH PHASES OF MENSTRUAL CYCLE BY BRINGING PARASYMPATHODOMINANCE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING PROBABLY BY BALANCING NEURO-ENDOCRINAL AXIS. 2013 15 667 49 EFFECT OF A 12-WEEK YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM ON MENTAL HEALTH STATUS IN ELDERLY WOMEN INMATES OF A HOSPICE. AIM AND OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA ON THE MENTAL HEALTH STATUS OF ELDERLY WOMEN INMATES RESIDING IN A HOSPICE IN PUDUCHERRY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: FORTY ELDERLY WOMEN WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO YOGA AND WAIT-LISTED CONTROL GROUP. A YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM OF 60 MIN WAS GIVEN TWICE A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. THIS PROTOCOL WAS SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR SENIOR CITIZENS, KEEPING IN MIND THEIR HEALTH STATUS AND PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS THAT INCLUDED SIMPLE WARM-UP AND BREATH-BODY MOVEMENT COORDINATION PRACTICES (JATHIS AND KRIYAS), STATIC STRETCHING POSTURES (ASANAS), BREATHING TECHNIQUES (PRANAYAMAS), AND RELAXATION. HAMILTON ANXIETY SCALE FOR MEASURING ANXIETY, HAMILTON RATING SCALE FOR DEPRESSION, AND ROSENBERG SELF-ESTEEM SCALE TO MEASURE SELF-ESTEEM WERE ADMINISTERED TO BOTH GROUPS BEFORE AND AFTER THE 12-WEEK STUDY PERIOD. DATA WERE ASSESSED FOR NORMALITY, AND APPROPRIATE PARAMETRIC AND NONPARAMETRIC STATISTICAL METHODS WERE APPLIED FOR INTRA- AND INTER-GROUP COMPARISONS. RESULTS: OVERALL, INTRA- AND INTER-GROUP COMPARISON OF PREPOST DATA SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.001) DIFFERENCES FOR ALL THREE PARAMETERS. THERE WAS AN OVERALL IMPROVEMENT IN THE SCORES INDICATING DECREASED LEVELS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY COUPLED WITH AN INCREASE IN THE LEVEL OF SELF-ESTEEM AFTER THE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM. DISCUSSION: THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA IN THE REDUCTION OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY SCORES AND IMPROVEMENT IN SELF-ESTEEM SCORES IN ELDERLY WOMEN SUBJECTS IS EVIDENT FROM THIS STUDY. AS REPORTED IN EARLIER STUDIES, THIS MAY BE ATTRIBUTED TO CHANGES IN CENTRAL NEUROTRANSMITTERS SUCH AS GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC-ACID COUPLED WITH INCREASED PARASYMPATHETIC TONE AND DECREASED SYMPATHO-ADRENAL ACTIVITY. CONCLUSION: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOGA SHOULD BE A PART OF HEALTH-CARE FACILITIES FOR ELDERLY AS IT CAN ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY IMPROVING THEIR OVERALL MENTAL HEALTH STATUS. IT COULD PROVIDE A HEALTHY AND POSITIVE ALTERNATIVE FROM DEPRESSING NEGATIVE THOUGHTS, AND GIVE THEM A SENSE OF PURPOSE AND HOPE. 2017 16 1835 26 PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES AT THE TIME OF EXAMINATION IN MEDICAL STUDENTS BEFORE AND AFTER THE PRACTICE OF YOGA AND RELAXATION. THE EFFECT OF YOGA AND RELAXATION CHANGES IN PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN RESPONSE TO THE STRESS OF EXAMINATION IN 75 MEDICAL STUDENTS WAS STUDIED. INITIALLY FIVE PARAMETERS (ANXIETY LEVEL, HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE, GALVANIC SKIN RESISTANCE AND CHOICE REACTION TIME) WERE RECORDED, A MONTH BEFORE THE EXAMINATION AND ON THE DAY OF EXAMINATION. STUDENTS WERE THEN RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO 3 GROUP OF 25 EACH. ONE GROUP PRACTICED YOGA (GROUP- Y), AND ANOTHER GROUP PRACTICED RELAXATION (GROUP-R) REGULARLY FOR THREE MONTHS. THE THIRD GROUP WAS CONTROL GROUP (GROUP-C). ALL THE PARAMETERS WERE RECORDED AFTER THE CHANGES IN ANXIETY LEVEL, HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE, AND GALVANIC SKIN RESISTANCE IN RESPONSE TO STRESS OF EXAMINATION WERE SIGNIFICANTLY ATTENUATED AND THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN CHOICE REACTION TIME IN GROUP-Y AND GROUP-R AS COMPARED TO GROUP-C AFTER YOGA AND RELAXATION. 1998 17 1977 36 SIX-MONTH TRIAL OF YOGA NIDRA IN MENSTRUAL DISORDER PATIENTS: EFFECTS ON SOMATOFORM SYMPTOMS. BACKGROUND: YOGA NIDRA IS A SUCCESSFUL THERAPY FOR BOTH RECENT AND LONG-STANDING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTURBANCES OF ALL KINDS ESPECIALLY DEPRESSION AND HIGH ANXIETY LEVEL AND NEUROTIC PATTERNS. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT WORK, THEREFORE, WAS TO CONDUCT A PRELIMINARY RANDOMIZED STUDY OF YOGA NIDRA AS A TREATMENT IN THE PATIENTS OF MENSTRUAL DISORDERS WITH SOMATOFORM SYMPTOMS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PATIENTS WERE RECRUITED FROM DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY, CSM MEDICAL UNIVERSITY (ERSTWHILE KGMU) LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA. ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FEMALE PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDERS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED IN TO TWO GROUPS 1- INTERVENTION GROUP: 75 SUBJECTS (YOGA NIDRA INTERVENTION AND MEDICATION) 2- CONTROL GROUP: 75 SUBJECTS (WITHOUT YOGA NIDRA INTERVENTION ONLY MEDICATION). SCHEDULE FOR CLINICAL ASSESSMENT IN NEUROPSYCHIATRY TOOL WAS USED. RESULTS: THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PAIN SYMPTOMS (P<0.006), GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS (P<0.04), CARDIOVASCULAR SYMPTOMS (P<0.02) AND UROGENITAL SYMPTOMS (P<0.005) AFTER 6 MONTHS OF YOGA NIDRA THERAPY IN INTERVENTION GROUP IN COMPARISON TO CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: YOGA NIDRA APPEARS TO BE A PROMISING INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOSOMATIC PROBLEMS. IT IS COST-EFFECTIVE AND EASY TO IMPLEMENT. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT SOMATOFORM SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDER CAN BE DECREASED BY LEARNING AND APPLYING A PROGRAM BASED ON YOGIC INTERVENTION (YOGA NIDRA). 2011 18 1883 40 REDUCING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND OBESITY THROUGH YOGA PRACTICE. BACKGROUND: YOGA PRACTICE HAS BEEN EFFECTIVELY PRESCRIBED IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER MEDICAL AND YOGIC PROCEDURES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SEVERE PSYCHOSOMATIC DISEASES, INCLUDING CANCER, BRONCHIAL ASTHMA, COLITIS, PEPTIC AND ULCER. IT IMPROVES STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY, AND MAY HELP CONTROL PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES SUCH AS BLOOD PRESSURE, LIPIDS, RESPIRATION, HEART RATE, AND METABOLIC RATE TO IMPROVE OVERALL EXERCISE CAPACITY. AIM OF THE STUDY: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGIC PRACTICE ON ANXIETY/DEPRESSION ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PATIENTS WERE RECRUITED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY, C.S.M. MEDICAL UNIVERSITY (ERSTWHILE KGMU), LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA. A TOTAL OF 272 SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: 1) GROUP OF 205 SUBJECTS (WITH YOGIC PRACTICE) AND 2) A CONTROL GROUP OF 67 SUBJECTS (WITH AEROBIC EXERCISE). ASSESSMENT OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION WERE DONE BY HAMILTON RATING SCALE. RESULT: THIS STUDY SUPPORTS YOGA AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL WITH NO DIET RESTRICTION TO IMPROVE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AS WELL AS OBESITY IN OBESE SUBJECTS CONCLUSION: INCORPORATING YOGIC ASANA IN THE TREATMENT PROTOCOL OF PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION MAY PROVE BENEFICIAL IN THE LONG RUN. 2013 19 807 32 EFFECT OF YOGA ON ARRHYTHMIA BURDEN, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: THE YOGA MY HEART STUDY. OBJECTIVES: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (AF) BURDEN, QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), DEPRESSION, AND ANXIETY SCORES. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS KNOWN TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT ON CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH. THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN REDUCING AF BURDEN IS UNKNOWN. METHODS: THIS SINGLE-CENTER, PRE-POST STUDY ENROLLED PATIENTS WITH SYMPTOMATIC PAROXYSMAL AF WITH AN INITIAL 3-MONTH NONINTERVENTIONAL OBSERVATION PERIOD FOLLOWED BY TWICE-WEEKLY 60-MIN YOGA TRAINING FOR NEXT 3 MONTHS. AF EPISODES DURING THE CONTROL AND STUDY PERIODS AS WELL AS SF-36, ZUNG SELF-RATED ANXIETY, AND ZUNG SELF-RATED DEPRESSION SCORES AT BASELINE, BEFORE, AND AFTER THE STUDY PHASE WERE ASSESSED. RESULTS: YOGA TRAINING REDUCED SYMPTOMATIC AF EPISODES (3.8 +/- 3 VS. 2.1 +/- 2.6, P < 0.001), SYMPTOMATIC NON-AF EPISODES (2.9 +/- 3.4 VS. 1.4 +/- 2.0; P < 0.001), ASYMPTOMATIC AF EPISODES (0.12 +/- 0.44 VS. 0.04 +/- 0.20; P < 0.001), AND DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY (P < 0.001), AND IMPROVED THE QOL PARAMETERS OF PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING, GENERAL HEALTH, VITALITY, SOCIAL FUNCTIONING, AND MENTAL HEALTH DOMAINS ON SF-36 (P = 0.017, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.019, AND P < 0.001, RESPECTIVELY). THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN HEART RATE, AND SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE BEFORE AND AFTER YOGA (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: IN PATIENTS WITH PAROXYSMAL AF, YOGA IMPROVES SYMPTOMS, ARRHYTHMIA BURDEN, HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCORES, AND SEVERAL DOMAINS OF QOL. 2013 20 940 47 EFFECTS OF 6 MONTHS YOGA PROGRAM ON RENAL FUNCTIONS AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE. AIM: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF 6 MONTHS YOGA PROGRAM IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE (CKD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: FIFTY-FOUR PATIENTS WITH CKD WERE STUDIED AND DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS (YOGA GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP) TO SEE THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN CKD. PATIENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP WERE OFFERED YOGA THERAPY ALONG WITH OTHER CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT MODALITIES, WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP WAS ONLY ON CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT. SUBJECTS IN YOGA GROUP WERE TRAINED TO PERFORM SPECIFIC YOGIC ASANAS FOR AT LEAST 5 DAYS A WEEK FOR 40-60 MIN A DAY. REGULAR MONITORING OF BLOOD PRESSURE, RENAL FUNCTION, REQUIREMENT OF A NUMBER OF DIALYSIS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) INDICATORS WERE DONE. FIFTY PATIENTS (YOGA - 25; CONTROL-25) COMPLETED 6 MONTHS FOLLOW-UP. RESULTS: IN YOGA GROUP, A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN BLOOD UREA AND SERUM CREATININE LEVELS, AND SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DOMAIN OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION QOL (AS ASSESSED BY BREF QOL SCORES) WERE SEEN AFTER 6 MONTHS. IN CONTROL GROUP, RISE OF BLOOD PRESSURE, DETERIORATION OF RENAL FUNCTION, AND QOL WERE OBSERVED. POSTSTUDY COMPARISON BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS SHOWED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF BLOOD PRESSURE, NONSIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN BLOOD UREA AND SERUM CREATININE, AND SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DOMAIN OF QOL IN YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO CONTROL GROUP. FOR SUBJECTS IN YOGA GROUP, THE NEED FOR DIALYSIS WAS LESS WHEN COMPARED TO CONTROL GROUP ALTHOUGH THIS DIFFERENCE WAS STATISTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT. EXCEPT FOR INABILITY OF SOME PATIENTS TO PERFORM CERTAIN YOGIC ASANAS NO ADVERSE EFFECT WAS FOUND IN THE STUDY. CONCLUSION: SIX MONTHS YOGA PROGRAM IS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE AS AN ADJUVANT THERAPY IN IMPROVING RENAL FUNCTIONS AND QOL OF CKD PATIENTS. 2017