1 1888 157 REGULAR MINDFUL YOGA PRACTICE AS A METHOD TO IMPROVE ANDROGEN LEVELS IN WOMEN WITH POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME: A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: HOLISTIC APPROACHES ARE NEEDED TO COMPLEMENT EXISTING THERAPIES FOR POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME (PCOS), A COMMON DISORDER AFFECTING THE HEALTH OF REPRODUCTIVE-AGED FEMALES. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE WHETHER THRICE-WEEKLY MINDFUL YOGA PRACTICE IMPROVES ENDOCRINE, CARDIOMETABOLIC, OR PSYCHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN WOMEN WITH PCOS. METHODS: THIRTY-ONE WOMEN WITH PCOS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 23 AND 42 YEARS AND LIVING IN ERIE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, WERE RECRUITED FOR THIS RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED STUDY ARM, WHICH WAS PART OF A LARGER 3-PART INVESTIGATION. WOMEN WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER A MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP OR NO INTERVENTION (CONTROL) GROUP. GROUP CLASSES WERE 1 HOUR, THRICE WEEKLY. INITIAL ENDOCRINE, CARDIOMETABOLIC, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS WERE COMPARED WITH MEASUREMENTS TAKEN AFTER THE 3-MONTH INTERVENTION PERIOD. MEASUREMENTS INCLUDED FREE TESTOSTERONE, DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE, ANDROSTENEDIONE, BODY MASS INDEX, WAIST-TO-HIP RATIO, FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE AND INSULIN LEVELS, AND ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCORES. RESULTS: TWENTY-TWO WOMEN COMPLETED THE 3-MONTH INTERVENTION PERIOD, 13 IN THE MINDFUL YOGA GROUP AND 9 IN THE CONTROL GROUP. PAIRED COMPARISONS OF PRE- AND POSTINTERVENTION PARAMETERS INDICATED THAT WOMEN WHO COMPLETED THE MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER FREE TESTOSTERONE LEVELS (5.96 VS 4.24 PG/ML; P<.05) AND DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE LEVELS THAT TRENDED LOWER. IMPROVED TESTOSTERONE MAY PERSIST FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER COMPLETION OF A 3-MONTH, THRICE-WEEKLY MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION. ADDITIONALLY, IMPROVEMENTS WERE SEEN IN MEASURES OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. CONCLUSION: THE IMPROVEMENTS OBSERVED SUGGEST THAT REGULAR MINDFUL YOGA PRACTICE CAN BE A USEFUL COMPLEMENTARY THERAPEUTIC OPTION FOR WOMEN WITH PCOS, PARTICULARLY FOR IMPROVING SERUM ANDROGEN LEVELS, A HALLMARK FEATURE OF PCOS. THIS IMPROVEMENT OCCURRED IN THE ABSENCE OF WEIGHT LOSS AND MAY PERSIST EVEN IF THERE IS A LAPSE IN PRACTICE. (CLINICALTRIALS.GOV NO. NCT03383484). 2020 2 47 35 A CLOSER LOOK AT YOGA NIDRA: SLEEP LAB PROTOCOL. EXTENDED SLEEP ONSET LATENCY (SOL), OR "SLEEP ONSET INSOMNIA," CAN DECREASE TOTAL SLEEP TIME, INCREASING RISK FOR MANY HEALTH CONDITIONS, INCLUDING HEART DISEASE, STROKE, AND ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY. SLEEP DISORDERS PERSIST IN THE UNITED STATES DESPITE CURRENT BEHAVIORAL/PHARMACEUTICAL REMEDIES, WITH 10% TO 15% OF THE POPULATION SUFFERING FROM INSOMNIA. MIND-BODY THERAPIES OFFER ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS, AS MEDITATION HAS BEEN CORRELATED WITH DECREASED SOL. MORE RESEARCH ON USE OF MIND-BODY PRACTICES FOR INSOMNIA IS NEEDED. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATES THE GUIDED MEDITATION PRACTICE OF YOGA NIDRA (YOGIC SLEEP) AS A PROMISING INTERVENTION FOR SLEEP DISORDERS BECAUSE OF ITS PURPORTED ABILITY TO INDUCE MENTAL, PHYSICAL, AND EMOTIONAL RELAXATION. IN THIS PILOT STUDY, WE ADDRESS THE FEASIBILITY OF YOGA NIDRA FOR INSOMNIA, APPROPRIATENESS OF OUR SELECTED MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS, AND EFFECT OF YOGA NIDRA ON BRAINWAVES, SLEEP ONSET, AND THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM. OUR STUDY SAMPLE INCLUDES 22 ADULTS, AGES 18-45, WITH INSOMNIA. THE DESIGN INCLUDES TWO CLINIC VISITS (V1, LYING QUIETLY FOR 90 MIN; V2, RANDOMIZATION TO 90-MIN LYING QUIETLY VS. 30-MIN YOGA NIDRA PLUS 60-MIN LYING QUIETLY), TAKING PLACE 1 TO 14 DAYS APART. OUTCOMES MEASURED DURING/AFTER YOGA NIDRA (VS. CONTROL) INCLUDE SLEEP ONSET, ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY (EEG) POWER, HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV), AND RESPIRATORY RATE. SELF-REPORTED MOOD AND ANXIETY WILL BE MEASURED BEFORE/AFTER EACH VISIT. RESULTING PHYSIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND FEASIBILITY DATA WILL BE USED TO INFORM FUTURE CLINICAL STUDIES OF YOGA NIDRA FOR SLEEP AND RELAXATION. 2021 3 310 36 AN EXAMINATION OF A YOGA INTERVENTION WITH PEDIATRIC BURN SURVIVORS. BURN INJURIES HAVE A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON THE SURVIVORS' PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING. IN PEDIATRIC BURNS, THE CONSEQUENCES PERSIST LONG AFTER THE INJURY. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO EVALUATE AN EXISTING YOGA KIDS PROGRAM TO GAIN BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL EFFECTS OF A YOGA PRACTICE AMONG CHILDREN WITH BURN INJURIES. THIRTY CAMPERS PARTICIPATED IN A SERIES OF FOUR (1 HOUR) YOGA SESSIONS DURING THE SUMMER OF 2014. NATIONALLY TRAINED INSTRUCTORS HAD TAUGHT CHILDREN'S YOGA IN THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES FOR AT LEAST 10 YEARS. A YOGA EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE, DESIGNED FOR CHILDREN, WAS USED TO EVALUATE PERCEPTIONS OF SOMATIC AND COGNITIVE ANXIETY BEFORE AND AFTER EACH YOGA SESSION. CAMPER'S AGE RANGED FROM 6 TO 12 YEARS OLD WITH BURN SEVERITIES RANGING FROM 5 TO 75%. A DEPENDENT SAMPLES T-TEST WAS USED TO TEST FOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COMPOSITE PRE- AND POSTINTERVENTION SCORES FOR BOTH SOMATIC AND COGNITIVE ANXIETY. SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS EMERGED FOR SOMATIC ANXIETY T(29) = -4.24, P < .001, D = 0.77, AND COGNITIVE ANXIETY T(29) = -4.188, P < .001, D = 0.76. FOR BOTH COGNITIVE AND SOMATIC ANXIETY, THE POSTINTERVENTION COMPOSITE MEAN SCORES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER, INDICATING A DECREASE IN SOMATIC AND COGNITIVE ANXIETY. THIS STUDY SUGGESTS THAT PARTICIPATION IN A YOGA PROGRAM MAY LOWER PERCEPTIONS OF COGNITIVE AND SOMATIC ANXIETY IN PEDIATRIC BURN SURVIVORS. FURTHER, YOGA IS ONE TECHNIQUE THAT MAY COMPLIMENT THE SHORT- AND LONG-TERM TREATMENT OF BURN INJURIES. 2017 4 2228 24 THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: A REVIEW OF THE YOGA MY HEART STUDY. ATRIAL FIBRILLATION IS A COMMON ARRHYTHMIA AFFECTING THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS WORLDWIDE. IT IS A CONDUCTION DISORDER THAT CAUSES THE HEART TO BEAT IRREGULARLY AND RAPIDLY. THERE ARE A FEW MEDICAL APPROACHES TO MANAGE THIS COSTLY HEALTH CARE BURDEN: ANTIARRHYTHMICS TO MAINTAIN NORMAL SINUS RHYTHM, BETA BLOCKERS TO ACHIEVE RATE CONTROL WHILE ALLOWING ATRIAL FIBRILLATION TO PERSIST, AND ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGIC INTERVENTION FOR RATE AND RHYTHM CONTROL. THESE TREATMENTS CAN BE COSTLY AND ARE NOT WITHOUT SIDE EFFECTS. YOGA, AN INTERVENTION THAT IS AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE WORLDWIDE, HAS SHOWN SOME PROMISE IN COMBATING THIS WIDESPREAD HEART DISORDER. 2015 5 2717 33 YOGA MAY MITIGATE DECREASES IN HIGH SCHOOL GRADES. THIS STUDY INVOLVES AN EXPLORATORY EXAMINATION OF THE EFFECTS OF A 12-WEEK SCHOOL-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION ON CHANGES IN GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA) IN 9TH AND 10TH GRADE STUDENTS. PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED 95 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO HAD REGISTERED FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) IN SPRING 2010. PE CLASS SECTIONS WERE GROUP RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE EITHER A YOGA INTERVENTION OR A PE-AS-USUAL CONTROL CONDITION. THE YOGA INTERVENTION TOOK PLACE DURING THE ENTIRE THIRD QUARTER AND HALF OF THE FOURTH QUARTER OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND QUARTERLY GPA WAS COLLECTED VIA SCHOOL RECORDS AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. RESULTS REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION BETWEEN GROUP AND QUARTER SUGGESTING THAT GPA DIFFERED BETWEEN THE YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS OVER TIME. POST HOC TESTS REVEALED THAT WHILE BOTH GROUPS EXHIBITED A GENERAL DECLINE IN GPA OVER THE SCHOOL YEAR, THE CONTROL GROUP EXHIBITED A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER DECLINE IN GPA FROM QUARTER 1 TO QUARTER 3 THAN THE YOGA GROUP. BOTH GROUPS SHOWED EQUIVALENT DECLINES IN GPA IN QUARTER 4 AFTER THE YOGA INTERVENTION HAD ENDED. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY HAVE A PROTECTIVE EFFECT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE BY PREVENTING DECLINES IN GPA; HOWEVER THESE PREVENTIVE EFFECTS MAY NOT PERSIST ONCE YOGA PRACTICE IS DISCONTINUED. 2015 6 2415 46 YOGA AND MEDITATION FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS-A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS HAVE ONLY VERY LIMITED TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS TRIAL WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF A 12-WEEK TRADITIONAL HATHA YOGA AND MEDITATION INTERVENTION ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. METHODS: PATIENTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED EITHER TO A 12-WEEK YOGA AND MEDITATION INTERVENTION OR TO USUAL CARE. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS TOTAL MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS (MENOPAUSE RATING SCALE [MRS] TOTAL SCORE). SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED MRS SUBSCALES, QUALITY OF LIFE (FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF CANCER THERAPY-BREAST), FATIGUE (FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF CHRONIC ILLNESS THERAPY-FATIGUE), DEPRESSION, AND ANXIETY (HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE). OUTCOMES WERE ASSESSED AT WEEK 12 AND WEEK 24 AFTER RANDOMIZATION. RESULTS: IN TOTAL, 40 WOMEN (MEAN AGE +/- STANDARD DEVIATION, 49.2 +/- 5.9 YEARS) WERE RANDOMIZED TO YOGA (N = 19) OR TO USUAL CARE (N = 21). WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER TOTAL MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS COMPARED WITH THE USUAL CARE GROUP AT WEEK 12 (MEAN DIFFERENCE, -5.6; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL, -9.2 TO -1.9; P = .004) AND AT WEEK 24 (MEAN DIFFERENCE, -4.5; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL, -8.3 TO -0.7; P = .023). AT WEEK 12, THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED LESS SOMATOVEGETATIVE, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND UROGENITAL MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS; LESS FATIGUE; AND IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE (ALL P < .05). AT WEEK 24, ALL EFFECTS PERSISTED EXCEPT FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. SHORT-TERM EFFECTS ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS REMAINED SIGNIFICANT WHEN ONLY WOMEN WHO WERE RECEIVING ANTIESTROGEN MEDICATION (N = 36) WERE ANALYZED. SIX MINOR ADVERSE EVENTS OCCURRED IN EACH GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA COMBINED WITH MEDITATION CAN BE CONSIDERED A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY INTERVENTION FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. THE EFFECTS SEEM TO PERSIST FOR AT LEAST 3 MONTHS. 2015 7 2441 35 YOGA AND SCHIZOPHRENIA-A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF NEUROPLASTICITY: PROTOCOL FOR A SINGLE BLIND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY OF YOGA IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. INTRODUCTION: SCHIZOPHRENIA IS ONE OF THE MOST SEVERE MENTAL DISORDERS WITH A PREVALENCE OF ABOUT 1% AND A LEADING CAUSE OF DISABILITY AMONG YOUNG ADULTS. PHARMACOTHERAPY IS THE MAINSTAY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SCHIZOPHRENIA. HOWEVER, EVEN WITH THE BEST OF MEDICATION, SEVERAL PROBLEMS LIKE REFRACTORINESS, NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS, FREQUENT RELAPSES, AND COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS PERSIST. METHODS: THIS IS A RANDOMIZED-CONTROLLED CLINICAL STUDY INCLUDING PATIENTS FROM AN URBAN TERTIARY HOSPITAL AND A SEMI-URBAN COMMUNITY CENTER, WITH A BETWEEN-GROUP, REPEATED-MEASURES, LONGITUDINAL DESIGN. THIS STUDY WILL RECRUIT 160 PATIENTS WITH DSM 5 DIAGNOSIS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA WHO ARE ON STABLE MEDICATION FOR A MINIMUM OF 6 WEEKS; THEY WILL BE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO 2 ARMS VIZ., YOGA THERAPY (YT), AND TREATMENT-AS-USUAL (TAU) WITH 80 PATIENTS IN EACH ARM. PARTICIPANTS WILL UNDERGO CLINICAL, LABORATORY, AND RADIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS AT BASELINE AND AT INTERVALS OF 1 MONTH, 3 MONTHS, AND 6 MONTHS FROM THE BASELINE. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT YOGA WILL IMPROVE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND EMOTION PROCESSING, INCREASE SERUM BRAIN DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF) AND PLASMA OXYTOCIN LEVELS AND EFFECT CHANGES IN CEREBRAL ACTIVATION IN AREAS OF THE BRAIN ASSOCIATED WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. DISCUSSION: THIS STUDY AIMS TO MEASURE THE EFFICACY OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION AS AN ADJUNCT IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA AS WELL AS THE MECHANISMS OF THESE EFFECTS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: REGISTERED RETROSPECTIVELY WITH CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY - INDIA (CTRI) WITH REGISTRATION NUMBER CTRI/2017/08/009219. 2019 8 704 26 EFFECT OF INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA AND NATUROPATHY ON POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME: A CASE STUDY. OWING TO STRESS, SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE AND CHANGES IN DIET PATTERN, THERE IS AN INCREASE IN THE SURGE OF LIFESTYLE AND METABOLIC DISORDERS. POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME (PCOS) AFFECTS 8-13% OF REPRODUCTIVE-AGED WOMEN. PCOS IS CHARACTERISED BY MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITY, HYPERANDROGENISM AND POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN MORPHOLOGY (PCOM). THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AS A THERAPY TO TACKLE THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT CAUSE OF AILMENT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PCOS IS TO BE DOCUMENTED. THIS IS THE CASE STUDY OF A FEMALE PATIENT AGE 25 YEARS, A DIAGNOSED CASE OF PCOS WAS REGISTERED AT THE AYURVEDA, YOGA, UNANI,SIDDHA,HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH), YOGA OPD, WITH COMPLAINTS OF IRREGULAR MENSTRUATION, TREATED SUCCESSFULLY BY YOGA AND NATUROPATHY (Y AND N), I.E., YOGA, DIET AND LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION. THIS IS EVIDENT FROM THE REDUCTION IN WEIGHT, REGULARISATION OF THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE ALONG WITH MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE OVARY AFTER A FOLLOW-UP OF 6 MONTHS. 2022 9 875 30 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 10 829 35 EFFECT OF YOGA ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. OBJECTIVES: TO OBSERVE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS USING A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED AND INTERVENTIONAL STUDY. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES TOTAL MENOPAUSE RATING SCALE (MRS) SCORE AND THREE SUBSCALE SCORES (SOMATOVEGETATIVE, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND UROGENITAL) WERE MEASURED ON DAY 1 AND DAY 90 IN THE STUDY GROUP WHICH PERFORMED YOGA (ASANA, PRANAYAM AND MEDITATION) UNDER SUPERVISION FOR THREE MONTHS, AND WERE COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP THAT DID NOT PERFORM YOGA. MRS HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO MEASURE HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE OF AGEING WOMEN. IT CONSISTS OF 11 SYMPTOMS AND THREE SUBSCALES. RESULTS: IT WAS OBSERVED THAT ON DAY 1 THE SCORES IN BOTH THE GROUPS WERE COMPARABLE. ON DAY 90, THE SCORES IN THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED A REDUCTION IN SCORE ON ALL THE SUBSCALES, WHICH WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS NOTED IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: YOGA IS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS ALTERNATIVE THERAPY FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. 2011 11 526 50 COMPARISON OF LAUGHTER YOGA AND ANTI-ANXIETY MEDICATION ON ANXIETY AND GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS OF PATIENTS WITH IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME. BACKGROUND IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS) IS THE MOST COMMON CHRONIC GASTROINTESTINAL (GI) DISORDER. PATIENTS WITH IBS USUALLY SUFFER FROM ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. A COMBINATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACHES AND PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENTS CAN BE A SIGNIFICANTLY EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR IBS. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO PROVIDE A THERAPEUTIC PLAN BASED ON LAUGHTER YOGA AND ANTI-ANXIETY MEDICATION, EMPLOYED FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME, AND TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE TREATMENTS ON THE ANXIETY AND GI SYMPTOMS OF PATIENTS WITH IBS. METHODS IN THIS RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED, CLINICAL TRIAL, THE PARTICIPANTS WERE 60 PATIENTS SELECTED FROM THOSE WHO REFERRED TO THE GI CLINIC OF VALI-ASR HOSPITAL (BIRJAND, IRAN) DURING THE STUDY PERIOD (APRIL 2017 TO MARCH 2017) AND WERE DIAGNOSED AS HAVING IBS BASED ON ROME III CRITERIA. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE LAUGHTER YOGA GROUP, THE ANTI-ANXIETY MEDICATION GROUP, OR THE SYMPTOMATIC TREATMENT (CONTROL) GROUP. SEVERITY LEVELS OF ANXIETY AND GI SYMPTOMS BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION WERE DETERMINED AND COMPARED AMONG THESE THREE GROUPS ACCORDING TO APPROVED PROTOCOLS. RESULTS THE SEVERITY OF IBS SYMPTOMS AFTER THE INTERVENTIONS WAS MORE GREATLY REDUCED IN THE LAUGHTER YOGA GROUP THAN IN THE ANTI-ANXIETY MEDICATION AND CONTROL GROUPS (P = 0.006). THE SEVERITY OF ANXIETY AFTER INTERVENTIONS DECREASED IN ALL THREE GROUPS, ESPECIALLY IN THE YOGA TREATMENT GROUP, BUT THE DIFFERENCE WAS NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P = 0.1). CONCLUSION LAUGHTER YOGA IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN ANTI-ANXIETY MEDICATION IN REDUCING THE GI SYMPTOMS OF PATIENTS WITH IBS. THEREFORE, APPLYING LAUGHTER YOGA ALONG WITH COMMON PHARMACOLOGICAL THERAPIES FOR PATIENTS WITH IBS MIGHT BE STRONGLY ADVISED. 2019 12 1977 42 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 13 1068 37 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS AND SLEEP QUALITY ACROSS MENOPAUSE STATUSES: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS AND SLEEP QUALITY ACROSS MENOPAUSE STATUSES. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE INTERVENTION OR CONTROL GROUP (N = 104 EACH), AND THOSE IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP PRACTICED YOGA FOR 20 WEEKS. THE PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONNAIRES: THE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS SCALE; MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALE OF PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT; MENOPAUSE RATING SCALE; AND PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX. THE RESULTS REVEALED THAT YOGA EFFECTIVELY DECREASED MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS, WITH THE STRONGEST EFFECTS NOTED IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN (MEAN +/- STANDARD DEVIATION: 14.98 +/- 7.10), FOLLOWED BY PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN (6.11 +/- 2.07). YOGA SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED SLEEP QUALITY IN POSTMENOPAUSAL AND PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN AFTER CONTROLLING FOR SOCIAL SUPPORT, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, AND MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS (P < 0.001). HOWEVER, YOGA DID NOT AFFECT SLEEP QUALITY IN PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. OVERALL SLEEP QUALITY SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED IN POSTMENOPAUSAL AND PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. OUR DATA INDICATE THAT YOGA CAN HELP DECREASE MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS, PARTICULARLY IN PERIMENOPAUSAL AND POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN, AND IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH. 2022 14 840 41 EFFECT OF YOGA ON POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME (PCOS) IS NOT A DISEASE BUT A MERE SYNDROME. MANY RESEARCHERS HAVE STUDIED POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME AND FOUND THAT THERE IS NO PROPER CAUSE OF THAT, IT MAY OCCUR DUE TO HORMONAL IMBALANCE OR STRESS, OR DUE TO A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE. THE RATE OF POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME IN INDIAN WOMEN HAS BEEN INCREASING RAPIDLY. THE SYMPTOMS INCLUDE ACNE, WEIGHT GAIN, HIRSUTISM, DIFFICULTIES IN FERTILITY, IRREGULAR OR INFREQUENT PERIODS, IMMATURE OVARIAN EGGS THAT DO NOT OVULATE, MULTIPLE CYSTS IN THE OVARY. IF LEFT UNTREATED, IT MAY BECOME THE CAUSE FOR HEART DISEASES, DIABETES, HYPERTENSION, INFERTILITY, AND EVEN CANCER. THERE ARE VARIETIES OF MEDICAL TREATMENTS AVAILABLE TO TREAT POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME BUT THEY HAVE A TEMPORARY EFFECT AND IF TAKEN FOR A LONG TIME THEN IT MAY LEAD TO SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS. YOGA HAS PROVEN EFFECTS IN REDUCING AND MANAGING THE SYMPTOMS OF POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME MORE EFFECTIVELY ALONG WITH MEDICINE. THIS REVIEW WORK HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO CONSIDER THE AVAILABLE LITERATURE CONCERNING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME. IT INCLUDES SOME RESEARCH PAPERS PUBLISHED BETWEEN 2012 AND 2019. BY PROVIDING YOGIC TREATMENT EFFECT ON SEVERAL PARAMETERS (SUCH AS BLOOD LIPID LEVEL, GLUCOSE METABOLISM, ENDOCRINE PARAMETERS, QUALITY OF LIFE, RESTING CARDIOVASCULAR PARAMETERS, LEVEL OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION) ON THE WOMAN WITH POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME WERE MEASURED. AFTER THOROUGHLY STUDYING ABOUT 74 RESEARCH PAPERS, 16 ARE FOUND MOST RELEVANT TO BE REVIEWED. THE STUDIES OF THESE PAPERS CONCLUDED THE SUCCESSFUL USE OF DIFFERENT YOGIC LIMBS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME WITH OR WITHOUT MEDICATIONS. 2021 15 872 33 EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON FACIAL EMOTION RECOGNITION DEFICITS, SYMPTOMS AND FUNCTIONING IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. OBJECTIVE: FACIAL EMOTION RECOGNITION DEFICITS HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED IN SCHIZOPHRENIA AND CAN IMPAIR SOCIO-OCCUPATIONAL FUNCTIONING IN THESE PATIENTS. TREATMENTS TO IMPROVE THESE DEFICITS IN ANTIPSYCHOTIC-STABILIZED PATIENTS HAVE NOT BEEN WELL STUDIED. YOGA THERAPY HAS BEEN DESCRIBED TO IMPROVE FUNCTIONING IN VARIOUS DOMAINS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA; HOWEVER, ITS EFFECT ON FERD IS NOT KNOWN. METHOD: ANTIPSYCHOTIC-STABILIZED PATIENTS RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE YOGA (N=27), EXERCISE (N=17) OR WAITLIST GROUP (N=22) WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE, 2ND MONTH, AND 4TH MONTH OF FOLLOW-UP BY RATERS BLIND TO GROUP STATUS. ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SYNDROME SCALE (PANSS), SOCIO-OCCUPATIONAL FUNCTIONING SCALE (SOFS), AND TOOL FOR RECOGNITION OF EMOTIONS IN NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS (TRENDS). RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN BASELINE FERD AND SOCIO-OCCUPATIONAL FUNCTIONING (R=0.3, P=0.01). PAIRED SAMPLES T TEST SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS, SOCIO-OCCUPATIONAL FUNCTIONING AND PERFORMANCE ON TRENDS (P<0.05) IN THE YOGA GROUP, BUT NOT IN THE OTHER TWO GROUPS. MAXIMUM IMPROVEMENT OCCURRED AT THE END OF 2 MONTHS, AND IMPROVEMENT IN POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS PERSISTED AT THE END OF 4 MONTHS. CONCLUSION: YOGA THERAPY CAN BE A USEFUL ADD-ON TREATMENT TO IMPROVE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, FERD, AND SOCIO-OCCUPATIONAL FUNCTIONING IN ANTIPSYCHOTIC-STABILIZED PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. 2011 16 1823 44 PSYCHO-BIOLOGICAL CHANGES WITH ADD ON YOGA NIDRA IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDERS: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: MENSTRUAL DISORDERS ARE COMMON PROBLEMS AMONG WOMEN IN THE REPRODUCTIVE AGE GROUP. YUGA INTERVENTIONS MAY DECREASE THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO MENSTRUAL DISORDERS. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS AIMED TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF YOGA NIDRA ON PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDERS. METHODS: A TOTAL NUMBER OF 100 WOMEN RECRUITED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY AND WERE THEN RANDOMLY ALLOCATED INTO TWO GROUPS: A) INTERVENTION RECEIVED YOGIC INTERVENTION AND MEDICATION FOR 6 MONTH, AND B) CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED NO YOGIC INTERVENTION AND THEY ONLY RECEIVED PRESCRIBED MEDICATION). PSYCHOLOGICAL GENERAL WELL-BEING INDEX (PGWBI) AND HORMONAL PROFILE WERE ASSESSED AT THE TIME OF BEFORE AND AFTER SIX MONTHS ON BOTH GROUPS. RESULTS: THE MEAN SCORE OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, POSITIVE WELL-BEING, GENERAL HEALTH, AND VITALITY SCORES, AS WELL AS HORMONAL LEVELS, IN POSTTEST WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT IN INTERVENTION GROUP AS COMPARED WITH PRETEST. BUT THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: YOGA NIDRA CAN BE A SUCCESSFUL THERAPY TO OVERCOME THE PSYCHIATRIC MORBIDITY ASSOCIATED WITH MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES. THEREFORE, YOGIC RELAXATION TRAINING (YOGA NIDRA) COULD BE PRESCRIBED AS AN ADJUNCT TO CONVENTIONAL DRUG THERAPY FOR MENSTRUAL DYSFUNCTION. 2016 17 2790 24 YOGA THERAPY FOR ANXIETY: A CASE REPORT. YOGA THERAPY IS A MIND-BODY INTERVENTION THAT CAN BE AN IMPORTANT SOLUTION IN THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY. YOGA THERAPY ALLEVIATES THE HYPERAROUSAL OF THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (SNS) AND THE HYPERVIGILANCE OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL (HPA) AXIS THAT OCCURS IN ANXIETY. YOGA THERAPY ACTIVATES THE PARASYMPATHETIC BRANCH OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, REPLACING SNS OVERDRIVE, OR THE FLIGHT-OR-FIGHT RESPONSE, WITH THE RELAXATION RESPONSE AND BALANCING THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. YOGA THERAPY INCREASES POSITIVE COPING SKILLS AND BUILDS SELF-ESTEEM WITHOUT HARMFUL SIDE EFFECTS. THE RESULTS OF THIS CASE STUDY HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE CLINICAL EFFICACY OF YOGA THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY AND PANIC DISORDER (PD) IN AN ADOLESCENT FEMALE. TREATMENT CONSISTED OF 4 WKS OF INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS (60-MIN SESSION/WK) AND 6 WKS OF GROUP SESSIONS (90-MIN SESSION/WK) WITH DAILY HOME PRACTICE. THE RESULTS OF THE CASE STUDY ARE SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE GROWING NUMBERS OF YOUTH IN THE UNITED STATES ARE PRESENTING WITH ANXIETY AND SEEKING NONPHARMACOLOGICAL OPTIONS. 2013 18 2725 41 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 19 2530 36 YOGA EFFECTS ON ANTHROPOMETRIC INDICES AND POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME SYMPTOMS IN WOMEN UNDERGOING INFERTILITY TREATMENT: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISES ON ANTHROPOMETRIC PARAMETER AND CLINICAL SIGN OF PCOS AMONG WOMEN UNDERGOING INFERTILITY TREATMENT. THIS CLINICAL TRIAL STUDY WAS PERFORMED ON 61 WOMEN WITH PCOS WHO HAVE UNDERGONE INFERTILITY TREATMENT AT SAREM HOSPITAL IN TEHRAN, IRAN. THE PATIENTS WERE FIRST SELECTING BASED ON PURPOSEFUL AND THEN RANDOMLY ASSIGNING TO THE INTERVENTION AND CONTROL GROUPS. IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP, YOGA EXERCISES WERE PERFORMED FOR 6 WEEKS AND THE PATIENTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP ONLY RECEIVED ROUTINE CARE. ANTHROPOMETRIC PARAMETERS AND CLINICAL SIGNS WERE PERFORMED AND RECORDED. AFTER THE INTERVENTION, HERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN HIRSUTISM, ABDOMINAL CIRCUMFERENCE, AND HIP CIRCUMFERENCE SCORES IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP (P < 0.05). GIVEN THE EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISES ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF HIRSUTISM, ABDOMINAL CIRCUMFERENCE, AND HIP CIRCUMFERENCE, IT IS SUGGESTED TO USE YOGA AS A TREATMENT STRATEGY IN WOMEN WITH PCOS. 2021 20 1302 50 HATHA YOGA PRACTICE DECREASES MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS AND IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: YOGA PRACTICE INCLUDES A GROUP OF SPECIFIC PSYCHOPHYSICAL TECHNIQUES. ALTHOUGH PREVIOUS STUDIES SHOWED BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR HEALTH AND REHABILITATION, IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE, THERE ARE FEW STUDIES ON THE POSSIBLE THERAPEUTIC APPLICATION OF YOGA DURING THE CLIMACTERIC PERIOD. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA REGULAR PRACTICE IN POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN. METHODS: EIGHTY-EIGHT POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN VOLUNTEERED FOR THIS 12-WEEK TRIAL. THEY WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS: CONTROL (NO INTERVENTION), EXERCISE, AND YOGA. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE APPLIED IN ORDER TO EVALUATE CLIMACTERIC SYNDROME (MENOPAUSE RATING SCALE), STRESS (LIPP STRESS SYMPTOM INVENTORY), QUALITY OF LIFE (BRIEF WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION QUALITY OF LIFE), DEPRESSION (BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY) AND ANXIETY (STATE/TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORIES). PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES WERE EVALUATED THROUGH HORMONE LEVELS (CORTISOL, FSH, LH, PROGESTERONE AND ESTRADIOL). RESULTS: AT 12 WEEKS, YOGA PRACTITIONERS SHOWED STATISTICALLY LOWER SCORES FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS, STRESS LEVELS AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS, AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SCORES IN QUALITY OF LIFE WHEN COMPARED TO CONTROL AND EXERCISE GROUPS. ONLY CONTROL GROUP PRESENTED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN CORTISOL LEVELS. THE YOGA AND EXERCISE GROUPS SHOWED DECREASED LEVELS OF FSH AND LH WHEN COMPARED TO CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA PROMOTES POSITIVE PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES IN POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN AND MAY BE APPLIED AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY TOWARDS THIS POPULATION. 2016