1 1758 135 POSITIVE ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFECTS OF GENERIC YOGA IN DEPRESSIVE OUT-PATIENTS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY. CONTEXT: THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS IN DEPRESSION OF YOGA ADOPTED FROM DIFFERENT SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN DEMONSTRATED. THE EFFICACY OF A GENERIC MODULE OF YOGA ON DEPRESSED PATIENTS HAS NOT YET BEEN TESTED IN THE LITERATURE. AIMS: THE STUDY WAS AIMED TO COMPARE THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF A GENERIC YOGA MODULE WITH ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS IN NON-SUICIDAL OUT-PATIENTS OF MAJOR DEPRESSION ATTENDING A PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: THE STUDY WAS OUTPATIENT-BASED USING AN OPEN-LABELED DESIGN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A TOTAL OF 137 OUT-PATIENTS OF DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS RECEIVED ONE OF THE THREE TREATMENTS AS THEY CHOSE - YOGA-ONLY, DRUGS-ONLY OR BOTH. THE YOGA WAS TAUGHT BY A TRAINED YOGA PHYSICIAN FOR OVER A MONTH IN SPACED SESSIONS TOTALING AT LEAST 12. PATIENTS WERE ASSESSED BEFORE TREATMENT, AFTER 1 AND 3 MONTHS ON DEPRESSION AND CLINICAL GLOBAL IMPRESSION SCALES. OUT OF 137, 58 PATIENTS COMPLETED THE STUDY PERIOD WITH ALL ASSESSMENTS. RESULTS: PATIENTS IN THE THREE ARMS OF TREATMENT WERE COMPARABLE ON DEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL VARIABLES. PATIENTS IN ALL THREE ARMS OF TREATMENT OBTAINED A REDUCTION IN DEPRESSION SCORES AS WELL AS CLINICAL SEVERITY. HOWEVER, BOTH YOGA GROUPS (WITH OR WITHOUT DRUGS) WERE SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER THAN THE DRUGS-ONLY GROUP. HIGHER PROPORTION OF PATIENTS REMITTED IN THE YOGA GROUPS COMPARED WITH THE DRUGS-ONLY GROUP. NO UNTOWARD EVENTS WERE SPONTANEOUSLY REPORTED IN THE YOGA-TREATED PATIENTS. CONCLUSION: WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDY, IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT THE FINDINGS SUPPORT A CASE FOR PRESCRIBING YOGA AS TAUGHT IN THE STUDY IN DEPRESSIVE NON-SUICIDAL OUT-PATIENTS. 2013 2 596 52 DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY OF YOGA THERAPY MODULE FOR OUT-PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION IN INDIA. CONTEXT: EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT CERTAIN YOGA PRACTICES ARE USEFUL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DEPRESSION. TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, THERE HAS BEEN NO STUDY THAT DEALS WITH THE FORMULATION OF A YOGA MODULE FOR THE PARTICULAR CLINICAL FEATURES OF DEPRESSION. AIM: THE MAIN AIM OF OUR STUDY WAS TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE YOGA THERAPY MODULE TARGETING SPECIFIC CLINICAL FEATURES OF DEPRESSION. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: SPECIFIC YOGA PRACTICES WERE MATCHED FOR CLINICAL FEATURES OF DEPRESSION BASED ON A THOROUGH LITERATURE REVIEW. A YOGA PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED, WHICH CONSISTED OF SUKSMAVYAYAMA, (LOOSENING EXERCISES), ASANAS (POSTURES), RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, PRANAYAMA (BREATHING EXERCISES) AND CHANTING MEDITATION TO BE TAUGHT IN A 2 WEEK PERIOD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DEVELOPED FOR VALIDATION FROM NINE EXPERIENCED YOGA PROFESSIONALS. THE FINAL VERSION OF YOGA THERAPY MODULE WAS PILOT-TESTED ON SEVEN PATIENTS (FIVE FEMALES) WITH DEPRESSION RECRUITED FROM OUTPATIENT SERVICE OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND NEURO SCIENCES, BANGALORE. RESULTS: THE FINAL YOGA THERAPY MODULE HAD THOSE PRACTICES THAT RECEIVED A SCORE OF THREE OR MORE (MODERATELY/VERY MUCH/EXTREMELY USEFUL) FROM ALL RESPONDERS. SIX OUT OF NINE (>65%) EXPERTS SUGGESTED SUKSMAVYAYAMA SHOULD BE INCLUDED. FIVE OUT OF NINE EXPERTS OPINED THAT TRAINING WITH 10 SESSIONS (OVER 2 WEEKS) IS RATHER SHORT. ALL EXPERTS OPINED THAT THE MODULE IS EASY TO TEACH, LEARN AND PRACTICE. AT THE PILOT STAGE, THE FIVE PATIENTS WHO COMPLETED THE MODULE REPORTED MORE THAN 80% SATISFACTION ABOUT THE YOGA PRACTICES AND HOW THE YOGA WAS TAUGHT. SEVERITY OF DEPRESSION SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED AT BOTH 1 AND 3 MONTHS FOLLOW-UP. CONCLUSION: THE DEVELOPED COMPREHENSIVE YOGA THERAPY MODULE WAS VALIDATED BY EXPERTS IN THE FIELD AND WAS FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE AND USEFUL IN PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION. 2013 3 1495 29 INTERVENTION PROTOCOL FOR INVESTIGATING YOGA IMPLEMENTED DURING CHEMOTHERAPY. OBJECTIVE: FATIGUE AND OTHER TREATMENT-RELATED SYMPTOMS ARE CRITICAL THERAPEUTIC TARGETS FOR IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH COLORECTAL CANCER DURING CHEMOTHERAPY. YOGA IS A PROMISING INTERVENTION FOR IMPROVING THESE THERAPEUTIC TARGETS AND HAS BEEN PRIMARILY INVESTIGATED IN THE GROUP-CLASS FORMAT, WHICH IS LESS FEASIBLE FOR CANCER PATIENTS WITH HIGH SYMPTOM BURDEN TO ATTEND. THUS, WE DEVELOPED A PROTOCOL FOR IMPLEMENTING YOGA INDIVIDUALLY IN THE CLINIC AMONG PATIENTS RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY. METHODS: WE FOLLOWED RECOMMENDED DOMAINS FOR DEVELOPING A YOGA PROTOCOL TO BE USED IN AN EFFICACY TRIAL. THESE RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE CONSIDERATION TO THE STYLE, DELIVERY, COMPONENTS OF THE INTERVENTION, DOSE, SPECIFIC CLASS SEQUENCES, FACILITATION OF HOME PRACTICE, MEASUREMENT OF INTERVENTION FIDELITY, SELECTION OF INSTRUCTORS, AND DEALING WITH MODIFICATIONS. THE INTERVENTION PROTOCOL WAS DEVELOPED BY AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM. PROTOCOL: YOGA SKILLS TRAINING (YST) CONSISTS OF FOUR 30-MINUTE IN-PERSON SESSIONS AND WAS IMPLEMENTED WHILE IN THE CHAIR DURING CHEMOTHERAPY INFUSIONS FOR COLORECTAL CANCER WITH RECOMMENDED DAILY HOME PRACTICE FOR EIGHT WEEKS. THERAPEUTIC GOALS OF THE YST ARE TO REDUCE FATIGUE, CIRCADIAN DISRUPTION, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. ELEMENTS OF THE YST ARE AWARENESS MEDITATION, GENTLE SEATED MOVEMENT, BREATHING PRACTICE, AND RELAXATION MEDITATION. ATTENTION, COMFORT, AND EASE ARE ALSO HIGHLIGHTED. CONCLUSION: THIS DESCRIPTION OF A PROTOCOL FOR INTEGRATING YOGA WITH CONVENTIONAL CANCER TREATMENT WILL INFORM FUTURE STUDY DESIGNS AND CLINICAL PRACTICE. THE DESIGN OF THE YST IS NOVEL BECAUSE IT IMPLEMENTS YOGA-MOST COMMONLY STUDIED WHEN TAUGHT TO GROUPS OUTSIDE OF THE CLINICAL SETTING- INDIVIDUALLY DURING CLINICAL CARE. 2016 4 599 35 DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF AN AUDIO-VISUAL SELF-HELP YOGA MANUAL FOR INDIAN CAREGIVERS OF PERSONS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY: A SINGLE-BLIND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: TO TEST THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF AN AUDIO-VISUAL SELF-HELP AUDIO-VISUAL YOGA MANUAL ON BURDEN OF INDIAN CAREGIVERS OF PERSONS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA, LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY. METHODS: AN EARLIER DEVELOPED YOGA PROGRAM FOR CAREGIVERS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA WAS REMODELED INTO AN AUDIO-VISUAL SELF-HELP MANUAL IN THREE LANGUAGES AND VALIDATED BY MENTAL HEALTH AND YOGA EXPERTS. 48 CONSENTING PRIMARY FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF OUTPATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA WERE SCREENED, RECRUITED, AND ALLOTTED RANDOMLY TO YOGA OR CARE AS USUAL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS IN YOGA GROUP WERE TAUGHT YOGA FROM THE SELF-HELP MANUAL (1 SESSION OF 1 H EVERY MONTH FOR 5 MONTHS). THE CAREGIVERS WERE ASKED TO FOLLOW THE MANUAL FOR THE REMAINING MONTH AT HOME. ASSESSMENTS OF BURDEN, PERCEIVED STRESS, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND ANXIETY-DEPRESSION WERE CONDUCTED BY A RATER BLIND TO THE GROUP STATUS AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF EVERY MONTH. RESULTS: POST FACTORING FOR MISSING DATA, REPEATEDMEASURE ANOVA WAS CONDUCTED; WHICH SHOWED THAT THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GROUP THAT PRACTICED THE SELFHELP YOGA MANUAL AND THE CARE AS USUAL GROUP. THE CAREGIVERS WHO PRACTICED YOGA AT HOME MAINTAINED AN AVERAGE OF 50% ATTENDANCE AND "VERY WELL" LEVEL OF YOGA PERFORMANCE. CONCLUSION: THE AUDIO-VISUAL SELF-HELP YOGA MANUAL WAS FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE TO USE BY THE CAREGIVERS EVEN THOUGH ITS EFFECTIVENESS COULD NOT BE ASCERTAINED DUE TO HIGH ATTRITION. 2020 5 2508 44 YOGA BREATHING FOR CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY-ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE: RESULTS OF A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: MANY DEBILITATING SYMPTOMS ARISE FROM CANCER AND ITS TREATMENT THAT ARE OFTEN UNRELIEVED BY ESTABLISHED METHODS. PRANAYAMA, A SERIES OF YOGIC BREATHING TECHNIQUES, MAY IMPROVE CANCER-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN STUDIED FOR THIS PURPOSE. OBJECTIVES: A PILOT STUDY WAS PERFORMED TO EVALUATE FEASIBILITY AND TO TEST THE EFFECTS OF PRANAYAMA ON CANCER-ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. DESIGN: THIS WAS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL COMPARING PRANAYAMA TO USUAL CARE. SETTING: THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AT A UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER. SUBJECTS: PATIENTS RECEIVING CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY WERE RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE PRANAYAMA IMMEDIATELY OR AFTER A WAITING PERIOD (CONTROL GROUP). INTERVENTIONS: THE PRANAYAMA INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF FOUR BREATHING TECHNIQUES TAUGHT IN WEEKLY CLASSES AND PRACTICED AT HOME. THE TREATMENT GROUP RECEIVED PRANAYAMA DURING TWO CONSECUTIVE CYCLES OF CHEMOTHERAPY. THE CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED USUAL CARE DURING THEIR FIRST CYCLE, AND RECEIVED PRANAYAMA DURING THEIR SECOND CYCLE OF CHEMOTHERAPY. OUTCOME MEASURES: FEASIBILITY, CANCER-ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS (FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, STRESS), AND QUALITY OF LIFE WERE THE OUTCOMES. RESULTS: CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS NEARLY 100% IN BOTH GROUPS. SIXTEEN (16) PARTICIPANTS WERE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL INTENT-TO-TREAT ANALYSES. THE REPEATED-MEASURES ANALYSES DEMONSTRATED THAT ANY INCREASE IN PRANAYAMA DOSE, WITH DOSE MEASURED IN THE NUMBER OF HOURS PRACTICED IN CLASS OR AT HOME, RESULTED IN IMPROVED SYMPTOM AND QUALITY-OF-LIFE SCORES. SEVERAL OF THESE ASSOCIATIONS--SLEEP DISTURBANCE (P=0.04), ANXIETY (P=0.04), AND MENTAL QUALITY OF LIFE (P=0.05)--REACHED OR APPROACHED STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA BREATHING WAS A FEASIBLE INTERVENTION AMONG PATIENTS WITH CANCER RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY. PRANAYAMA MAY IMPROVE SLEEP DISTURBANCE, ANXIETY, AND MENTAL QUALITY OF LIFE. A DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIP WAS FOUND BETWEEN PRANAYAMA USE AND IMPROVEMENTS IN CHEMOTHERAPY-ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. THESE FINDINGS NEED TO BE CONFIRMED IN A LARGER STUDY. 2012 6 2368 36 WELL-BEING AT WORKPLACE THROUGH MINDFULNESS: INFLUENCE OF YOGA PRACTICE ON POSITIVE AFFECT AND AGGRESSION. INTRODUCTION: MINDFULNESS IS ABOUT BEING AWARE OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STIMULI BY WITNESSING THE ACT IN A NONJUDGMENTAL MANNER. EARLIER RESEARCHES SUGGEST THAT POSITIVE AFFECTIVITY (PA) IS NEGATIVELY RELATED TO NEGATIVE AFFECTIVITY, AGGRESSION, AND COUNTERPRODUCTIVE WORK BEHAVIOR (CWB). AIM: THE PRESENT STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECT OF MINDFULNESS DEVELOPED THROUGH YOGA PRACTICES ON AGGRESSION AND PA AMONG WORKING PROFESSIONALS INVOLVED IN CWB. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A PRE-TEST, POST-TEST RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED DESIGN WAS USED WITH A STUDY SAMPLE OF YOGA GROUP (N = 80) AND CONTROL GROUP (N = 80) FOR A DURATION OF 10 WEEKS. YOGA MODULE THAT INCLUDED ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, MEDITATION, AND YOGIC THEORIES WERE TAUGHT TO THE YOGA GROUP. MILD TO MODERATE PHYSICAL EXERCISES AND MANAGEMENT THEORIES WERE TAUGHT TO THE CONTROL GROUP. MEASUREMENTS OF AGGRESSION AND PA SCORES WERE TAKEN AT THE BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION FOR ASSESSMENT. RESULTS: AT THE BASELINE, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE VARIABLE SCORES BETWEEN BOTH THE GROUPS. POSTINTERVENTION RESULTS REVEALED THAT YOGA GROUP SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.001) REDUCTION IN AGGRESSION AND SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.001) ENHANCEMENT IN PA IN COMPARISON TO THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: WHEN COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP AT THE END OF THE INTERVENTION, THE YOGA GROUP SCORES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER FOR AGGRESSION AND HIGHER FOR PA. 2015 7 870 48 EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY-OF-LIFE AMONG CAREGIVERS OF IN-PATIENTS WITH NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AT A TERTIARY CARE CENTER IN INDIA: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. CONTEXT: THE CONCERNS OF CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS HAVE BEEN A FELT NEED FOR A LONG TIME, WITH MANY OF THEM EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT PSYCHIATRIC MORBIDITY. AIMS: THIS STUDY AIMED TO FIND THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN REDUCING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, AS WELL AS IMPROVING QUALITY-OF-LIFE IN CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED USING A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED DESIGN, WITH YOGA INTERVENTION AND WAITLISTED CONTROLS. METHODOLOGY: SIXTY CONSENTING CAREGIVERS OF INPATIENTS IN NEUROLOGY WARDS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS: YOGA AND CONTROL. DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES EXCEPT YEARS OF EDUCATION AND LENGTH OF CARETAKING WERE COMPARABLE IN THE TWO GROUPS, AS ALSO BASELINE SCORES OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND QUALITY-OF-LIFE. A SPECIFIC YOGA MODULE COMPRISING YOGASANAS, PRANAYAMA, AND CHANTING WAS TAUGHT TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP BY THE RESEARCHER. AT FOLLOW-UP 43 PATIENTS (YOGA N=20 AND CONTROL GROUP N=23) WERE AVAILABLE. TWO-WAY REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WAS USED TO TEST THE CHANGE FROM PRE-TEST TO POST-TEST SCORES WITHIN AND BETWEEN GROUPS. ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE WAS PERFORMED TO COMPARE THE POST-TEST SCORES BETWEEN THE GROUPS ADJUSTING FOR EDUCATION AND LENGTH OF CARETAKING. RESULTS: FOLLOWING ONE MONTH INTERVENTION OF YOGA THERAPY, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT (P<0.001) DECREASE IN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCORES, AS WELL AS IMPROVED QUALITY-OF-LIFE AMONG THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY HIGHLIGHTS THE USEFULNESS OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR CAREGIVERS OF INPATIENTS WITH NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEMS. THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AND LACK OF BLINDING WERE SOME OF THE LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDY. 2013 8 501 42 COMMUNITY BASED YOGA CLASSES FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES: AN EXPLORATORY RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A POPULAR THERAPY FOR DIABETES BUT ITS EFFICACY IS CONTESTED. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF RESEARCHING COMMUNITY BASED YOGA CLASSES IN TYPE 2 DIABETES WITH A VIEW TO INFORMING THE DESIGN OF A DEFINITIVE, MULTI-CENTRE TRIAL METHODS: THE STUDY DESIGN WAS AN EXPLORATORY RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL WITH IN-DEPTH PROCESS EVALUATION. THE SETTING WAS TWO MULTI-ETHNIC BOROUGHS IN LONDON, UK; ONE WITH AVERAGE AND ONE WITH LOW MEAN SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION SCORE. CLASSES WERE HELD AT A SPORTS CENTRE OR GP SURGERY. PARTICIPANTS WERE 59 PEOPLE WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES NOT TAKING INSULIN, RECRUITED FROM GENERAL PRACTICE LISTS OR OPPORTUNISTICALLY BY GENERAL PRACTICE STAFF. THE INTERVENTION GROUP WERE OFFERED 12 WEEKS OF A TWICE-WEEKLY 90-MINUTE YOGA CLASS; THE CONTROL GROUP WAS A WAITING LIST FOR THE YOGA CLASSES. BOTH GROUPS RECEIVED ADVICE AND LEAFLETS ON HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND WERE ENCOURAGED TO EXERCISE. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS HBA1C. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED ATTENDANCE, WEIGHT, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, LIPID LEVELS, BLOOD PRESSURE, UKPDS CARDIOVASCULAR RISK SCORE, DIABETES-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (ADDQOL), AND SELF-EFFICACY. PROCESS MEASURES WERE ATTENDANCE AT YOGA SESSIONS, SELF-REPORTED FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE BETWEEN TAUGHT SESSIONS, AND QUALITATIVE DATA (INTERVIEWS WITH PATIENTS AND THERAPISTS, ETHNOGRAPHIC OBSERVATION OF THE YOGA CLASSES, AND ANALYSIS OF DOCUMENTS INCLUDING MINUTES OF MEETINGS, CORRESPONDENCE, AND EXERCISE PLANS). RESULTS: DESPITE BROAD INCLUSION CRITERIA, AROUND TWO-THIRDS OF THE PATIENTS ON GP DIABETIC REGISTERS PROVED INELIGIBLE, AND 90% OF THE REMAINDER DECLINED TO PARTICIPATE. MEAN AGE OF PARTICIPANTS WAS 60 +/- 10 YEARS. ATTENDANCE AT YOGA CLASSES WAS AROUND 50%. NOBODY DID THE EXERCISES REGULARLY AT HOME. YOGA TEACHERS FELT THAT MOST PARTICIPANTS WERE UNSUITABLE FOR 'STANDARD' YOGA EXERCISES BECAUSE OF LIMITED FLEXIBILITY, LACK OF BASIC FITNESS, CO-MORBIDITY, AND LACK OF CONFIDENCE. THERE WAS A SMALL FALL IN HBA1C IN THE YOGA GROUP WHICH WAS NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT AND WHICH WAS NOT SUSTAINED SIX MONTHS LATER, AND NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN OTHER OUTCOME MEASURES. CONCLUSION: THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN TYPE 2 DIABETES SUGGESTED IN SOME PREVIOUS STUDIES WERE NOT CONFIRMED. POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS (APART FROM LACK OF EFFICACY) INCLUDE RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES; PRACTICAL AND MOTIVATIONAL BARRIERS TO CLASS ATTENDANCE; PHYSICAL AND MOTIVATIONAL BARRIERS TO ENGAGING IN THE EXERCISES; INADEQUATE INTENSITY AND/OR DURATION OF YOGA INTERVENTION; AND INSUFFICIENT PERSONALISATION OF EXERCISES TO INDIVIDUAL NEEDS. ALL THESE FACTORS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED WHEN DESIGNING FUTURE TRIALS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NATIONAL RESEARCH REGISTER (1410) AND CURRENT CONTROLLED TRIALS (ISRCTN63637211). 2009 9 584 43 DESIGNING, VALIDATION, AND FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA MODULE FOR PATIENTS WITH ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS. BACKGROUND: ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS (AS) IS A CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE THAT CAUSES SIGNIFICANT DISABILITY AND REDUCED QUALITY OF LIFE. SCIENTIFIC STUDIES ON YOGA HAVE REVEALED ITS VARIOUS HEALTH BENEFITS IN CHRONIC CONDITIONS, INCLUDING AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES. HOWEVER, WHETHER YOGA IS FEASIBLE FOR AS PATIENTS OR NOT IS NOT STUDIED. FURTHER, NO VALIDATED YOGA MODULE IS AVAILABLE FOR AS PATIENTS. OBJECTIVE(S): THIS STUDY INTENDED TO DEVELOP A YOGA MODULE FOR AS PATIENTS AND INVESTIGATED ITS FEASIBILITY OF USE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY WAS COMPLETED IN THREE STAGES. IN STAGE I, SIX YOGA EXPERTS PREPARED A LIST OF 64 YOGA PRACTICES BASED ON THE CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGIC LITERATURE REVIEW. OF THESE PRACTICES, 41 WERE INCLUDED IN THE DESIGNED YOGA MODULE. IN STAGE II, 41 EXPERTS WITH A MINIMUM OF FIVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN YOGA THERAPY WERE INVITED FOR YOGA MODULE VALIDATION. THE USEFULNESS OF THE PRACTICES WAS RATED BY EXPERTS ON A 3-POINT SCALE (1: NOT AT ALL USEFUL, 2: MODERATELY USEFUL, AND 3: VERY MUCH USEFUL). THE LAWSHE CONTENT VALIDITY RATIO (CVR) METHOD WAS USED FOR THE CONTENT VALIDITY OF THE YOGA MODULE. PRACTICES WITH A CVR SCORE OF > 0.3 WERE RETAINED IN THE FINAL YOGA MODULE. IN STAGE III, A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR ADMINISTERED THE VALIDATED YOGA MODULE TO 19 AS PATIENTS (AVERAGE AGE: 35.5 +/- 10.7 YEARS) THRICE WEEKLY FOR A MONTH. FEASIBILITY WAS ASSESSED ON THE BASIS OF THE ATTRITION RATE, RETENTION RATE, ATTENDANCE OF THE PARTICIPANTS, AND THE SUBJECTIVE RESPONSE ON PRACTICAL SESSIONS USING A STRUCTURED CHECKLIST. RESULTS: OF THE 41 PRACTICES IN THE MODULE, 31 HAD A CVR SCORE OF > 0.3 AND WERE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL YOGA MODULE. OF THE 25 PARTICIPANTS, 19 (76%) COMPLETED THE STUDY WHILE SIX DROPPED OUT (24%). NINETEEN PATIENTS REPORTED GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN PAIN AND FLEXIBILITY. THEY FOUND YOGA RELAXING AND EASY TO PRACTICE. MOST PARTICIPANTS (65%) WERE ABLE TO PRACTICE A MINIMUM OF 30 MIN/DAY. CONCLUSION: THE PRESENT STUDY OFFERS A VALIDATED YOGA MODULE CONSISTING OF 31 PRACTICES FOR AS PATIENTS. THE RESULTS OF THE PILOT SUGGESTED THAT THE MODULE IS FEASIBLE, ACCEPTABLE, AND EASY TO PRACTICE FOR AS PATIENTS. WE RECOMMEND THAT AS PATIENTS SHOULD PRACTICE THIS YOGA MODULE FOR A MINIMUM OF 30 MIN EVERY DAY UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A YOGA EXPERT. 2022 10 116 39 A PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA MEDITATION PROTOCOL FOR PATIENTS WITH MEDICALLY REFRACTORY EPILEPSY. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFICACY OF A YOGA MEDITATION PROTOCOL (YMP) AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH DRUG-RESISTANT CHRONIC EPILEPSY. DESIGN: THE DESIGN WAS A PROSPECTIVE, NONRANDOMIZED, OPEN-LABEL, ADD-ON TRIAL WITH A 12-WEEK BASELINE PERIOD, FOLLOWED BY A 12-WEEK SUPERVISED YMP ADMINISTRATION PHASE. THE FREQUENCY OF COMPLEX PARTIAL SEIZURES (CPS) WAS ASSESSED AT 3, 6, AND 12 MONTHS OF THE TREATMENT PERIOD. SETTING: THE SETTING WAS A COMPREHENSIVE EPILEPSY CARE CENTER ATTACHED TO A TERTIARY REFERRAL MEDICAL INSTITUTION SITUATED ON THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF THE INDIAN PENINSULA. SUBJECTS: THE SUBJECTS WERE 20 PATIENTS (14 MALES AND 6 FEMALES, AGE RANGE 15 TO 47 YEARS, MEDIAN 27 YEARS) WITH UNEQUIVOCALLY ESTABLISHED DIAGNOSES OF EPILEPSY WITH AT LEAST 4 CPS (WITH OR WITHOUT SECONDARY GENERALIZATION) DURING THE PRECEDING 3 MONTHS. INTERVENTION: INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF A YMP 20 MINUTES TWICE DAILY (MORNINGS AND EVENINGS) AT HOME, AND SUPERVISED SESSIONS OF A YMP EVERY WEEK FOR 3 MONTHS. CONTINUATION OF THE YMP BEYOND 3 MONTHS WAS OPTIONAL. OUTCOME MEASURE: THE OUTCOME MEASURE WAS THE SEIZURE FREQUENCY AT 3, 6, AND 12 MONTHS OF THE TREATMENT PERIOD. THE SUBJECTS WITH > OR = 50% REDUCTION IN MONTHLY SEIZURE RATE FROM BASELINE WERE CLASSIFIED AS RESPONDERS, AND SUBJECTS WITH <50% SEIZURE REDUCTION AS NONRESPONDERS. RESULTS: AT 3 MONTHS, A REDUCTION IN SEIZURE FREQUENCY WAS NOTED IN ALL EXCEPT 1 PATIENT, SIX OF WHOM HAD > OR = 50% SEIZURE REDUCTION. OF 16 PATIENTS WHO CONTINUED THE YMP BEYOND 3 MONTHS, 14 PATIENTS RESPONDED AT 6 MONTHS; 6 OF THEM WERE SEIZURE-FREE FOR 3 MONTHS. ALL EIGHT PATIENTS WHO CONTINUED THE YMP BEYOND 6 MONTHS RESPONDED; THREE OF THEM WERE SEIZURE FREE FOR 6 MONTHS. CONCLUSIONS: IF CONFIRMED THROUGH RANDOMIZED TRIALS INVOLVING A LARGER NUMBER OF PATIENTS, THIS YMP MAY BECOME A COST-EFFECTIVE AND ADVERSE EFFECT-FREE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH DRUG-RESISTANT EPILEPSIES. 2006 11 390 37 BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING IN A US HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM: A PRELIMINARY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO TEST FEASIBILITY OF YOGA WITHIN A HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM AND EVALUATE PREVENTIVE EFFICACY FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING. METHODS: GRADE 11 OR 12 STUDENTS (N = 51) WHO REGISTERED FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) WERE CLUSTER-RANDOMIZED BY CLASS 2:1 YOGA:PE-AS-USUAL. A KRIPALU-BASED YOGA PROGRAM OF PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING EXERCISES, RELAXATION, AND MEDITATION WAS TAUGHT 2 TO 3 TIMES A WEEK FOR 10 WEEKS. SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADMINISTERED TO STUDENTS 1 WEEK BEFORE AND AFTER. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING WERE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES-SHORT FORM AND POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCHEDULE FOR CHILDREN. ADDITIONAL MEASURES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING INCLUDED PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE AND INVENTORY OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTITUDES. SECONDARY MEASURES OF SELF-REGULATORY SKILLS INCLUDED RESILIENCE SCALE, STATE TRAIT ANGER EXPRESSION INVENTORY-2, AND CHILD ACCEPTANCE MINDFULNESS MEASURE. TO ASSESS FEASIBILITY, YOGA STUDENTS COMPLETED A PROGRAM EVALUATION. ANALYSES OF COVARIANCE WERE CONDUCTED BETWEEN GROUPS WITH BASELINE AS THE COVARIATE. RESULTS: ALTHOUGH PE-AS-USUAL STUDENTS SHOWED DECREASES IN PRIMARY OUTCOMES, YOGA STUDENTS MAINTAINED OR IMPROVED. TOTAL MOOD DISTURBANCE IMPROVED IN YOGA STUDENTS AND WORSENED IN CONTROLS (P = .015), AS DID PROFILE OF MOOD STATES-SHORT FORM (POMS-SF) TENSION-ANXIETY SUBSCALE (P = .002). ALTHOUGH POSITIVE AFFECT REMAINED UNCHANGED IN BOTH, NEGATIVE AFFECT SIGNIFICANTLY WORSENED IN CONTROLS WHILE IMPROVING IN YOGA STUDENTS (P = .006). SECONDARY OUTCOMES WERE NOT SIGNIFICANT. STUDENTS RATED YOGA FAIRLY HIGH, DESPITE MODERATE ATTENDANCE. CONCLUSIONS: IMPLEMENTATION WAS FEASIBLE AND STUDENTS GENERALLY FOUND IT BENEFICIAL. ALTHOUGH NOT CAUSAL DUE TO SMALL, UNEVEN SAMPLE SIZE, THIS PRELIMINARY STUDY SUGGESTS PREVENTIVE BENEFITS IN PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING FROM KRIPALU YOGA DURING HIGH SCHOOL PE. THESE RESULTS ARE CONSISTENT WITH PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED STUDIES OF YOGA IN SCHOOL SETTINGS. 2012 12 2864 47 YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR CAREGIVERS OF OUTPATIENTS WITH PSYCHOSIS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: THE USE OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH PSYCHOSIS HAS BEEN POORLY STUDIED. THE CURRENT STUDY AIMED TO TEST THE EFFICACY OF A BRIEF YOGA PROGRAM AS AN INTERVENTION IN CAREGIVERS OF OUTPATIENTS WITH FUNCTIONAL PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS USING A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED RESEARCH DESIGN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CAREGIVERS WHO AGREED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY (N=29) WERE RANDOMIZED INTO YOGA (N=15) OR WAIT-LIST GROUP (N=14). THEY WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF 3 MONTHS. PATIENTS WHO WERE RANDOMIZED INTO THE YOGA GROUP WERE OFFERED SUPERVISED YOGA TRAINING THRICE A WEEK FOR 4 WEEKS, AFTER WHICH THEY WERE INSTRUCTED TO PRACTICE AT HOME FOR THE NEXT 2 MONTHS. DUE TO THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AND SOME VARIABLES NOT BEING NORMALLY DISTRIBUTED, NON-PARAMETRIC STATISTICAL ANALYSIS WAS USED. RESULTS: RESULTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BURDEN SCORES AND IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE SCORES IN THE YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO THE WAIT-LIST GROUP AT THE END OF 3 MONTHS. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCORES IN CAREGIVERS, OR PSYCHOPATHOLOGY SCORES IN PATIENTS. CONCLUSION: IN CAREGIVERS OF OUTPATIENTS WITH FUNCTIONAL PSYCHOSIS, 4 WEEKS OF TRAINING FOLLOWED BY 3 MONTHS OF HOME PRACTICE OF A YOGA MODULE OFFERED SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE OVER WAITLIST. YOGA CAN BE OFFERED AS AN INTERVENTION FOR CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH SEVERE MENTAL DISORDERS. METHODS OF PROVIDING YOGA INTERVENTION CLOSER TO THE COMMUNITY OR USE OF FLEXIBLE MODULES AT HOSPITALS NEEDS FURTHER STUDY. 2013 13 1331 38 HOME-BASED YOGA PROGRAM FOR THE PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM MALIGNANT LYMPHOMA DURING CHEMOTHERAPY: A FEASIBILITY STUDY. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS PROVEN BENEFICIAL IN IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY, BUT ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN LYMPHOMA PATIENTS NEEDS TO BE EXPLORED. AS CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED NEUTROPENIA IS VERY COMMON AMONG LYMPHOMA PATIENTS, THEY ARE MUCH PRONE TO INFECTIONS FROM THE ENVIRONMENT. FURTHERMORE, TRAINED YOGA INSTRUCTORS ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN EVERY SETTING, SO THERE IS A NEED TO DEVELOP HOME-BASED YOGA PROGRAM MODULES FOR LYMPHOMA PATIENTS RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY. AIM: THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY AND SAFETY OF YOGIC EXERCISES AMONG LYMPHOMA PATIENTS DURING CHEMOTHERAPY. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: AN INTERVENTIONAL, SINGLE-ARM PREPOST DESIGN STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AT A TERTIARY HEALTH-CARE CENTER. PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM MALIGNANT LYMPHOMA (18-65 YEARS) WITH EASTERN COOPERATIVE ONCOLOGY GROUP PERFORMANCE STATUS FROM 0 TO 2, PLANNED TO RECEIVE CHEMOTHERAPY WERE ADMINISTERED A HOME-BASED YOGA PROGRAM OVER A PERIOD OF 2 MONTHS FROM THE START OF CHEMOTHERAPY. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME VARIABLES WERE RETENTION RATE, ACCEPTANCE RATE, SAFETY, AND ADHERENCE. HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL), FATIGUE LEVEL, OVERALL SLEEP QUALITY, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY LEVEL, AND PAIN WERE ALSO ASSESSED. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS WAS USED TO SEE THE FEASIBILITY AND ADHERENCE. THE PAIRED T-TEST WAS USED TO COMPARE VARIOUS PRE AND POSTINTERVENTION OUTCOME MEASURES. RESULTS: FOURTEEN PATIENTS (MEDIAN AGE: 36 YEARS, RANGE13-65 YEARS) OF MALIGNANT LYMPHOMA WERE ENROLLED IN THE STUDY. MALE-TO-FEMALE RATIO WAS 9:5. NON-HODGKIN'S LYMPHOMA PATIENTS CONSTITUTED 64%. THE RECRUITMENT RATE WAS 93%. FAVORABLE RETENTION (100%), ACCEPTABILITY (97%), ADHERENCE (78.6%), AND NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS FOLLOWING YOGA PRACTICE WERE REPORTED. IMPROVEMENT WAS ALSO FOUND IN HRQOL, FATIGUE, SLEEP, DEPRESSION, AND ANXIETY. HOWEVER, IT NEEDS FURTHER VALIDATION IN A RANDOMIZED STUDY. CONCLUSION: HOME-BASED YOGA PROGRAM IS SAFE AND FEASIBLE AMONG THE PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM MALIGNANT LYMPHOMA RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY. 2018 14 861 43 EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICES IN REDUCING COUNTERPRODUCTIVE WORK BEHAVIOR AND ITS PREDICTORS. CONTEXT: AGGRESSION AND NEGATIVE AFFECTIVITY (NA) ARE KNOWN FOR MODERATING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JOB STRESSORS AND COUNTERPRODUCTIVE WORK BEHAVIOR. YOGA HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED EARLIER TO REDUCE THE PARAMETERS OF AGGRESSION AND NEGATIVE EMOTIONS. AIM: THE PRESENT STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA PRACTICES IN REDUCING COUNTERPRODUCTIVE WORK BEHAVIOR AND ITS PREDICTORS SUCH AS AGGRESSION AND NA. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A PRETEST-POSTTEST RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED DESIGN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY SAMPLE INCLUDED YOGA GROUP (N = 80) AND CONTROL GROUP (N = 80). YOGA MODULE THAT INCLUDED ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, MEDITATION, AND YOGIC THEORY WERE TAUGHT TO THE YOGA GROUP. MILD TO MODERATE PHYSICAL EXERCISES AND MANAGEMENT THEORIES WERE TAUGHT TO THE CONTROL GROUP. BOTH GROUPS RECEIVED INTERVENTION FOR 10 WEEKS, COVERING 1 H DAILY, 5 DAYS A WEEK. MEASUREMENTS OF SELF-REPORTED COUNTERPRODUCTIVE WORK BEHAVIORS, AGGRESSION, AND NA WERE TAKEN AS BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION FOR ASSESSMENT. RESULTS: YOGA GROUP REPORTED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN AGGRESSION, NA, AND COUNTERPRODUCTIVE WORK BEHAVIOR IN COMPARISON WITH THE CONTROL GROUP AFTER 10 WEEKS. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY CONTRIBUTES BY INTRODUCING A COST-EFFECTIVE WAY TO PREVENT THE HEAVY LOSSES ORGANIZATIONS ARE INCURRING DUE TO COUNTERPRODUCTIVE WORK BEHAVIOR AND ITS PREDICTORS. THE FINDINGS SUPPORT THAT YOGA AT WORKPLACE MAY RESULT IN POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT OF THE EMPLOYEES AS WELL. 2016 15 2639 45 YOGA FOR VETERANS WITH CHRONIC LOW-BACK PAIN. OBJECTIVES: CHRONIC BACK PAIN AFFECTS A LARGE PROPORTION OF BOTH THE GENERAL POPULATION AND OF MILITARY VETERANS. ALTHOUGH NUMEROUS THERAPIES EXIST FOR TREATING CHRONIC BACK PAIN, THEY CAN BE COSTLY AND TEND TO HAVE LIMITED EFFECTIVENESS. THUS, DEMONSTRATING THE EFFICACY AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF ADDITIONAL TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES IS IMPORTANT. THE PURPOSE OF OUR STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE BENEFITS OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR VETERANS ADMINISTRATION (VA) PATIENTS. SUBJECTS/INTERVENTION: VA PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC BACK PAIN WERE REFERRED BY THEIR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS TO A YOGA PROGRAM AS PART OF CLINICAL CARE. BEFORE STARTING YOGA, A VA PHYSICIAN TRAINED IN YOGA EVALUATED EACH PATIENT TO ENSURE THAT THEY COULD PARTICIPATE SAFELY. DESIGN: THE RESEARCH STUDY CONSISTED OF COMPLETING A SHORT BATTERY OF QUESTIONNAIRES AT BASELINE AND AGAIN 10 WEEKS LATER. OUTCOME MEASURES: QUESTIONNAIRES INCLUDED MEASURES OF PAIN, DEPRESSION, ENERGY/FATIGUE, HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, AND PROGRAM SATISFACTION. PAIRED T-TESTS WERE USED TO COMPARE BASELINE SCORES TO THOSE AT THE 10-WEEK FOLLOW-UP FOR THE SINGLE GROUP, PRE-POST DESIGN. CORRELATIONS WERE USED TO EXAMINE WHETHER YOGA ATTENDANCE AND HOME PRACTICE WERE ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER OUTCOMES. RESULTS: BASELINE AND FOLLOW-UP DATA WERE AVAILABLE FOR 33 PARTICIPANTS. PARTICIPANTS WERE VA PATIENTS WITH A MEAN AGE OF 55 YEARS. THEY WERE 21% FEMALE, 70% WHITE, 52% MARRIED, 68% COLLEGE GRADUATES, AND 44% WERE RETIRED. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND FOR PAIN, DEPRESSION, ENERGY/FATIGUE, AND THE SHORT FORM-12 MENTAL HEALTH SCALE. THE NUMBER OF YOGA SESSIONS ATTENDED AND THE FREQUENCY OF HOME PRACTICE WERE ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED OUTCOMES. PARTICIPANTS APPEARED HIGHLY SATISFIED WITH THE YOGA INSTRUCTOR AND MODERATELY SATISFIED WITH THE EASE OF PARTICIPATION AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE YOGA PROGRAM. CONCLUSIONS: PRELIMINARY DATA SUGGEST THAT A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR VA PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC BACK PAIN MAY IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF VETERANS. HOWEVER, THE LIMITATIONS OF A PRE-POST STUDY DESIGN MAKE CONCLUSIONS TENTATIVE. A LARGER RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL OF THE YOGA PROGRAM IS PLANNED. 2008 16 2596 51 YOGA FOR MILITARY VETERANS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) IS PREVALENT, ESPECIALLY AMONG MILITARY VETERANS. MANY CLBP TREATMENT OPTIONS HAVE LIMITED BENEFITS AND ARE ACCOMPANIED BY SIDE EFFECTS. MAJOR EFFORTS TO REDUCE OPIOID USE AND EMBRACE NONPHARMACOLOGICAL PAIN TREATMENTS HAVE RESULTED. RESEARCH WITH COMMUNITY CLBP PATIENTS INDICATES THAT YOGA CAN IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES AND HAS FEW SIDE EFFECTS. THE BENEFITS OF YOGA AMONG MILITARY VETERANS WERE EXAMINED. DESIGN: PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER YOGA OR DELAYED YOGA TREATMENT IN 2013-2015. OUTCOMES WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE, 6 WEEKS, 12 WEEKS, AND 6 MONTHS. INTENTION-TO-TREAT ANALYSES OCCURRED IN 2016. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILITARY VETERANS WITH CLBP WERE RECRUITED FROM A MAJOR VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER IN CALIFORNIA. INTERVENTION: YOGA CLASSES (WITH HOME PRACTICE) WERE LED BY A CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR TWICE WEEKLY FOR 12 WEEKS, AND CONSISTED PRIMARILY OF PHYSICAL POSTURES, MOVEMENT, AND BREATHING TECHNIQUES. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS ROLAND-MORRIS DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE SCORES AFTER 12 WEEKS. PAIN INTENSITY WAS IDENTIFIED AS AN IMPORTANT SECONDARY OUTCOME. RESULTS: PARTICIPANT CHARACTERISTICS WERE MEAN AGE 53 YEARS, 26% WERE FEMALE, 35% WERE UNEMPLOYED OR DISABLED, AND MEAN BACK PAIN DURATION WAS 15 YEARS. IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLAND-MORRIS DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE SCORES DID NOT DIFFER BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS AT 12 WEEKS, BUT YOGA PARTICIPANTS HAD GREATER REDUCTIONS IN ROLAND-MORRIS DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE SCORES THAN DELAYED TREATMENT PARTICIPANTS AT 6 MONTHS -2.48 (95% CI= -4.08, -0.87). YOGA PARTICIPANTS IMPROVED MORE ON PAIN INTENSITY AT 12 WEEKS AND AT 6 MONTHS. OPIOID MEDICATION USE DECLINED AMONG ALL PARTICIPANTS, BUT GROUP DIFFERENCES WERE NOT FOUND. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA IMPROVED HEALTH OUTCOMES AMONG VETERANS DESPITE EVIDENCE THEY HAD FEWER RESOURCES, WORSE HEALTH, AND MORE CHALLENGES ATTENDING YOGA SESSIONS THAN COMMUNITY SAMPLES STUDIED PREVIOUSLY. THE MAGNITUDE OF PAIN INTENSITY DECLINE WAS SMALL, BUT OCCURRED IN THE CONTEXT OF REDUCED OPIOID USE. THE FINDINGS SUPPORT WIDER IMPLEMENTATION OF YOGA PROGRAMS FOR VETERANS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: THIS STUDY IS REGISTERED AT WWW.CLINICALTRIALS.GOV NCT02524158. 2017 17 1156 38 ENSURING YOGA INTERVENTION FIDELITY IN A RANDOMIZED PREFERENCE TRIAL FOR THE TREATMENT OF WORRY IN OLDER ADULTS. INTRODUCTION: YOGA FOR TREATMENT OF WORRY IN OLDER ADULTS IS AN INTERVENTION THAT IS ESPECIALLY LIKELY TO TRANSLATE INTO REAL-WORLD PRACTICE. ASSESSING TREATMENT FIDELITY IMPROVES CONFIDENCE THAT EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS CAN BE CONSISTENTLY APPLIED AND ALLOWS RESEARCHERS TO EXPLORE IF ANY NULL RESULTS FOR EFFECTIVENESS ARE INDEED THE RESULT OF A LACK OF INTERVENTION EFFICACY OR LACK OF PROPER INTERVENTION IMPLEMENTATION. METHODS: THIS STUDY DESCRIBES TREATMENT FIDELITY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION IN A RANDOMIZED PREFERENCE TRIAL THAT COMPARED COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT) AND YOGA FOR THE TREATMENT OF WORRY, ANXIETY, AND SLEEP IN WORRIED OLDER (>/=60 YEARS) ADULTS. ESTABLISHED METHODS FOR ASSESSING TREATMENT FIDELITY OF CBT GUIDED THE PROCEDURE FOR ENSURING THAT THE YOGA INTERVENTION WAS DELIVERED AS INTENDED. THE YOGA INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 20, 75-MIN, IN-PERSON, GROUP, GENTLE YOGA CLASSES HELD TWICE WEEKLY. RESULTS: SIX FEMALE INSTRUCTORS (MEAN AGE = 64 YEARS) TAUGHT 660 YOGA CLASSES THAT WERE VIDEOTAPED. TEN PERCENT OF THESE CLASSES, STRATIFIED BY INSTRUCTOR, WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED FOR REVIEW. THE AVERAGE ADHERENCE SCORE FOR YOGA INSTRUCTORS WAS 6.84 (RANGE 4-8). THE AVERAGE COMPETENCY SCORES WERE CONSISTENTLY HIGH, WITH AN AVERAGE SCORE OF 7.24 (RANGE 6-8). TEACHING CONTENT NOT INCLUDED IN THE PROTOCOL OCCURRED IN 26 (38.1%) SESSIONS AND DECREASED OVER TIME. OBSERVED RATINGS OF INSTRUCTOR ADHERENCE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO RATINGS OF COMPETENCY. INSTRUCTOR ADHERENCE WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER PARTICIPANT ATTENDANCE, BUT NOT WITH ANY OF THE OTHER PROCESS OR OUTCOME MEASURES. CONCLUSIONS: THE LARGER RANGE FOUND IN ADHERENCE RELATIVE TO COMPETENCE SCORES DEMONSTRATED THAT TEACHING A YOGA CLASS ACCORDING TO A PROTOCOL REQUIRES DIFFERENT SKILLS THAN COMPETENTLY TEACHING A YOGA CLASS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THESE SKILLS IMPROVED WITH FEEDBACK. THESE RESULTS MAY FOSTER DIALOG BETWEEN THE YOGA RESEARCH AND PRACTICE COMMUNITIES. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NO.: NCT02968238. 2021 18 620 49 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 19 583 39 DESIGNING, VALIDATION AND FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR ELDERLY. CONTEXT: AGEING IS AN UNAVOIDABLE FACET OF LIFE. YOGIC PRACTICES HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO PROMOTE HEALTHY AGING. PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE USED EITHER YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTIONS DERIVED FROM A PARTICULAR SCHOOL OF YOGA OR HAVE TESTED SPECIFIC YOGIC PRACTICES LIKE MEDITATION. AIMS: THIS STUDY REPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT, VALIDATION AND FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR ELDERLY WITH OR WITHOUT MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AT THE ADVANCED CENTRE FOR YOGA, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND NEUROSCIENCES, BANGALORE. THE MODULE WAS DEVELOPED, VALIDATED, AND THEN PILOT-TESTED ON VOLUNTEERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE FIRST PART OF THE STUDY CONSISTED OF DESIGNING OF A YOGA MODULE BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGIC LITERATURE. THIS YOGA MODULE ALONG WITH THE THREE CASE VIGNETTES OF ELDERLY WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT WERE SENT TO 10 YOGA EXPERTS TO HELP DEVELOP THE INTENDED YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION. IN THE SECOND PART, THE FEASIBILITY OF THE DEVELOPED YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION WAS TESTED. RESULTS: EXPERTS (N=10) OPINED THE YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION WILL BE USEFUL IN IMPROVING COGNITION IN ELDERLY, BUT WITH SOME MODIFICATIONS. FREQUENT SUPERVISED YOGA SESSIONS, REGULAR FOLLOW-UPS, ADDITION/DELETION/MODIFICATIONS OF YOGA POSTURES WERE SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS. TEN ELDERLY CONSENTED AND EIGHT COMPLETED THE PILOT TESTING OF THE INTERVENTION. ALL OF THEM WERE ABLE TO PERFORM MOST OF THE SUKSMAVYAYAMA, PRANAYAMA AND NADANUSANDHANA (MEDITATION) TECHNIQUE WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. SOME OF THE PARTICIPANTS (N=3) EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY IN PERFORMING POSTURES SEATED ON THE GROUND. MOST OF THE OLDER ADULTS EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY IN REMEMBERING AND COMPLETING ENTIRE SEQUENCE OF YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION INDEPENDENTLY. CONCLUSIONS: THE YOGA BASED INTERVENTION IS FEASIBLE IN THE ELDERLY WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT. TESTING WITH A LARGER SAMPLE OF OLDER ADULTS IS WARRANTED. 2013 20 2367 29 WEEKLY ASSESSMENT OF NUMBER OF YOGA CLASSES AND AMOUNT OF YOGA HOME PRACTICE: AGREEMENT WITH DAILY DIARIES. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE A WEEKLY YOGA PRACTICE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT DESIGNED TO ASSESS NUMBER OF CLASSES ATTENDED IN THE PREVIOUS WEEK, NUMBER OF TIMES ENGAGED IN FORMAL HOME YOGA PRACTICE, TOTAL NUMBER OF MINUTES ENGAGED IN FORMAL HOME YOGA PRACTICE IN THE PAST WEEK, AND NUMBER OF TIMES ENGAGED IN INFORMAL HOME YOGA PRACTICE. "INFORMAL" PRACTICE WAS DEFINED AS "IN THE MIDDLE OF OTHER ACTIVITIES, YOU SPENT A FEW MOMENTS ENGAGED IN ASANAS/POSTURES, FOCUS ON BREATH, BODY AWARENESS, OR VERY BRIEF MEDITATION, FOR LESS THAN 5 MIN AT A TIME." WE ASSESSED AGREEMENT BETWEEN THIS WEEKLY ASSESSMENT AND A DAILY HOME PRACTICE LOG. DESIGN AND SETTING: SEVENTY-TWO COMMUNITY YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPLETED ONLINE DAILY YOGA LOGS FOR 28 DAYS AS WELL AS THE WEEKLY YOGA PRACTICE ASSESSMENT FOUR TIMES OVER THE 28 DAY PERIOD. RESULTS: WE EXAMINED AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO METHODS ON THE FOUR INDICES OF AMOUNT OF WEEKLY YOGA PRACTICE. WE FOUND ACCEPTABLE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO METHODS FOR NUMBER OF CLASSES, NUMBER OF TIMES ENGAGED IN FORMAL HOME PRACTICE, AND TOTAL NUMBER OF MINUTES ENGAGED IN FORMAL HOME PRACTICE. AGREEMENT WAS LOWER FOR NUMBER OF TIMES ENGAGED IN INFORMAL PRACTICE. CONCLUSIONS: THESE DATA PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR USE OF A WEEKLY YOGA PRACTICE ASSESSMENT TO ASSESS NUMBER OF CLASSES ATTENDED AND AMOUNT OF FORMAL BUT NOT INFORMAL HOME PRACTICE. 2019