1 1816 60 PROGRESSIVE OPTIC NEUROPATHY IN CONGENITAL GLAUCOMA ASSOCIATED WITH THE SIRSASANA YOGA POSTURE. THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE A CASE OF PROGRESSIVE OPTIC NEUROPATHY IN A PATIENT WITH CONGENITAL GLAUCOMA WHO HAD ROUTINELY PRACTICED THE SIRSASANA (HEADSTAND) YOGA POSTURE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. OPHTHALMIC EXAMINATION INCLUDED BEST-CORRECTED VISUAL ACUITY, ANTERIOR SEGMENT EXAMINATION, INDIRECT OPHTHALMOSCOPY, ULTRASOUND PACHYMETRY FOR CENTRAL CORNEAL THICKNESS, AND INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER MAINTAINING THE SIRSASANA POSTURE FOR 5 MINUTES. INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY DURING THE SIRSASANA POSTURE. TRANSIENT ELEVATION IN INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE DURING YOGA EXERCISES MAY LEAD TO PROGRESSIVE GLAUCOMATOUS OPTIC NEUROPATHY, ESPECIALLY IN SUSCEPTIBLE PATIENTS WITH CONGENITAL GLAUCOMA. 2008 2 1813 30 PROGRESSION OF GLAUCOMA ASSOCIATED WITH THE SIRSASANA (HEADSTAND) YOGA POSTURE. THIS ARTICLE REPORTS A CASE OF PROGRESSIVE GLAUCOMATOUS OPTIC NEUROPATHY AND VISUAL FIELD LOSS THAT OCCURRED IN A PATIENT WHO PRACTICED THE SIRSASANA (HEADSTAND) YOGA POSTURE ON A DAILY BASIS FOR MANY YEARS. VISUAL FIELD ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED THROUGH STANDARD AUTOMATED PERIMETRY. INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE (IOP) WAS MEASURED THROUGH PNEUMOTONOMETRY IN THE SITTING POSITION AND IN THE HEAD-DOWN POSITION. STEREO-OPTIC DISC PHOTOGRAPHS WERE OBTAINED. IOP INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE HEAD-DOWN POSITION. OPTIC DISC EVALUATION REVEALED A NEW DISC HEMORRHAGE IN THE LEFT EYE. VISUAL FIELD ANALYSIS OVER A PERIOD OF 2 Y SHOWED PROGRESSION OF A SUPERIOR ARCUATE DEFECT IN THE LEFT EYE. TRANSIENT INCREASES IN IOP ASSOCIATED WITH THE YOGA HEADSTAND POSTURE MAY LEAD TO PROGRESSIVE GLAUCOMATOUS OPTIC NERVE DAMAGE AND VISUAL FIELD LOSS. 2006 3 140 15 A PROSPECTIVE STUDY ON TYPE-2 DIABETIC COMPLICATIONS AND EFFICACY OF INTEGRATED YOGA: A PAN INDIA 2017. BACKGROUND: TYPE 2 DIABETES (T2DM) CONTRIBUTES TO HIGH MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY BECAUSE OF ITS MAJOR COMPLICATIONS RELATED TO KIDNEY, HEART, BRAIN, AND EYES. IT ALSO POSES A HIGH RISK FOR MORTALITY BECAUSE OF COVID-19. STUDIES SUGGEST THE POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS OF YOGA IN DELAYING OR ATTENUATING SUCH COMPLICATIONS. METHODOLOGY: THIS WAS A PAN-INDIA MULTI CENTERED CLUSTER-RANDOMIZED (4 LEVEL) TWO-ARMED TRIAL IN THE RURAL AND URBAN POPULATION OF ALL POPULOUS STATES OF INDIA. DATA WERE OBTAINED USING MOBILE APP IN ALL ADULTS IN THE HOUSEHOLD OF THE SELECTED CLUSTERS. RESULTS: WE REPORT THE DIABETES RELATED COMPLICATIONS IN 16623 ADULTS (48% MALES, 52% FEMALES) FROM 65 DISTRICTS (1 IN 10 DISTRICTS, 2011 CENSUS) OF 29 (OUT OF 35) STATES AND UNION TERRITORIES OF INDIA; MEAN AGE WAS 48.2 +/- 12.46 YEARS. OUT OF THIS 40% LIVED IN RURAL AND 62% IN URBAN LOCATIONS. IN HIGH RISK DIABETES INDIVIDUALS (SCORED >/= 60 POINTS ON INDIAN DIABETES RISK SCORE KEY), 18.0% HAD SELF-REPORTED HISTORY OF (PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY, 6.1% HAD H/O MAJOR STROKES, 5.5% HAD MINOR STROKES (TRANSIENT ISCHEMIC EPISODES), 18.1% HAD LOWER LIMB CLAUDICATION, 20.5% LEG ULCERS, 4.4% HAD H/O CARDIAC SURGERY, 4.8% ANGIOPLASTY, AND 15.1% HAD DIABETES RETINOPATHY. COMPLICATIONS WERE HIGHER IN RURAL THAN IN URBAN AREAS, HIGHER IN PEOPLE WITH EXTENDED DURATION OF DIABETES. INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE FOR THREE MONTHS (ONE HOUR DAILY) SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER REDUCTION IN SYMPTOMS RELATED TO COMPLICATIONS AS COMPARED TO CONTROL GROUP (P < .001). CONCLUSION: THE ALARMING HIGH PREVALENCE OF COMPLICATIONS IN DIABETES POPULATION CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION, WHERE YOGA MAY SHOW THE BENEFITS IN REDUCTION OF SYMPTOMS OF COMPLICATIONS. 2021 4 2386 18 YOGA AIDS BLOOD PRESSURE RECOVERY AFTER EXPOSURE OF FOREHEAD TO COLD: A PILOT STUDY. CONTEXT: HYPOTENSION THAT OCCURS AFTER A SINGLE BOUT OF AEROBIC EXERCISE ALSO ATTENUATES THE VASCULAR RESPONSE TO DISCRETE STRESSORS, AN EFFECT THAT CAN LAST FOR HOURS. IT IS UNKNOWN WHETHER THE HYPOTENSIVE BENEFITS OF TRADITIONAL EXERCISE EXTEND TO ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF MINDFUL EXERCISE, SUCH AS YOGA, TO CONFER TRANSIENT PROTECTION AGAINST NEUROVASCULAR CHALLENGES THAT INCREASE BLOOD PRESSURE (BP). OBJECTIVES: THE STUDY INTENDED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF ACUTE EXERCISE ON NEUROVASCULAR RESPONSES TO EXPOSURE OF THE FOREHEAD OF FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS TO VASOCONSTRICTIVE COLD (IE, TO COLD PRESSOR STRESS). DESIGN: THE RESEARCH TEAM DESIGNED A STUDY WITH 3 CONDITIONS (IE, WITH PARTICIPANTS' PARTICIPATION IN 3 ACTIVITIES ON SEPARATE DAYS IN A REPEATED-MEASURES DESIGN). PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO PERFORM THE ACTIVITIES IN 1 OF 3 ORDERS ACROSS SUCCESSIVE VISITS. PARTICIPANTS: PARTICIPANTS WERE 9 FEMALES, 20 TO 33 Y OLD, WHO HAD REGULARLY PRACTICED HATHA YOGA FROM 6 MO TO 12 Y BEFORE THE START OF THE STUDY. ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE NORMOTENSIVE AT ENTRY TO THE STUDY AND HAD NORMAL BODY WEIGHTS FOR THEIR HEIGHTS. INTERVENTIONS: ALL PARTICIPANTS PERFORMED 3 ACTIVITIES: (1) SELF-DIRECTED YOGA PRACTICE, THE INTERVENTION; (2) CYCLING EXERCISE AT A SELF-SELECTED INTENSITY, A POSITIVE CONTROL; AND (3) QUIET REST, A NEGATIVE CONTROL. OUTCOME MEASURES: POSTINTERVENTION, PARTICIPANTS' FOREHEADS WERE EXPOSED TO COLD. THEIR SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES (SBPS), DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES (DBPS), PULSE RATES, AND FOREARM OXYGENATION WERE ASSESSED USING NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS' SBPS AND DBPS INCREASED DURING COLD PRESSOR STRESS UNDER ALL CONDITIONS, CONCURRENT WITH DECREASED FOREARM OXYGENATION. DURING RECOVERY FROM THE COLD, PARTICIPANTS' BPS DECLINED TO NEAR PRECOLD PRESSOR BASELINE LEVELS AFTER YOGA AND CYCLING BUT REMAINED ELEVATED AFTER QUIET REST. CONCLUSIONS: THE ENHANCED RECOVERY OF BP FROM COLD APPLIED TO THE FOREHEAD AFTER YOGA PRACTICE OR CYCLING EXERCISE SUGGESTS THAT BOTH TYPES OF EXERCISE PROMOTE A HYPOTENSIVE RESPONSE, WHICH COULD INDICATE LOWERED CARDIOVASCULAR RISK. 2018 5 1498 29 INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE CHANGES AND OCULAR BIOMETRY DURING SIRSASANA (HEADSTAND POSTURE) IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. PURPOSE: TO STUDY THE INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE (IOP) CHANGES IN SIRSASANA (HEADSTAND POSTURE) DONE BY EXPERIENCED YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND CORRELATE THE OCULAR BIOMETRIC PARAMETERS WITH THE IOP CHANGES, AND TO SCREEN FOR THE PREVALENCE OF OCULAR HYPERTENSION IN THIS GROUP OF SUBJECTS. DESIGN: PROSPECTIVE CASE OBSERVATIONAL SERIES. PARTICIPANTS: SEVENTY-FIVE SUBJECTS (50 ASIAN INDIANS AND 25 CAUCASIANS) FROM A YOGA TRAINING INSTITUTE VOLUNTEERED FOR THE STUDY. METHODS: ALL PARTICIPANTS UNDERWENT A DETAILED OPHTHALMIC EXAMINATION ALONG WITH OCULAR BIOMETRY AND CORNEAL PACHYMETRY. INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE WAS RECORDED USING A TONOPEN BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE SIRSASANA. CHANGES WERE COMPARED USING THE PAIRED T TEST. AGE, AXIAL LENGTH, ANTERIOR CHAMBER DEPTH, LENS THICKNESS, CORNEAL CURVATURE, CORNEAL THICKNESS, RACE, AND THE LENGTH OF TIME FOR WHICH THE PRACTITIONER WAS PERFORMING YOGA WERE CORRELATED WITH THE INDUCED IOP DIFFERENCE IN A RANDOMLY SELECTED EYE USING PEARSON'S CORRELATION COEFFICIENT WITH BONFERRONI CORRECTION FOR MULTIPLE COMPARISONS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: OCULAR BIOMETRY AND INDUCED IOP DIFFERENCE. RESULTS: THE MEAN INCREASE IN IOP AT BASELINE AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER ASSUMING SIRSASANA WAS 15.1+/-4.1 MMHG (R = 0.07; P = 0.999) AND AFTER 5 MINUTES WAS 15.8+/-4.6 MMHG (R = -0.25; P = 0.357). THE INDUCED INCREASE IN IOP DURING THE POSTURE WAS TWICE THE BASELINE IOP. THERE WAS NO CORRELATION BETWEEN AGE, OCULAR BIOMETRY, AND ULTRASOUND PACHYMETRY WHEN COMPARED WITH THE INDUCED IOP DIFFERENCE. ONE SUBJECT (1.33%) WAS FOUND TO HAVE BASELINE IOP OF MORE THAN 21 MMHG. CONCLUSION: THERE WAS A UNIFORM 2-FOLD INCREASE IN THE IOP DURING SIRSASANA, WHICH WAS MAINTAINED DURING THE POSTURE IN ALL AGE GROUPS IRRESPECTIVE OF THE OCULAR BIOMETRY AND ULTRASOUND PACHYMETRY. WE DID NOT DEMONSTRATE A HIGHER PREVALENCE OF OCULAR HYPERTENSIVES IN THIS COHORT OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS NOR DID THE RISK FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO GLAUCOMA SHOW ANY CORRELATION WITH MAGNITUDE OF IOP RAISE DURING THE POSTURE. 2006 6 2065 17 THE CARDIOVASCULAR VARIABILITY DURING TRANSIENT 6 DEGREES HEAD DOWN TILT AND SLOW BREATHING IN YOGA EXPERIENCED HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS. OBJECTIVE: THE INTERVENTION OF YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE AUTONOMIC CONDITIONING IN HUMANS AND BETTER ADAPTABILITY TO ORTHOSTATIC CHALLENGES. SIMILARLY, SLOW BREATHING AT 0.1 HZ AKIN TO PRANAYAMA ALSO INCREASES BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY (BRS). HENCE, WE INTENDED TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAVE DIFFERENT AUTONOMIC RESPONSES AT REST,DURING SLOW DEEP BREATHINGAS WELL AS DURING 6 DEGREES HEAD DOWN TILT (HDT) COMPARED TO NAIVE GROUP INDIVIDUALS. AIM: THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF SLOW BREATHING ON CARDIOVASCULAR VARIABILITY DURING HDT IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPARED TO YOGA-NAIVE INDIVIDUALS. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: THIS WAS A COMPARATIVE STUDY WITH REPEATED MEASURES DESIGN CONDUCTED IN AUTONOMIC FUNCTION TEST LAB OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY, ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, NEW DELHI, INDIA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TIME DOMAIN AND FREQUENCY DOMAIN PARAMETERS OF HEART RATE VARIABILITY, BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY (BPV), AND BRS WERE EVALUATED DURING 6 DEGREES HDT AND SLOW BREATHING AT 0.1 HZ ON FORTY YOGA-NAIVE INDIVIDUALS AND FORTY YOGA PRACTITIONERS WITH AN AVERAGE AGE OF 31.08 +/- 7.31 YEARS AND 29.93 +/- 7.57 YEARS, RESPECTIVELY. ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS WERE HEALTHY. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: GENERAL LINEAR MIXED MODEL ANOVA WAS APPLIED WITH YOGA EXPERIENCE AS A BETWEEN-GROUP FACTOR IN REPEATED MEASURES. INDEPENDENT SAMPLE T-TEST WAS APPLIED FOR BETWEEN GROUP COMPARISON OF RESPIRATORY RATE, DEMOGRAPHIC, AND ANTHROPOMETRIC DATA. P <0.05 IS CONSIDERED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. RESULTS: BETWEEN-GROUP COMPARISON DURING HDT WITH SPONTANEOUS BREATHING HAS SHOWN A SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER HEART RATE (P = 0.004) WITH HIGHER RR INTERVAL (RRI) (P = 0.002) AND PNN50% (P = 0.019) IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THE SEQUENCE BRS (P < 0.0001) AND ALPHA LOW FREQUENCY (LF) OF SPECTRAL BRS (P = 0.035) WERE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED TO THE NAIVE GROUP. SIMILARLY, DURING HDT WITH SLOW BREATHING, THE HEART RATE WAS LOWER (P = 0.01); WITH HIGHER RRI (P = 0.009); PNN50% (P = 0.048). STANDARD DEVIATION OF SUCCESSIVE RR INTERVAL DIFFERENCE OF SYSTOLIC BPV WAS LOWER (P = 0.024) WITH HIGHER SEQUENCE BRS (P = 0.001) AND ALPHA LF OF SPECTRAL BRS (P = 0.002) IN YOGA GROUP THAN NAIVE GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE YOGA EXPERIENCED INDIVIDUALS EXHIBIT HIGHER RESTING PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY, LOWER SYSTOLIC BPV, AND HIGHER BRS THAN NAIVE TO YOGA INDIVIDUALS. IT IS INFERRED FROM THE FINDINGS THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE BETTER ADAPTED TO TRANSIENT CEPHALAD FLUID SHIFT THAT HAPPENS DURING 6 DEGREES HDT. FURTHERMORE, ACUTE SLOW BREATHING DURING 6 DEGREES HDT REDUCED THE SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE IN ALL THE PARTICIPANTS SUGGESTING THE BENEFICIAL ROLE OF SLOW BREATHING DURING EXPOSURE TO EXTREME CONDITIONS SUCH AS MICROGRAVITY WHICH MIGHT HELP IN THE PREVENTION OF ADVERSE EFFECTS OF CEPHALAD FLUID SHIFT DURING LONG-TERM WEIGHTLESSNESS AND MAINTAIN THE ASTRONAUT HEALTH. FUTURE MECHANISTIC STUDIES WITH ACTIVE YOGA INTERVENTION ARE NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND THE ADAPTIVE MECHANISMS INVOLVING CENTRAL AND VASCULAR MODULATIONS CONTRIBUTING TO EITHER ATTENUATION OR ACCENTUATION OF THE CARDIOVAGAL BAROREFLEX DURING HDT AND SLOW BREATHING IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS. 2021 7 1099 16 EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON POSTURAL STABILITY IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA-SPECTRUM DISORDERS: A SINGLE-BLIND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: POSTURAL INSTABILITY IS A SERIOUS CONCERN IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA-SPECTRUM DISORDERS SINCE IT IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE THE RISK OF FALLS THAT MAY LEAD TO FRACTURES. THE IMPACT OF YOGA THERAPY ON POSTURAL STABILITY HAS NOT BEEN INVESTIGATED. METHODS: IN THIS EIGHT-WEEK SINGLE-BLIND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY WITH AN EIGHT-WEEK FOLLOW-UP, OUTPATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA OR RELATED PSYCHOTIC DISORDER (ICD-10) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER YOGA THERAPY OR A CONTROL GROUP. IN THE YOGA THERAPY GROUP, THE SUBJECTS RECEIVED WEEKLY SESSIONS OF 60-MIN YOGA THERAPY FOR EIGHT WEEKS IN ADDITION TO THEIR ONGOING TREATMENT. IN THE CONTROL GROUP, THE SUBJECTS RECEIVED A WEEKLY REGULAR DAY-CARE PROGRAM. THE ASSESSMENTS THAT WERE PERFORMED AT THE BASELINE AND ENDPOINT INCLUDED THE CLINICAL STABILOMETRIC PLATFORM (CSP), ANTEFLEXION IN STANDING. RESULTS: FORTY-NINE PATIENTS PARTICIPATED IN THIS STUDY (32 MEN; MEAN +/- SD AGE, 53.1 +/- 12.3 YEARS): YOGA THERAPY GROUP (N = 25) AND CONTROL GROUP (N = 24). IN THE YOGA GROUP, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE OBSERVED IN A TOTAL LENGTH OF TRUNK MOTION, THE ROMBERG RATIO, AND ANTEFLEXION IN STANDING AT WEEK 8 (MEAN +/- SD: 63.9 +/- 40.7-53.4 +/- 26.2 CM, 1.6 +/- 0.9-1.1 +/- 0.6, AND -8.7 +/- 9.5 TO -3.8 +/- 12.4 CM, RESPECTIVELY) WHILE THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE CONTROL GROUP. HOWEVER, THOSE CLINICAL GAINS RETURNED TO THE BASELINE LEVEL AT WEEK 16. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS CONFIRMED THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF THE YOGA THERAPY ON POSTURAL STABILITY IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. HOWEVER, THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS SEEMED TRANSIENT, WHICH WARRANTS FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS ON STRATEGIES TO SUSTAIN THE IMPROVEMENTS. 2013 8 1465 16 INJURIES AND OTHER ADVERSE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES. OBJECTIVES: TO SYSTEMATICALLY ASSESS THE PREVALENCE OF YOGA-ASSOCIATED INJURIES AND OTHER ADVERSE EVENTS IN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES. DESIGN: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES. METHODS: MEDLINE/PUBMED, SCOPUS, THE COCHRANE LIBRARY, AND INDMED WERE SEARCHED THROUGH OCTOBER 2016 FOR EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES ASSESSING THE PREVALENCE OF ADVERSE EVENTS OF YOGA PRACTICE OR COMPARING THE RISK OF ANY ADVERSE EVENTS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS. RESULTS: NINE OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES WITH A TOTAL 9129 YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND 9903 NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE INCLUDED. INCIDENCE PROPORTION OF ADVERSE EVENTS DURING A YOGA CLASS WAS 22.7% (95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL [CI]=21.1%-24.3%); 12-MONTHS PREVALENCE WAS 4.6% (95%CI=3.8%-5.4%), AND LIFETIME PREVALENCE RANGED FROM 21.3% (95%CI=19.7%-22.9%) TO 61.8% (95%CI=52.8%-70.8%) OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS. SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS OCCURRED IN 1.9% (95%CI=1.4%-2.4%). THE MOST COMMON ADVERSE EVENTS RELATED TO THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM; THE MOST COMMON INJURIES WERE SPRAINS AND STRAINS. COMPARED TO NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS, YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD A COMPARABLE RISK OF FALLS (ODDS RATIO [OR]=0.90; 95%CI=0.76-1.08), AND FALLS-RELATED INJURIES (OR=1.04; 95%CI=0.83-1.29), AND HIGHER RISK OF MENISCUS INJURIES (OR=1.72; 95%CI=1.23-2.41). CONCLUSIONS: A CONSIDERABLE PROPORTION OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS EXPERIENCED INJURIES OR OTHER ADVERSE EVENTS; HOWEVER MOST WERE MILD AND TRANSIENT AND RISKS WERE COMPARABLE TO THOSE OF NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THERE IS NO NEED TO DISCOURAGE YOGA PRACTICE FOR HEALTHY PEOPLE. PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS ACUTE OR CHRONIC ILLNESSES SHOULD SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE BEFORE PRACTICING YOGA. 2018 9 2299 15 THERAPEUTIC YOGA FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC NONSPECIFIC NECK PAIN: CURRENT EVIDENCE AND MECHANISMS. CHRONIC NONSPECIFIC NECK PAIN (CNNP), WHICH IS NECK PAIN IN THE ABSENCE OF ATTRIBUTABLE STRUCTURAL AND NEUROLOGICAL FINDINGS, IS OFTEN CHALLENGING FOR MEDICAL AND REHABILITATION PROFESSIONALS TO TREAT. CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS SUCH AS MEDICATIONS AND PHYSICAL THERAPY OFTEN FAIL TO PROVIDE LASTING RELIEF, WHICH LEADS PATIENTS TO PURSUE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES SUCH AS YOGA. THIS REVIEW DISCUSSES THE EVIDENCE FROM NINE STUDIES, INCLUDING FOUR RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT A SUPERVISED YOGA PROGRAM MAY DECREASE PAIN INTENSITY, DISABILITY, AND MOOD SYMPTOMS IN ADULTS WITH CNNP. CERVICAL RANGE OF MOTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE (BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL) MAY ALSO IMPROVE WITH YOGA INTERVENTION, ALTHOUGH THIS IS LESS CONSISTENT ACROSS STUDIES. EVIDENCE OF YOGA'S SUPERIORITY TO OTHER EXERCISE-BASED PRACTICES SUCH AS PILATES WAS CONFLICTING. ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA, SUCH AS EXACERBATION OF NECK PAIN, WERE RELATIVELY UNCOMMON, MINOR, AND OFTEN TRANSIENT. THIS ARTICLE ALSO COMPREHENSIVELY REVIEWS THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF CNNP, THERAPEUTIC MECHANISMS OF YOGA, AND LIMITATIONS IN THE EVIDENCE (INCLUDING RISK-OF-BIAS ASSESSMENT). FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD ATTEMPT TO: (1) COMPARE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT LINEAGES OF YOGA FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH CNNP, (2) DETERMINE THE OPTIMAL LENGTH AND DURATION OF THESE YOGA INTERVENTIONS, (3) BETTER CHARACTERIZE THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF YOGA, (4) COMPARE YOGA TO OTHER EXERCISE- AND MINDFULNESS-BASED PRACTICES, (5) EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON SLEEP IN THE CNNP POPULATION, AND (6) EXPLORE THE APPLICABILITY/EFFICACY OF VIRTUAL YOGA INSTRUCTION. 2022 10 690 13 EFFECT OF COMBINED YOGA AND TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION INTERVENTION ON WORKING MEMORY AND MINDFULNESS. TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT STIMULATION, A NON-INVASIVE NEUROSTIMULATION TECHNIQUE FOR MODULATING CORTICAL EXCITABILITY, AND YOGA HAVE BOTH RESPECTIVELY BEEN SHOWN TO POSITIVELY AFFECT COGNITION. WHILE PRELIMINARY RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT COMBINED TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT STIMULATION AND MEDITATION MAY HAVE SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS ON MOOD AND COGNITION, THIS WAS THE FIRST STUDY TO EXPLORE THE COMBINATION OF TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT STIMULATION AND YOGA. TWENTY-TWO HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS WITH A REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE WERE RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE EITHER ACTIVE TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT STIMULATION (ANODAL LEFT, CATHODAL RIGHT DORSOLATERAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX) FOLLOWED BY YOGA INTERVENTION OR SHAM TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT STIMULATION FOLLOWED BY YOGA INTERVENTION A DOUBLE-BLIND, CROSS-OVER DESIGN OVER TWO SEPARATE INTERVENTION DAYS. OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED WORKING MEMORY PERFORMANCE, MEASURED WITH THE N-BACK TASK AND MINDFULNESS STATE, MEASURED WITH THE TORONTO MINDFULNESS SCALE, AND WERE CONDUCTED OFFLINE, WITH PRE-POST ASSESSMENTS. TWENTY PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED BOTH DAYS OF THE INTERVENTION. ACTIVE TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT STIMULATION DID NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON WORKING MEMORY OR LEVELS OF MINDFULNESS. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT PLACEBO EFFECT, WITH BETTER PERFORMANCE ON DAY 1 OF THE INTERVENTION, IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED ACTIVE OR SHAM TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT STIMULATION. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACTIVE VERSUS SHAM TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT STIMULATION CONCERNING WORKING MEMORY PERFORMANCE AND MINDFULNESS, WHICH MAY BE ACCOUNTED BY THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, THE TRANSIENT NATURE OF THE INTERVENTION, THE FACT THAT YOGA AND TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT STIMULATION CONCERNING WERE NOT CONDUCTED SIMULTANEOUSLY, AND THE SPECIFIC SITE OF STIMULATION. 2021 11 1249 14 FEASIBILITY STUDY OF A MODIFIED YOGA PROGRAM FOR CHRONIC PAIN AMONG ELDERLY ADULTS IN ASSISTED AND INDEPENDENT LIVING. CONTEXT: YOGA IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE IN ELDERS >/=65 YEARS, BUT STUDIES AMONG ELDERS WITH CHRONIC PAIN ARE LIMITED. OBJECTIVE: CONDUCT A FEASIBILITY STUDY OF GENTLE YOGA AMONG ELDERS IN ASSISTED AND INDEPENDENT LIVING. DESIGN: SINGLE ARM PRE/POST CLINICAL TRIAL. SUBJECTS: ADULTS (>/=65 YEARS OF AGE) WITH SELF-IDENTIFIED CHRONIC PAIN (>/=3 ON A 10-POINT SCALE, LASTING FOR >/=3 MONTHS) AND NO CURRENT YOGA PRACTICE. INTERVENTION: TEN WEEKLY 60-MIN GENTLE YOGA CLASSES TAILORED TO ELDERLY ADULTS. OUTCOME MEASURES: AT BASELINE, WEEKS 5, 10 (END OF INTERVENTION), AND 20 (FOLLOW-UP), WE COLLECTED DATA ON FEASIBILITY (ADHERENCE, RETENTION, SAFETY), PAIN, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, AND PHYSICAL FUNCTION. RESULTS: TWENTY-SIX PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED (88% WOMEN, 77% WHITE, 58% IN ASSISTED LIVING) WITH AVERAGE AGE OF 86.6 +/- 4.4 (MEAN, STD). TWENTY PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION, WITH 90% ADHERING (COMPLETING >/=6 CLASSES). NINE PARTICIPANTS (45% OF COMPLETERS) EXPERIENCED ADVERSE EVENTS, WHICH WERE NON-SERIOUS AND RELATED TO TRANSIENT MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN. NO ADVERSE EVENTS RESULTED IN STUDY WITHDRAWAL. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED BEING SOMEWHAT LIKELY TO RECOMMEND YOGA TO A FRIEND, AND QUITE A BIT LIKELY TO DO YOGA AGAIN. AT THE END OF THE INTERVENTION, FOUR OF TWENTY PARTICIPANTS REPORTED PRACTICING YOGA OUTSIDE OF CLASS. ANXIETY SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED FROM 5.80 (SE=0.90) TO 4.44 (SE=0.74) (P = 0.014), BUT THERE WERE NO CHANGES IN OTHER MEASURES. CONCLUSIONS: OUR PILOT 10-WEEK YOGA STUDY WAS GENERALLY SAFE FOR AND SUITABLE TO ASSISTED AND INDEPENDENT LIVING ELDERLY ADULTS. FUTURE STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO EXAMINE OTHER EFFECTS OF YOGA IN ASSISTED/INDEPENDENT LIVING ADULTS WITH CHRONIC PAIN. 2022 12 292 17 ADVERSE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF PUBLISHED CASE REPORTS AND CASE SERIES. WHILE YOGA IS GAINING INCREASED POPULARITY IN NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE, ITS SAFETY HAS BEEN QUESTIONED IN THE LAY PRESS. THE AIM OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WAS TO ASSESS PUBLISHED CASE REPORTS AND CASE SERIES ON ADVERSE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA. MEDLINE/PUBMED, SCOPUS, CAMBASE, INDMED AND THE CASES DATABASE WERE SCREENED THROUGH FEBRUARY 2013; AND 35 CASE REPORTS AND 2 CASE SERIES REPORTING A TOTAL OF 76 CASES WERE INCLUDED. TEN CASES HAD MEDICAL PRECONDITIONS, MAINLY GLAUCOMA AND OSTEOPENIA. PRANAYAMA, HATHA YOGA, AND BIKRAM YOGA WERE THE MOST COMMON YOGA PRACTICES; HEADSTAND, SHOULDER STAND, LOTUS POSITION, AND FORCEFUL BREATHING WERE THE MOST COMMON YOGA POSTURES AND BREATHING TECHNIQUES CITED. TWENTY-SEVEN ADVERSE EVENTS (35.5%) AFFECTED THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM; 14 (18.4%) THE NERVOUS SYSTEM; AND 9 (11.8%) THE EYES. FIFTEEN CASES (19.7%) REACHED FULL RECOVERY; 9 CASES (11.3%) PARTIAL RECOVERY; 1 CASE (1.3%) NO RECOVERY; AND 1 CASE (1.3%) DIED. AS ANY OTHER PHYSICAL OR MENTAL PRACTICE, YOGA SHOULD BE PRACTICED CAREFULLY UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF A QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR. BEGINNERS SHOULD AVOID EXTREME PRACTICES SUCH AS HEADSTAND, LOTUS POSITION AND FORCEFUL BREATHING. INDIVIDUALS WITH MEDICAL PRECONDITIONS SHOULD WORK WITH THEIR PHYSICIAN AND YOGA TEACHER TO APPROPRIATELY ADAPT POSTURES; PATIENTS WITH GLAUCOMA SHOULD AVOID INVERSIONS AND PATIENTS WITH COMPROMISED BONE SHOULD AVOID FORCEFUL YOGA PRACTICES. 2013 13 1499 22 INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE RISE IN SUBJECTS WITH AND WITHOUT GLAUCOMA DURING FOUR COMMON YOGA POSITIONS. PURPOSE: TO MEASURE CHANGES IN INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE (IOP) IN ASSOCIATION WITH YOGA EXERCISES WITH A HEAD-DOWN POSITION. METHODS: THE SINGLE CENTER, PROSPECTIVE, OBSERVATIONAL STUDY INCLUDED 10 SUBJECTS WITH PRIMARY OPEN-ANGLE GLAUCOMA AND 10 NORMAL INDIVIDUALS, WHO PERFORMED THE YOGA EXERCISES OF ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA, UTTANASANA, HALASANA AND VIPARITA KARANI FOR TWO MINUTES EACH. IOP WAS MEASURED BY PNEUMATONOMETRY AT BASELINE AND DURING AND AFTER THE EXERCISES. RESULTS: ALL YOGA POSES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH A SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.01) RISE IN IOP WITHIN ONE MINUTE AFTER ASSUMING THE YOGA POSITION. THE HIGHEST IOP INCREASE (P < 0.01) WAS MEASURED IN THE ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA POSITION (IOP INCREASE FROM 17 +/- 3.2 MMHG TO 28 +/- 3.8 MMHG IN GLAUCOMA PATIENTS; FROM 17 +/- 2.8 MMHG TO 29 +/- 3.9 MMHG IN NORMAL INDIVIDUALS), FOLLOWED BY THE UTTANASANA POSITION (17 +/- 3.9 MMHG TO 27 +/- 3.4 MMHG (GLAUCOMA PATIENTS) AND FROM 18 +/- 2.5 MMHG TO 26 +/- 3.6 MMHG NORMAL INDIVIDUALS)), THE HALASANA POSITION (18 +/- 2.8 MMHG TO 24 +/- 3.5 MMHG (GLAUCOMA PATIENTS); 18 +/- 2.7 MMHG TO 22 +/- 3.4 MMHG (NORMAL INDIVIDUALS)), AND FINALLY THE VIPARITA KIRANI POSITION (17 +/- 4 MMHG TO 21 +/- 3.6 MMHG (GLAUCOMA PATIENTS); 17 +/- 2.8 TO 21 +/- 2.4 MMHG (NORMAL INDIVIDUALS)). IOP DROPPED BACK TO BASELINE VALUES WITHIN TWO MINUTES AFTER RETURNING TO A SITTING POSITION. OVERALL, IOP RISE WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN GLAUCOMA AND NORMAL SUBJECTS (P = 0.813), ALL THOUGH GLAUCOMA EYES TENDED TO HAVE MEASUREMENTS 2 MM HG HIGHER ON AVERAGE. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA EXERCISES WITH HEAD-DOWN POSITIONS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH A RAPID RISE IN IOP IN GLAUCOMA AND HEALTHY EYES. IOP RETURNED TO BASELINE VALUES WITHIN 2 MINUTES. FUTURE STUDIES ARE WARRANTED ADDRESSING WHETHER YOGA EXERCISE ASSOCIATED IOP CHANGES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SIMILAR CHANGES IN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID PRESSURE AND WHETHER THEY INCREASE THE RISK OF GLAUCOMA PROGRESSION. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV #NCT01915680. 2015 14 1701 14 PARTICIPATION IN A YOGA STUDY DECREASES STRESS AND DEPRESSION SCORES FOR INCARCERATED WOMEN. INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS EXHIBIT A HIGH INCIDENCE OF STRESS-RELATED DISORDERS, INCLUDING ADDICTION AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD), AS WELL AS THE ADDED STRESS OF CAPTIVITY. ACCESS TO STRESS-REDUCTION TOOLS IS LIMITED FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS. ONE POSSIBLE APPROACH MAY BE REGULAR STRUCTURED YOGA CLASSES. USING TWO APPROACHES, WE TESTED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A BRIEF, INTENSIVE YOGA INTERVENTION IN A POPULATION OF INCARCERATED WOMEN IN A COUNTY JAIL. THE FIRST APPROACH WAS AN EXAMINATION OF ARCHIVAL DATA COLLECTED AS PART OF A PROGRAM ANALYSIS. INDIVIDUALS SHOWED CONSIDERABLE REDUCTION IN SELF-REPORTED STRESS FOLLOWING A SINGLE YOGA SESSION. THE SECOND APPROACH WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY USING A WEEK-LONG YOGA INTERVENTION. THIRTY-FOUR PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE YOGA OR CONTROL GROUP FOR THE FIRST WEEK. IN THE SECOND WEEK, THE CONDITIONS WERE REVERSED. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED WEEKLY, BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. BASELINE SCORES REVEALED HIGH RATES OF DEPRESSION, STRESS, AND EXPOSURE TO TRAUMATIC LIFE EVENTS COMPARED TO NORMATIVE DATA. STRESS AND DEPRESSION WERE ASSESSED USING THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE AND BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, RESPECTIVELY. COMPARED TO CONTROLS, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED LESS DEPRESSION AFTER A WEEK OF DAILY YOGA SESSIONS. PERCEIVED STRESS DECLINED UNDER BOTH CONTROL AND YOGA CONDITIONS. DUE TO THE TRANSIENT NATURE OF THE JAIL INSTITUTION, IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXAMINE INTERVENTIONS THAT CAN BE PROVIDED ON A SHORT-TERM BASIS. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE LIMITATIONS IN THIS STUDY, THE RESULTS SUPPORT THE CONCLUSION THAT THE BRIEF YOGA INTERVENTION HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON PARTICIPANTS' WELL-BEING. 2021 15 892 15 EFFECT OF YOGA-BASED OCULAR EXERCISES IN LOWERING OF INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE IN GLAUCOMA PATIENTS: AN AFFIRMATIVE PROPOSITION. GLAUCOMA IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF IRREVERSIBLE BLINDNESS WORLDWIDE, WITH >65 MILLION SUFFERERS. IT IS INCURABLE AND THE ONLY THERAPEUTIC APPROACH ACCEPTED TILL NOW IS THE LOWERING OF INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE (IOP) MEDICALLY AND/OR SURGICALLY. THESE KNOWN INTERVENTIONS MIGHT HAVE MANY SIDE EFFECTS AND COMPLICATIONS. YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS ARE NOW WELL ACCEPTED AS ALTERNATIVE THERAPY IN MANY CHRONIC DISEASES. THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN GLAUCOMA, HOWEVER, HAVE NOT BEEN STUDIED ADEQUATELY. ACCOMMODATION (THE PROCESS OF ADJUSTMENT OF OPTICAL POWER TO MAINTAIN CLEAR VISION) OF EYES LEADS TO INSTANT LOWERING OF IOP. THEREFORE, WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT ONE OF THE YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS, TRATAK KRIYA, WHICH INCLUDES OCULAR EXERCISES MIGHT LEAD TO LOWERING OF IOP IN GLAUCOMA PATIENTS. THE PROPOSED TRATAK KRIYA LEADS TO CONTRACTION AND RELAXATION OF CILIARY MUSCLES WHICH MIGHT INCREASE OUTFLOW OF AQUEOUS HUMOR. IN ADDITION, THIS YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MIGHT DECREASE STRESS AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE IN GLAUCOMA PATIENTS. 2018 16 2759 13 YOGA PRACTITIONERS EXHIBIT HIGHER PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY AND BETTER ADAPTABILITY TO 40 MM HG LOWER-BODY NEGATIVE PRESSURE. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE AUTONOMIC CONDITIONING IN HUMANS, AS EVIDENCED BY THE ENHANCEMENT OF PARASYM-PATHETIC ACTIVITY AND BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY. THEREFORE, WE HYPOTHESIZED THAT THE EXPERIENCE OF YOGA MAY RESULT IN ADAPTATION TO ACUTE HEMODYNAMIC CHANGES. TO DECIPHER THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF YOGA ON CARDIOVASCULAR VARIABILITY, YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE COMPARED TO YOGA-NAIVE SUBJECTS DURING EXPOSURE TO -40 MM HG LOWER-BODY NEGATIVE PRESSURE (LBNP). A COMPARATIVE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED ON 40 YOGANAIVE SUBJECTS AND 40 YOGA PRACTITIONERS WITH AN AVERAGE AGE OF 31.08 +/- 7.31 YEARS AND 29.93 +/- 7.57 YEARS, RESPECTIVELY. HEART RATE VARIABILITY, BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY, BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY, AND CORRELATION BETWEEN SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE AND RR INTERVAL WERE EVALUATED AT REST AND DURING LBNP. IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS, THE HEART RATE WAS LOWER IN SUPINE REST (P = 0.011) AND DURING LBNP (P = 0.043); THE PNN50 MEASURE OF HEART RATE VARIABILITY WAS HIGHER IN SUPINE REST (P = 0.011) AND DURING LBNP (P = 0.034). THE YOGA PRACTITIONERS' STANDARD DEVIATION OF SUCCESSIVE BEAT-TO-BEAT BLOOD PRESSURE INTERVALS OF SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY WAS LOWER IN SUPINE REST (P = 0.034) AND DURING LBNP (P = 0.007), WITH HIGHER SEQUENCE BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY (P = 0.019) AND ~ HIGH-FREQUENCY BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY. MEAN SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE AND RR INTERVAL WERE INVERSELY CORRELATED IN THE YOGA GROUP (R = -0.317, P = 0.049). THE YOGA PRACTITIONERS EXHIBITED HIGHER PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY WITH LOWER SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY, INDICATING BETTER ADAPTABILITY TO LBNP COMPARED TO THE YOGA-NAIVE GROUP. OUR FINDINGS INDICATE THAT THE YOGA MODULE WAS HELPFUL IN CONDITIONS OF HYPOVOLEMIA IN HEALTHY SUBJECTS; IT IS PROPOSED TO BE BENEFICIAL IN CLINICAL CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE, IMPAIRED BARORE-FLEX SENSITIVITY, AND ORTHOSTATIC INTOLERANCE. 2021 17 115 12 A PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. BACKGROUND: ANXIETY IS COMMON IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR THIS CO-MORBIDITY REMAIN LIMITED. YOGA IS A PROMISING ADJUNCT INTERVENTION THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE ANXIETY FOR ADULTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA, THEREFORE THIS PILOT STUDY EVALUATED THE ACCEPTABILITY AND POTENTIAL EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR ANXIETY IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS. METHODS: A PROSPECTIVE SINGLE ARM PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION WAS CONDUCTED WITHIN AN EARLY INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOSIS SERVICE. RATES OF ATTENDANCE, AS WELL AS SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY PRE AND POST YOGA SESSION WERE MEASURED. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 14 YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY AND OVER 70% ATTENDED HALF OR MORE OF THE YOGA SESSIONS OFFERED. SIGNIFICANT TRANSIENT REDUCTION IN STATE ANXIETY AFTER A SINGLE SESSION OF YOGA WAS OBSERVED (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA WAS FOUND TO BE AN ACCEPTABLE AND POTENTIALLY EFFECTIVE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR ANXIETY IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS AND THE RESULTS WARRANT FURTHER CLINICAL TRIALS. 2022 18 370 12 AUTONOMIC TONE AND BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY DURING 70 DEGREES HEAD-UP TILT IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. INTRODUCTION: THE INTERVENTION OF YOGA WAS SHOWN TO IMPROVE THE AUTONOMIC CONDITIONING IN HUMANS EVIDENT FROM THE ENHANCEMENT OF PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY (BRS). FROM THE DOCUMENTED HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA, WE HYPOTHESIZED THAT THE EXPERIENCE OF YOGA MAY RESULT IN ADAPTATION TO THE ORTHOSTATIC STRESS DUE TO ENHANCED BRS. AIM: TO DECIPHER THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN THE MODULATION OF AUTONOMIC FUNCTION DURING ORTHOSTATIC CHALLENGE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS WAS A COMPARATIVE STUDY DESIGN CONDUCTED IN AUTONOMIC FUNCTION TEST LAB, OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY, ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, NEW DELHI, INDIA. HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV), BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY, AND BRS WERE ANALYZED ON FORTY NAIVE TO YOGA (NY) SUBJECTS AND FORTY YOGA PRACTITIONERS WITH AN AVERAGE AGE OF 31.08 +/- 7.31 YEARS AND 29.93 +/- 7.57 YEARS, RESPECTIVELY. ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE HEALTHY. SEVENTY DEGREES HEAD UP TILT (HUT) WAS USED AS AN INTERVENTION TO EVALUATE THE CARDIOVASCULAR VARIABILITY DURING ORTHOSTATIC CHALLENGE. RESULTS: DURING HUT, THE R-R INTERVAL (P = 0.042), ROOT MEAN SQUARE OF SUCCESIVE R-R INTERVAL DIFFERENCES (RMSSD) (P = 0.039), STANDARD DEVIATION OF INSTANTANEOUS BEAT-TO-BEAT R-R INTERVAL VARIABILITY (SD1) (P = 0.039) OF HRV, AND SEQUENCE BRS (P = 0.017) AND ALPHA LOW FREQUENCY OF SPECTRAL BRS (P = 0.002) WERE HIGHER IN THE YOGA GROUP. THE DELTA DECREASE IN RRI (P = 0.033) AND BRS (P < 0.01) WAS HIGHER IN THE YOGA GROUP THAN THE NY GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE EFFERENT VAGAL ACTIVITY AND BRS WERE HIGHER IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THE DELTA CHANGE (DECREASE) IN PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND BRS WAS HIGHER, WITH RELATIVELY STABLE SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE INDICATING AN ADAPTIVE RESPONSE TO ORTHOSTATIC CHALLENGE BY THE YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPARED TO THE NY GROUP. 2020 19 2462 12 YOGA AS A PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE PROGRAM FOR WHITE AND BLACK ELDERS: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY. A TEN-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM WAS IMPLEMENTED WITH SIXTY-ONE WHITE AND FORTY-FIVE LOW-INCOME BLACK ELDERS AT TWO COMMUNITY SITES, ALONG WITH A PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP RESEARCH DESIGN WITH RANDOM ASSIGNMENT AT EACH SITE. WHITE ELDERS ATTENDED CLASS REGULARLY, PRACTICED YOGA ON THEIR OWN ON A DAILY BASIS, IMPROVED PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, AND LOWERED THEIR SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE LEVEL, IN COMPARISON TO A CONTROL GROUP. BLACK ELDERS, ON THE OTHER HAND, ATTENDED THE ONCE-A-WEEK CLASS REGULARLY BUT DID NOT PRACTICE ON THEIR OWN ON A DAILY BASIS. THUS, THEY DID NOT IMPROVE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING NOR REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE LEVEL IN COMPARISON TO A CONTROL GROUP. SOCIAL ANALYSTS SUGGEST THAT LOW-INCOME MINORITY ELDERS NEED MORE FREQUENT CONTACT WITH STRUCTURED LEADERSHIP IN ORDER TO ADHERE TO A DAILY ROUTINE THAT MAY LEAD TO PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL CHANGE. OTHER DIRECTIONS FOR CONTROLLED FOLLOW-UP STUDIES ARE SUGGESTED. 1983 20 622 19 DEVELOPMENT, VALIDATION, AND FEASIBILITY TESTING OF A YOGA MODULE FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER. CONTEXT: OPIOID USE DISORDER (OUD) INVOLVES EXCESSIVE USE OF OPIOIDS-SUCH AS HEROIN, MORPHINE, FENTANYL, CODEINE, OXYCODONE, AND HYDROCODONE-LEADING TO MAJOR HEALTH, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES. YOGA LIFESTYLE INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE USEFUL AS ADJUNCT THERAPIES IN MANAGEMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AND CHRONIC PAIN CONDITIONS. OBJECTIVE: THE RESEARCH TEAM INTENDED TO DEVELOP, VALIDATE, AND TEST FOR FEASIBILITY A YOGA PROGRAM FOR OUD PATIENTS THAT COULD REDUCE OPIATE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS-SUCH AS PAIN, FATIGUE, LOW MOOD, ANXIETY AND SLEEP DISTURBANCES-AND CRAVINGS ASSOCIATED WITH DRUGS. DESIGN: THE RESEARCH TEAM FIRST PERFORMED A LITERATURE REVIEW OF TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGA TEXTS, SUCH AS HATHA YOGA PRADIPIKA AND LIGHT ON YOGA, AS WELL AS MODERN SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE IN THE FOLLOWING SEARCH ENGINES-GOOGLE SCHOLAR, PUBMED, AND PSYCHINFO, USING THE KEYWORDS YOGA, PRANAYAMA, HATHA YOGA, RELAXATION. MEDITATION, SUBSTANCE USE, ADDICTION, IMPULSIVITY, CRAVING, SLEEP QUALITY, AND FATIGUE. USING THE INFORMATION OBTAINED, THE TEAM DEVELOPED A YOGA PROGRAM AND DESIGNED A PILOT STUDY THAT USED THE PROGRAM. SETTING: THE STUDY TOOK PLACE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND NEUROSCIENCES (NIMHANS) IN BANGALORE, INDIA. PARTICIPANTS: PARTICIPANTS IN THE PILOT STUDY WERE 8 INPATIENTS, 6 MALES AND 2 FEMALES, WHO WERE ON OPIOID AGONIST TREATMENT (BUPRENORPHINE) FOR OUD. INTERVENTION: THE INTERVENTION WAS THE YOGA PROGRAM PREVIOUSLY VALIDATED BY THE RESEARCH TEAM. IN THE PILOT STUDY, PARTICIPANTS WERE TAUGHT A ONE-HOUR, YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION, WITH SESSIONS OCCURRING ONCE PER DAY, FOR 10 SESSIONS. OUTCOME MEASURES: FOR VALIDATION, 13 EXPERTS SCORED THE YOGA PROGRAM THAT THE RESEARCH TEAM HAD DEVELOPED AND GAVE SUGGESTIONS FOR EACH YOGIC PRACTICE FOR USE DURING THE ACUTE PHASE OF WITHDRAWAL AND THE MAINTENANCE PHASE RESPECTIVELY. A CONTENT VALIDITY RATIO (CVR) WAS CALCULATED FROM THEIR SCORING, AND THE RESEARCH TEAM MADE CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM BASE ON THE SCORING AND SUGGESTIONS. FOR THE PILOT STUDY, ASSESSMENTS OCCURRED AT BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION. THE PARTICIPANTS' YOGA PERFORMANCE WAS RATED BY THE YOGA TRAINER ON A YOGA PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT SCALE (YPA). OTHER MEASUREMENTS INCLUDED: (1) THE CLINICAL OPIATE WITHDRAWAL SCALE (COWS), (2) THE HAMILTON'S ANXIETY RATING SCALE (HAM-A), (3) THE HAMILTON'S DEPRESSION RATING SCALE (HAM-D), (4) BUPRENORPHINE DOSAGE, (5) THE CLINICAL GLOBAL IMPRESSION SEVERITY (CGI-S) SCALE, (6) A VISUAL ANALOG SCALE (VAS) FOR PAIN, (7) SLEEP QUALITY (LATENCY AND DURATION), AND (8) THE MODULE'S SAFETY. RESULTS: FOUR PRACTICES WERE REMOVED FROM THE PROGRAM DUE TO CVR SCORES BELOW THE CUTOFF, AND ONE PRACTICE WAS FOUND NOT TO BE FEASIBLE (KAPALABHATI). TWO CATEGORIES OF YOGA MODULES EMERGED: (1) FOR THE ACUTE SYMPTOMATIC PHASE (40 MINUTES) AND (2) FOR THE MAINTENANCE PHASE (ONE HOUR). PRACTICES WERE ADDED OR EXCLUDED BASED ON THE PHASE. CONCLUSIONS: THE YOGA MODULE THAT WAS DEVELOPED FOR REDUCING WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS AND CRAVINGS IN OUD PATIENTS WAS FOUND TO BE SAFE, FEASIBLE, AND POTENTIALLY USEFUL AS AN ADJUNCT THERAPY TO CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT. 2021