1 580 104 DESIGNING AND VALIDATION OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER. SOME YOGA-BASED PRACTICES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE USEFUL FOR PATIENTS WITH OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD). THE AUTHORS COULD NOT FIND A VALIDATED YOGA THERAPY MODULE AVAILABLE FOR OCD. THIS STUDY ATTEMPTED TO FORMULATE A GENERIC YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MODULE FOR OCD. A YOGA MODULE WAS DESIGNED BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGA LITERATURE. THE MODULE WAS SENT TO 10 YOGA EXPERTS FOR CONTENT VALIDATION. THE EXPERTS RATED THE USEFULNESS OF THE PRACTICES ON A SCALE OF 1-5 (5 = EXTREMELY USEFUL). THE FINAL VERSION OF THE MODULE WAS PILOT-TESTED ON PATIENTS WITH OCD (N = 17) FOR BOTH FEASIBILITY AND EFFECT ON SYMPTOMS. EIGHTY-EIGHT PER CENT (22 OUT OF 25) OF THE ITEMS IN THE INITIAL MODULE WERE RETAINED, WITH MODIFICATIONS IN THE MODULE AS SUGGESTED BY THE EXPERTS ALONG WITH PATIENTS' INPUTS AND AUTHORS' EXPERIENCE. THE MODULE WAS FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE AND SHOWED AN IMPROVEMENT IN SYMPTOMS OF OCD ON TOTAL YALE-BROWN OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE SCALE (YBOCS) SCORE (P = 0.001). A GENERIC YOGA THERAPY MODULE FOR OCD WAS VALIDATED BY EXPERTS IN THE FIELD AND FOUND FEASIBLE TO PRACTICE IN PATIENTS. A DECREASE IN THE SYMPTOM SCORES WAS ALSO FOUND FOLLOWING YOGA PRACTICE OF 2 WEEKS. FURTHER CLINICAL VALIDATION IS WARRANTED TO CONFIRM EFFICACY. 2016 2 581 52 DESIGNING AND VALIDATION OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA. CONTEXT: SCHIZOPHRENIA IS A CHRONIC MENTAL ILLNESS WHICH CAUSES SIGNIFICANT DISTRESS AND DYSFUNCTION. YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE EFFECTIVE AS AN ADD-ON THERAPY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. MODULES OF YOGA USED IN PREVIOUS STUDIES WERE BASED ON INDIVIDUAL RESEARCHER'S EXPERIENCE. AIM: THIS STUDY AIMED TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE A SPECIFIC GENERIC YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MODULE FOR PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AT NIMHANS INTEGRATED CENTRE FOR YOGA (NICY). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A YOGA MODULE WAS DESIGNED BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGA LITERATURE AS WELL AS PUBLISHED STUDIES. THE YOGA MODULE ALONG WITH THREE CASE VIGNETTES OF ADULT PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA WAS SENT TO 10 YOGA EXPERTS FOR THEIR VALIDATION. RESULTS: EXPERTS (N = 10) GAVE THEIR OPINION ON THE USEFULNESS OF A YOGA MODULE FOR PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA WITH SOME MODIFICATIONS. IN TOTAL, 87% (13 OF 15 ITEMS) OF THE ITEMS IN THE INITIAL MODULE WERE RETAINED, WITH MODIFICATION IN THE REMAINDER AS SUGGESTED BY THE EXPERTS. CONCLUSION: A SPECIFIC YOGA-BASED MODULE FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA WAS DESIGNED AND VALIDATED BY EXPERTS. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM EFFICACY AND CLINICAL UTILITY OF THE MODULE. ADDITIONAL CLINICAL VALIDATION IS SUGGESTED. 2016 3 272 28 ADD-ON YOGA THERAPY FOR SOCIAL COGNITION IN SCHIZOPHRENIA: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: YOGA AS A MIND-BODY THERAPY IS USEFUL IN LIFESTYLE-RELATED DISORDERS INCLUDING NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. IN SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS, YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS, FUNCTIONING, AND PLASMA OXYTOCIN LEVEL. AIM: THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF ADD-ON YOGA THERAPY ON SOCIAL COGNITION IN SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IN A SINGLE PRE-POST, STUDY DESIGN, 15 SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS STABILIZED ON ANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICATION FOR 6 WEEKS WERE ASSESSED FOR SOCIAL COGNITION (THEORY OF MIND, FACIAL EMOTION RECOGNITION, AND SOCIAL PERCEPTION [SP]) AND CLINICAL SYMPTOMS (NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE SYMPTOMS AND SOCIAL DISABILITY) BEFORE AND AFTER TWENTY SESSIONS OF ADD-ON YOGA THERAPY. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE SOCIAL COGNITION COMPOSITE SCORE AFTER 20 SESSIONS OF YOGA (T[13] = -5.37, P 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 5 2796 31 YOGA THERAPY FOR OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD): A CASE SERIES FROM INDIA. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT SCIENCE WHICH HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE HELPFUL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SEVERAL PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS INCLUDING OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD). YOGA AS ADD-ON TREATMENT IN OCD MAY HELP ADDRESS ISSUES LIKE PARTIAL RESPONSE AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF MEDICATIONS. HOWEVER, RESEARCH IN THIS AREA IS SPARSE, WHICH LED US TO EXPLORE IT THROUGH THIS CASE SERIES. IN THIS CASE SERIES WE HAVE DESCRIBED THE BENEFITS OF 1 MONTH OF YOGA AS ADD-ON TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH OCD. ALL PATIENTS WERE ON STABLE DOSES OF MEDICATIONS PRIOR TO AND DURING YOGA PRACTICE. PRE-POST ASSESSMENTS FOR THE CORE SYMPTOMS OF OBSESSION/COMPULSIONS AS WELL AS DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS WERE DONE. THE ASSESSMENTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN Y-BOCS AND HAM-D SCORES AFTER 1 MONTH OF YOGA. YOGA THERAPY COULD BE AN EFFECTIVE ADD-ON THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF OCD. 2021 6 620 55 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 7 584 49 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 8 2723 48 YOGA MODULE FOR SOMATOFORM PAIN DISORDERS: DEVELOPMENT, CONTENT VALIDATION, AND FEASIBILITY TESTING. BACKGROUND: YOGA PRACTICES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE USEFUL IN CHRONIC PAIN CONDITIONS BUT STUDIES FOCUSSING SPECIFICALLY ON SOMATOFORM PAIN DISORDERS (SPDS) ARE LIMITED. AIMS: CURRENT STUDY AIMS TO DEVELOP AND TEST THE FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA PROGRAM FOR PATIENTS WITH SPDS. MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY: ATHOROUGH SEARCH OF TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE WAS PERFORMED WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF FORMULATING A YOGA PROGRAM FOR REDUCING CHRONIC NON-SPECIFIC PAIN AND ASSOCIATED PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. CONTENT VALIDITY OF THE PROGRAM WAS THEN DETERMINED BY TAKING THE OPINION OF 18 YOGA EXPERTS (WHO HAD >5 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN TREATING MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS) USING CONTENT VALIDATION RATIO (CVR) THROUGH LAWSHE'S FORMULA. THE FEASIBILITY OF THE MODULE WAS TESTED ON 10 SUBJECTS DIAGNOSED WITH SPDS AS PER THE INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF DISEASES (ICD) -10 CRITERIA USING STANDARD SCALES. RESULTS: IN THE FINALIZED MODULE, 70.83% (34 OUT OF 48 ITEMS) OF THE PRACTICES WERE RETAINED ALONG WITH THE MODIFICATIONS AS SUGGESTED BY THE EXPERTS. TWO PRACTICES WERE NOT FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE (TRIKONASANA AND SHALABHASANA) AND HENCE WERE REMOVED FROM THE FINAL MODULE. A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PAIN SEVERITY WAS OBSERVED IN THE SUBJECTS AFTER PRACTISING THE YOGA MODULE FOR 2 WEEKS. THE CONTENT VALIDITY INDEX FOR THE WHOLE MODULE (AVERAGE OF ALL CVRS) WAS 0.55. CONCLUSIONS: AYOGA MODULE WAS DEVELOPED FOR SPD. THE CONTENT VALIDITY OF THE MODULE WAS FOUND TO BE GOOD. THE MODULE WAS FOUND SAFE AND POTENTIALLY USEFUL FOR REDUCING PAIN SEVERITY IN PATIENTS WITH SPD. FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD TEST THE EFFICACY OF THE DEVELOPED PROGRAM THROUGH A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL. 2021 9 2615 30 YOGA FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA: PATIENTS' PERSPECTIVE. CONTEXT: YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION IS EMERGING AS AN EFFECTIVE ADD-ON THERAPY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SCHIZOPHRENIA. HOWEVER, MANY BARRIERS MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR PATIENTS TO AVAIL YOGA THERAPY PROGRAMS. ONE OF THEM IS MOTIVATION FOR YOGA THERAPY. WAYS TO ADDRESS THE BARRIERS ARE CRITICAL TO EMPLOY YOGA AS A TREATMENT IN THIS POPULATION. AIM: THIS STUDY AIMS AT EXPLORING PATIENTS' WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE IN ADD-ON YOGA THERAPY PROGRAMS ON OUT-PATIENT BASIS. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED ON 100 SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS ATTENDING PSYCHIATRY OUT-PATIENT SERVICES OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A TOTAL OF 100 SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS (MALE: FEMALE = 57:43; AGE: 35.8 +/- 9.2 YEARS) ATTENDING THE PSYCHIATRY OUT-PATIENT SERVICES OF A TERTIARY NEUROPSYCHIATRY HOSPITAL WERE ADMINISTERED A SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: CHI-SQUARE TEST WAS USED FOR TESTING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PROPORTIONS. P < 0.05 WAS TAKEN TO BE SIGNIFICANT. RESULTS: ABOUT 46% WERE AWARE THAT YOGA IS ALSO ONE OF THE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES USEFUL IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. 32% HAD TRIED YOGA IN THE PAST FOR SOME REASONS, BUT ONLY 31% OF THEM WERE CONTINUING YOGA; COMMONEST REASONS FOR NOT CONTINUING BEING LACK OF MOTIVATION (31%) AND INABILITY TO SPARE TIME (27.6%). HOWEVER, THE MAJORITY (88.5%) OF THEM WERE WILLING TO TAKE UP ADD-ON YOGA THERAPY ON OUT-PATIENT BASIS ALONG WITH THEIR REGULAR MEDICAL FOLLOW-UP. CONCLUSIONS: IN SPITE OF THE LACK OF MOTIVATION TO PRACTICE YOGA, THE MAJORITY OF PATIENTS WERE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN ADD-ON YOGA THERAPY PROGRAMS IF GIVEN ON OUT-PATIENT BASIS ALONG WITH THEIR REGULAR CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL FOLLOW-UP. 2015 10 2798 27 YOGA THERAPY FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA. SCHIZOPHRENIA IS ONE OF THE MOST SEVERE MENTAL DISORDERS. DESPITE SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES IN PHARMACOTHERAPY, TREATMENT REMAINS SUB-OPTIMAL, WITH MANY PATIENTS HAVING PERSISTING DEFICITS, ESPECIALLY IN COGNITIVE AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING. YOGA AS A THERAPY HAS PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE AS A SOLE OR ADDITIONAL INTERVENTION IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS SUCH AS DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. RECENTLY, THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT INTEREST IN THE APPLICATION OF YOGA THERAPY IN PSYCHOSIS AND SCHIZOPHRENIA. TO REVIEW A) THE EVIDENCE FOR THE USE OF YOGA THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA B) STUDIES WHICH HAVE BEEN DONE IN THIS AREA, C) THE BARRIERS FOR REACHING YOGA TO PATIENTS, AND D) FUTURE DIRECTIONS, AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LITERATURE SEARCH OF PUBMED/MEDLINE, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, AND EBSCO AS WELL AS GREY LITERATURE WAS DONE. RESEARCH REPORTS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFICACY OF YOGA AS AN ADD-ON THERAPY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA, PARTICULARLY IN IMPROVING NEGATIVE SYMPTOMATOLOGY AND SOCIAL COGNITION. HOWEVER, THE BIOLOGICAL UNDERPINNINGS OF THIS EFFECT REMAIN UNCLEAR, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SOME INDICATIONS THAT HORMONES LIKE OXYTOCIN MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE CHANGES IN SOCIAL COGNITION. 2012 11 1920 32 ROLE OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS IN SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESSES: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS ITS ORIGIN FROM THE ANCIENT TIMES. IT IS AN INTEGRATION OF MIND, BODY, AND SOUL. BESIDES, MINDFULNESS EMPHASIZES FOCUSED AWARENESS AND ACCEPTING THE INTERNAL EXPERIENCES WITHOUT BEING JUDGEMENTAL. THESE TECHNIQUES OFFER A TRENDING NEW DIMENSION OF TREATMENT IN VARIOUS PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. AIMS: WE AIMED TO REVIEW THE STUDIES ON THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS AS A TREATMENT MODALITY IN SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESSES (SMIS). SMI INCLUDES SCHIZOPHRENIA, MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD), AND BIPOLAR DISORDER (BD). METHODS: WE CONDUCTED A LITERATURE SEARCH USING PUBMED, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, AND COCHRANE LIBRARY WITH THE SEARCH TERMS "YOGA," "MEDITATION," "BREATHING EXERCISES," "MINDFULNESS," "SCHIZOPHRENIA SPECTRUM AND OTHER PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS," "DEPRESSIVE DISORDER," AND "BIPOLAR DISORDER" FOR THE LAST 10-YEAR PERIOD. WE ALSO INCLUDED RELEVANT ARTICLES FROM THE CROSS-REFERENCES. RESULTS: WE FOUND THAT ASANAS AND PRANAYAMA ARE THE MOST COMMONLY STUDIED FORMS OF YOGA FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA. THESE STUDIES FOUND A REDUCTION IN GENERAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY RATINGS AND AN IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITION AND FUNCTIONING. SOME STUDIES ALSO FOUND MODEST BENEFITS IN NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE SYMPTOMS. MINDFULNESS HAS NOT BEEN EXTENSIVELY TRIED, BUT THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE HAS SHOWN BENEFITS IN IMPROVING PSYCHOTIC SYMPTOMS, IMPROVING LEVEL OF FUNCTIONING, AND AFFECT REGULATION. IN MDD, BOTH YOGA AND MINDFULNESS HAVE DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT IN REDUCING THE SEVERITY OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. THERE IS VERY SPARSE DATA WITH RESPECT TO BD. CONCLUSION: BOTH YOGA AND MINDFULNESS INTERVENTIONS APPEAR TO BE USEFUL AS AN ADJUNCT IN THE TREATMENT OF SMI. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, ANXIETY, COGNITION, AND FUNCTIONING OF PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. SIMILARLY, BOTH THE TECHNIQUES HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED AS AN EFFECTIVE ADJUVANT IN MDD. HOWEVER, MORE RIGOROUSLY DESIGNED AND LARGER TRIALS MAY BE NECESSARY, SPECIFICALLY FOR BD. 2019 12 1882 21 REDUCING ALLOSTATIC LOAD IN DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DISORDERS: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOGA PRACTICE AS ADD-ON THERAPIES. THE ALLOSTATIC LOAD (AL) INDEX CONSTITUTES A USEFUL TOOL TO OBJECTIVELY ASSESS THE BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF CHRONIC STRESS IN CLINICAL PRACTICE. AL INDEX HAS BEEN POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH CUMULATIVE CHRONIC STRESS (PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESSORS) AND WITH A HIGH RISK TO DEVELOP PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS (E.G., METABOLIC SYNDROME, CARDIOVASCULAR PATHOLOGY, INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS) AND THE SO-CALLED STRESS-RELATED PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, INCLUDING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS. CHRONIC STRESS HAS NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON BRAIN NEUROPLASTICITY, ESPECIALLY ON HIPPOCAMPAL NEUROGENESIS AND THESE EFFECTS MAY BE REVERSED BY ANTIDEPRESSANT TREATMENTS. SEVERAL EVIDENCES INDICATE THAT NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS BASED ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOGA PRACTICE MAY ADD SYNERGIZING BENEFITS TO CLASSICAL TREATMENTS (ANTIDEPRESSANT AND BENZODIAZEPINES) FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, REDUCING THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF CHRONIC STRESS. THE AIM OF THIS REVIEW IS TO PROVIDE A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF CURRENT KNOWLEDGE ON AL AND CHRONIC STRESS IN RELATION TO DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOGA PRACTICE. 2020 13 582 51 DESIGNING AND VALIDATION OF A YOGA-BASED MODULE FOR OBESITY WITH METABOLIC COMORBIDITIES. OBJECTIVES: OBESITY IS A CONDITION OF INCREASED ADIPOSE TISSUE IN THE BODY, WHICH IS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS COMORBIDITIES LIKE DIABETES, HYPERTENSION, ARTHRITIS, BACK PAIN, AND MANY OTHERS. YOGA MODULES HAVE BEEN DESIGNED AND VALIDATED FOR OBESITY; HOWEVER, WE COULDN'T FIND ANY SPECIFIC MODULE FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME, A CONDITION WHICH INCLUDES OBESITY, DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE 2 AND/OR HYPERTENSION TOGETHER. KEEPING THIS IN VIEW, OUR STUDY AIMED TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE A SPECIFIC GENERIC YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MODULE FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME PATIENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A YOGA MODULE WAS DESIGNED BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGA LITERATURE AS WELL AS PUBLISHED STUDIES. WE DERIVED THE YOGA PRACTICES FOR THE MODULE, FROM THESE YOGA TEXTS AND RESEARCH EVIDENCE WERE ALREADY AVAILABLE. THE YOGA MODULE WAS SENT TO 40 YOGA EXPERTS FOR THEIR VALIDATION. RESULTS: TWENTY-TWO EXPERTS GAVE THEIR OPINION ON THE USEFULNESS OF A YOGA MODULE FOR PATIENTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME WITH SOME SUGGESTIONS. OF THESE EXPERTS, 73% WERE MALES, AND 27% WERE FEMALES. YOGA THERAPY PRACTICES WITH CONTENT VALIDITY RATIO (CVR) >0.08 WERE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL MODULE. IN TOTAL, 86% (31 OF 36 ITEMS) OF THE ITEMS IN THE INITIAL MODULE WERE RETAINED. CONCLUSION: A SPECIFIC YOGA-BASED MODULE FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME WAS DESIGNED AND VALIDATED BY EXPERTS. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM THE EFFICACY AND CLINICAL UTILITY OF THE MODULE.ADDITIONAL CLINICAL VALIDATION IS SUGGESTED. 2020 14 602 31 DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A YOGA MODULE FOR PARKINSON DISEASE. BACKGROUND PARKINSON'S DISEASE (PD), A PROGRESSIVE NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE, AFFECTS MOTOR AND NONMOTOR FUNCTIONS, LEADING TO SEVERE DEBILITY AND POOR QUALITY OF LIFE. STUDIES HAVE REPORTED THE BENEFICIAL ROLE OF YOGA IN ALLEVIATING THE SYMPTOMS OF PD; HOWEVER, A VALIDATED YOGA MODULE FOR PD IS UNAVAILABLE. THIS STUDY DEVELOPED AND VALIDATED AN INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE(IYM) FOR PD. METHODS THE IYM WAS PREPARED AFTER A THOROUGH REVIEW OF CLASSICAL YOGA TEXTS AND PREVIOUS FINDINGS. TWENTY EXPERIENCED YOGA EXPERTS, WHO FULFILLED THE INCLUSION CRITERIA, WERE SELECTED VALIDATING THE CONTENT OF THE IYM. A TOTAL OF 28 PRACTICES WERE INCLUDED IN THE IYM, AND EACH PRACTICE WAS DISCUSSED AND RATED AS (I) NOT ESSENTIAL, (II) USEFUL BUT NOT ESSENTIAL, AND (III) ESSENTIAL; THE CONTENT VALIDITY RATIO (CVR) WAS CALCULATED USING LAWSHE'S FORMULA. RESULTS DATA ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT OF THE 28 IYM PRACTICES, 21 EXHIBITED SIGNIFICANT CONTENT VALIDITY (CUT-OFF VALUE: 0.42, AS CALCULATED BY APPLYING LAWSHE'S FORMULA FOR THE CVR). CONCLUSIONS THE IYM IS VALID FOR PD, WITH GOOD CONTENT VALIDITY. HOWEVER, FUTURE STUDIES MUST DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFICACY OF THE DEVELOPED MODULE. 2017 15 875 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 16 644 23 DOES YOGA HAVE A ROLE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA MANAGEMENT? PURPOSE OF REVIEW: TO REVIEW THE EFFICACY OF ADD-ON YOGA THERAPY IN IMPROVING SYMPTOMS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA AND QUALITY OF LIFE AND EXAMINE THE POSSIBLE UNDERLYING BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF YOGA IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. RECENT FINDINGS: QUALITY OF LIFE, COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS, AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO IMPROVE WITH ADD-ON YOGA THERAPY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA (POOLED MEAN EFFECT SIZE 0.8, 0.6, AND 0.4, RESPECTIVELY). YOGA ALSO SEEMS TO HAVE A SMALL EFFECT ON IMPROVING POSITIVE SYMPTOMS. LESS EXPLORED AREAS INCLUDE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA ITSELF AS WELL AS ITS EFFECTS ON ANTIPSYCHOTIC-INDUCED COMPLICATIONS. PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE EFFECTS OF YOGA MAY BE MEDIATED BY NEUROHORMONAL MECHANISMS AND FUNCTIONAL CHANGES IN BRAIN ACTIVITY. ADD-ON YOGA THERAPY IS A POTENTIAL TREATMENT OPTION FOR IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE, COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS, AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD EXPLORE EFFICACY IN MULTICENTRIC TRIALS AS WELL AS POSSIBLE NEUROBIOLOGICAL CHANGES UNDERLYING THE EFFECTS. 2020 17 2436 23 YOGA AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: A REVIEW OF BIOMARKER EVIDENCE. TRADITIONALLY, YOGA HAS BEEN USED AS A MEANS FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH BUT OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES OR SO ITS THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS HAVE BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY EXPLORED. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE USEFUL AS A MONO-THERAPY IN MILD TO MODERATE DEPRESSION AND AS AN ADJUVANT IN SEVERAL PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS INCLUDING SCHIZOPHRENIA, ANXIETY DISORDERS, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AND MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT. FURTHERMORE, SYSTEMATIC ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO UNDERSTAND THE BIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF YOGA IN THESE PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. GIVEN THAT NO PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER HAS STRONG AND ESTABLISHED BIOMARKERS, IT IS INTERESTING THAT PRELIMINARY RESEARCH HAS DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN CERTAIN IMPORTANT BIOMARKERS FOLLOWING REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE. IN THIS BRIEF REVIEW, WE PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON BIOCHEMICAL, NEURO-PHYSIOLOGICAL AND NEURO-IMAGING RELATED BIO-MARKERS IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. ALTHOUGH FINDINGS AND TRENDS ARE PROMISING, MUCH MORE RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO ESTABLISH A DEFINITE BIOLOGICAL BASIS FOR YOGA IN PSYCHIATRY. 2021 18 1732 29 PERSPECTIVE OF PATIENTS REFERRED TO YOGA CENTER IN A TERTIARY NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL: A CROSS-SECTIONAL RETROSPECTIVE STUDY. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS BEEN EXTENSIVELY USED AS AN ALTERNATIVE OR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS DEPENDING ON THE TYPE AND SEVERITY OF THE DISORDERS. HOWEVER, DATA RELATED TO PERSPECTIVE ON YOGA SERVICES AND THE BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA BY PATIENTS WITH MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS IS LACKING. AIM: THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO ASSESS FEEDBACK OF THE PATIENTS WHO ATTENDED YOGA SESSIONS AT A YOGA CENTER IN A TERTIARY NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS WAS A CROSS-SECTIONAL RETROSPECTIVE STUDY USING A SPECIFIC QUESTIONNAIRE TO GET FEEDBACK FROM PATIENTS REFERRED TO THE NIMHANS INTEGRATED CENTER FOR YOGA, AT THE END OF THEIR YOGA TRAINING. RESULTS: TWO HUNDRED AND ONE PATIENTS' DATA WERE INCLUDED IN THIS RETROSPECTIVE STUDY. MOST OF THE PATIENTS WERE REFERRED BY THE DOCTORS. THE YOGA MODULE FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA WAS MOST COMMONLY UTILIZED, FOLLOWED BY DEPRESSION. ON AN AVERAGE, PATIENTS ATTENDED 13 SESSIONS. MOST OF THEM PRACTICED YOGA FOR 1-2 WEEKS AND HAD MISSED LESS THAN 2 SESSIONS. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE PATIENTS REPORTED THAT PRACTICING YOGA HELPED THEM. SPEARMAN CORRELATION ANALYSIS REVEALED POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN IMPROVEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA AND VARIABLES AFFECTING QUALITY OF YOGA SERVICES AT THE CENTER, INCLUDING THE QUALITY OF YOGA SESSIONS ATTENDED. OVERALL HEALTH AND SLEEP IMPROVEMENT ALSO POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH IMPROVEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA. A MINORITY OF PATIENTS REPORTED ADVERSE EFFECTS, ALTHOUGH THESE DID NOT LEAD TO DISCONTINUATION. CONCLUSION: IN THIS RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF PATIENTS REFERRED TO A YOGA CENTER IN A TERTIARY PSYCHIATRIC FACILITY, THE MAJORITY OF PATIENTS WITH MAJOR MENTAL DISORDERS WERE ABLE TO PRACTICE YOGA UNDER SUPERVISION AND REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN SYMPTOMS WITH MINIMAL ADVERSE EFFECTS. 2021 19 544 33 CONTENT VALIDITY OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE FOR PRACTICE DURING REMISSION IN RELAPSING-REMITTING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS PATIENTS. BACKGROUND: SOME INVESTIGATIONS POINT TO THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA IN ALLEVIATING THE MOTOR AND COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTIONS IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) PATIENTS BY USING VARYING COMBINATIONS OF PHYSICAL, BREATHING, AND MEDITATIVE PRACTICES OF YOGA. THERE IS A NEED FOR A VALIDATED YOGA MODULE WITH A HOLISTIC APPROACH THAT CAN BE USED AS A STANDARDIZED PROTOCOL BY RESEARCHERS AND THERAPISTS. PURPOSE: TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE AN INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE FOR PRACTICE IN RELAPSING-REMITTING MS PATIENTS TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. METHODS: WE DID A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE YOGA MODULE. WE FORMED AN EXPERT GROUP WITH 24 EXPERTS AND A NEUROLOGIST AND USED TWO ROUNDS OF INTERACTIVE DELPHI METHOD TO COMBINE THEIR OPINION TO OBTAIN CONTENT VALIDITY OF THE MODULE THROUGH ONLINE STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE PREPARED FOR THE PURPOSE ON A GOOGLE FORM. WE INCORPORATED ALL SUGGESTIONS OBTAINED BY THE EXPERTS. THE FINAL MODULE (60 MIN PER SESSION, TWICE A DAY, FIVE DAYS PER WEEK) INCLUDED WARM-UP EXERCISES, CUSTOMIZED ASANAS, RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, AND OM MEDITATION. ADVICE ON YOGIC DIET AND DISCUSSION USING YOGIC CONCEPTS FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT ALSO FORM A PART OF THE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO YOGA LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION. RESULTS: ANALYSIS DIVULGED THAT 30 OUT OF 39 PRACTICES EXHIBITED A CONTENT VALIDITY RATIO VALUE GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO 0.42. CONCLUSION: THE STUDY HAS SHOWN GOOD CONTENT VALIDITY OF THE INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE. FUTURE CLINICAL STUDIES ARE BEING PLANNED TO RULE THE FEASIBILITY AND RELIABILITY OF THIS MODULE. 2021 20 1515 22 IS YOGA A SUITABLE TREATMENT FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: CURRENT OPINION. WE REVIEWED PUBLISHED LITERATURE REGARDING THE USE OF YOGA FOR MANAGING RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS TO DETERMINE WHETHER ADEQUATE EVIDENCE EXISTS TO SUGGEST ITS USEFULNESS AS A THERAPY. A SEARCH FOR PREVIOUS STUDIES INVOLVING YOGA AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS IN PUBMED YIELDED EIGHT REPORTS. THESE STUDIES REPORTED THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA), SUGGESTING THAT YOGA IS A USEFUL ADD-ON THERAPY FOR RA PATIENTS. HOWEVER, ALL STUDIES SHOWED LIMITATIONS WITH RESPECT TO SAMPLE SIZE, STUDY DESIGN, DESCRIPTION AND DURATION OF YOGA INTERVENTION, AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS AND STATISTICAL METHODS USED. ADDITIONALLY, THE STUDIES DID NOT ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING OBSERVED BENEFITS. HENCE, EVIDENCE SUGGESTS A DEFINITE ROLE OF YOGA IN RA IMPROVEMENT, REDUCING PAIN, IMPROVING FUNCTION, AND CREATING A POSITIVE MENTAL STATE. HOWEVER, DETAILED ANALYSIS AND ADDITIONAL STUDIES ARE NECESSARY TO VERIFY THESE OBSERVATIONS. 2012