International Journal of Yoga最新文献

Context: Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) commonly experience cardiac autonomic dysfunction, cognitive impairment, and psychological disturbances. Limitations in current treatment modalities warrant the need for simple, cost-effective adjuvant therapies. Pranayama, a fundamental component of yoga, has been proven to be beneficial for several medical disorders.

Aim: This study aimed to assess the effects of the 12-week practice of Anulom Vilom Pranayama (AVP) or Alternate Nostril Breathing (ANB) as an adjunctive therapy on the cardiac autonomic balance, cognition, psychological status, and quality of life (QoL) in individuals with PD.

Subjects and methods: This randomized controlled trial involved 86 individuals (55 males, 31 females, aged 35-70 years) with mild-to-moderate PD. Participants were randomized into the control group receiving conventional treatment only or the test group receiving AVP as an adjunctive therapy to the conventional treatment. Cardiac autonomic status (heart rate variability [HRV]), cognition (P300, Reaction Time), affect, psychological status, and QoL were assessed in all the participants at baseline and after 12 weeks of respective intervention.

Statistical analysis: The change in study parameters (0-12 weeks) was compared between the control and test groups using the Mann-Whitney U test or Independent samples t-test. The correlation between the change in low-frequency (LF)/high-frequency (HF) ratio and QoL and its effect at 12 weeks was assessed using the Spearman correlation coefficient test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: The test group revealed significantly high total HRV (standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals [SDNN], total power) and HRV indices of cardiac parasympathetic activity (square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent NN intervals [RMSSD], percentage of NN50 [pNN50], HF power, HF normalized unit) and significantly low HRV indices of cardiac sympathetic activity (LF normalized unit) and cardiac sympathovagal balance (LF/HF ratio) compared to the control group. Similarly, significant improvement in cognition, psychological status, and QoL was also observed in the test group. While significant correlations were observed between the change in LF/HF ratio and QoL in both the groups, a significant correlation between the change in LF/HF ratio and positive affect was observed only in the test group.

Conclusions: Twelve weeks of practice of AVP significantly improved the cardiac sympathovagal balance, cognition, positive affect, and QoL and decreased the negative affect, depression, stress, and anxiety in patients with mild-to-moderate PD.

Background: Yoga is a widely recognized form of aerobic exercise that has gained significant popularity in recent years, with well-documented positive effects on respiratory functions. However, there is a limited body of research investigating the impact of yoga performed for various durations. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the acute and chronic effects of a 4-week hatha yoga (HY) exercise program with different durations (60 min and 30 min) on pulmonary function in sedentary young individuals.

Methods: A total of 52 sedentary individuals aged 15-16 years were randomly divided into three groups: 60 min HY group (60 min HY, n = 21), 30 min HY group (30 min HY, n = 15), and control group (CG, n = 16). The 60 mHY and 30 mHY groups underwent a yoga exercise protocol twice a week for 4 weeks, while the participants in the CG were instructed on the physical activity guidelines but did not perform yoga exercises. Pulmonary function profile was assessed using a spirometer device.

Results: The forced vital capacity of the groups in the 60 mHY group increased after 4 weeks compared to the 30 mHY and CG groups (P = 0.002, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -1.10- -0.07). The forced expiratory volume in one second (P < 0.001, 95% CI = -0.03-0.54) improved in the 60 mHY group. Peak expiratory flow was least improved in the CG (P = 0.004, 95% CI =-1.23 to - 0.32). Forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% (FEF25/75) of vital capacity changed the most at 60 mHY (P = 0.004, 95% CI=-1.72 to - 0.49). The forced expiratory time varied with time but did not differ across the groups.

Conclusions: A 4-week HY program, particularly with 60-min sessions, significantly improved pulmonary function in sedentary young participants. The findings suggest that the longer the duration of HY, the greater the effects on the pulmonary system, and therefore, we suggest that the effects of yoga programs on different populations should be investigated.

Background and aim: Oxidative stress (OS) and oxidative DNA damage are significant contributors to male infertility, negatively affecting sperm function and genomic integrity by modulating the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI). Elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels lead to the accumulation of harmful DNA adducts such as 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), which can impair fertility and increase cancer risk. Our study intended to investigate the effects of a 12-week yoga intervention on seminal ROS levels, OS marker, sperm quality, and sperm DFI in primary infertile men.

Materials and methods: Out of a total of 78 primary infertile men who met the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, 42 participants successfully completed the 12-week yoga intervention. Semen analyses were conducted at pre- and postintervention, as per World Health Organization-21 guidelines (sixth edition), ROS levels were measured by the luminol assay, and 8-OHdG levels were evaluated using ELISA. The sperm DFI was assessed by the Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay.

Results: The 12-week yoga intervention resulted in significant improvements in total sperm count (from 34 to 129 million sperm/ejaculate) and progressive motility (from 15% to 35%). Seminal ROS levels significantly decreased from 45.3 to 16.5 relative light units (RLU)/s/million sperm (P < 0.001), and 8-OHdG levels decreased from 86.47 to 48.2 ng/ml (P < 0.001). A decreasing trend (P = 0.068) in DFI was observed at postyoga intervention.

Conclusion: Our study revealed that regular yoga practice significantly improves sperm function and reduces OS and DNA damage in infertile men. These findings support yoga as a beneficial adjunct therapy for the management of unexplained male infertility and can potentially enhance fertility outcomes.

Hypothyroidism is one of the most common endocrinopathies, primarily affecting women, and if untreated, it can lead to serious life-threatening complications. The management of hypothyroidism is challenging due to its uncommon presentations and associated physical and psychological comorbidities. Here, we present the case of a 53-year-old female who presented with increased body weight, full-body aches, indigestion, chronic fatigue, altered mental state, insomnia, and self-reported intolerance to levothyroxine. She underwent a yoga- and naturopathy-based lifestyle intervention through telehealth for an initial period of 2.8 years and later as an inpatient for 20 days. Her thyroid-stimulating hormone levels reduced from 78.36 uIU/ml to 14.62 uIU/ml over 3 years. Significant improvements were also observed in her body mass index (from 32 to 26 kg/m²), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (from 15 to 5), and SF-12 quality of life (physical: from 23.86 to 52.22 and mental: from 22.46 to 53.63). Yoga- and naturopathy-based interventions may offer a safe therapeutic alternative for patients who experience significant side effects from levothyroxine. However, robust trials are needed to validate this finding.

Background: Archery performance requires a combination of enhanced cognitive, physical, and psychological skills. Yoga is a mind-body intervention that has shown a positive impact on sports performance, including archery.

Aims: This study aimed to evolve a validated and feasible yoga module to improve cognitive abilities and reduce competitive anxiety among archers.

Materials and methods: The study comprised three phases: (1) The module was developed by thoroughly reviewing classical and contemporary yoga literature and published research studies. (2) Forty experts validated the module by rating on a 3-point Likert scale (0-2), and Lawshe's content validity ratio (CVR) was used for validation. (3) Fourteen elite archers received six supervised yoga sessions over 2 weeks. Feasibility was assessed based on intervention fidelity, face validity, and outcome measures - cognitive functioning, competitive anxiety, self-confidence, and balance at baseline and 2 weeks.

Results: The final yoga module retained 32 practices (CVR >0.29) from the initially developed module containing 43 practices. Feasibility study reported 100% acceptance and 92.9% retention rates, with no adverse events. The instructor's rating reported all practices as easy to learn and perform. The participants' feedback rated it as highly satisfactory and helpful in improving attention, anxiety, and balance. At 2 weeks, significant reductions in competitive anxiety and improvements in reaction time, accuracy, self-confidence, and balance compared to baseline were observed.

Conclusions: This study provides archers with a validated yoga module. This module was found to be acceptable, feasible, and effective in improving cognitive functions and balance while reducing anxiety among archers.

Context: Health professional trainees need wellness skills. Yoga has been proven to improve wellness and decrease stress in health professionals.

Aim: We aim to assess whether educating health profession students about yoga leads to integrating yoga into their lives for personal wellness.

Subjects and methods: A health promotion curriculum focused on ten evidence-based interventions (including yoga) was delivered to health profession students (medical, nursing, physical therapy, and behavioral health). Participants completed unidentified electronic surveys immediately after, 3 and 6 months later. Data are presented using descriptive statistics, themes, and representative quotes.

Results: Five hundred and fifty-two students completed the curriculum, from which 150 were interested in yoga, reviewed evidence about the effectiveness of yoga, and practiced yoga for a week. The interested students noted that integrating yoga was achievable, realistic, and relevant. After having team discussions about all of the interventions, 12.5%, 10%, and 11% of the respondents reported practicing yoga immediately after, 3 and 6 months after, respectively.

Conclusions: This curriculum was an effective intervention for health professions trainees to develop yoga wellness skills.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) affects multiple organs, notably the gastrointestinal (GI) system, often causing delayed gastric emptying and impaired gastric motility due to autonomic neuropathy. These dysfunctions contribute to symptoms such as nausea and bloating, impacting the patient quality of life. Yoga, a traditional mind-body practice, has demonstrated benefits on autonomic regulation and GI function. This study aims to evaluate the transient effects of a series of yogic asanas on gastric motility in patients with DM, using objective measures in a randomized controlled trial.

Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial on DM patients of age between 40 and 60 years. The 68 patients were randomly assigned into 2 groups as study group and control group. In the study group, the gastric motility was assessed at baseline and immediately after the series of asanas 20 min and supine rest in the control group for 20 min.

Results: The present study have shown that after practicing specific series of asanas, the subjects have shown a significant increase in dominant frequency (P < 0.04), dominant power (P < 0.05), and normogastric waves (P < 0.02) with significant decrease in random blood sugar (P < 0.04) compared to control groups.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that series of asanas had an influence on modulating the gastric motility in patients with DM; these findings can be employed therapeutically to treat GI symptoms.

Background: Previous research has suggested that volitional yoga breathing (VYB) facilitates auditory information processing, whereas control nonvolitional breathing has opposite effects.

Objective: This study investigated auditory middle latency responses (AMLR) in (i) three VYB which vary breath rate differently (i.e., bellows yoga breathing, high-frequency yoga breathing, and bumblebee yoga breathing), and (ii) two control conditions (i.e., breath awareness and quiet rest).

Methods: Fifty healthy participants aged between 18 and 35 years (M:F, 1:1) participated in this study, with assessment in five random order sessions (each 28 min) over 5 consecutive days. AMLR and respiration were assessed before, during, and after each session.

Results: During the three VYB sessions, there were significant decreases in peak latencies (repeated-measures analysis of variance and preduring post hoc tests). In contrast, during breath awareness, the peak latencies of the Pa and Nb waves increased with no change in latencies during quiet rest.

Discussion: The changes in peak latencies suggest VYB facilitated auditory transmission at thalamic and primary auditory cortex levels (based on the neural generators of AMLR components). In contrast, breath awareness was associated with prolonged transmission at primary auditory cortex levels (from Pa and Nb latency changes). Peak amplitude changes suggest neuronal recruitment increased during VYB but not during controls. Hence, irrespective of changes in breathing, VYB enhances sensory transmission, whereas nonvolitional breathing may inhibit it.

Conclusion: These changes may contribute to the beneficial effects of VYB in cognition and perception, with possible applications in various activities and occupations requiring optimal auditory sensory functioning. Limitations include a focus on experienced practitioners and the examination of short-term effects alone.

Background: Hormonal imbalance, mitochondrial dysfunctions, and oxidative stress (OS) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and its associated clinical features. A sedentary lifestyle, exposure to air pollutants, prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, processed and nutritionally depleted food, rich in trans fats, salts, and sugars, and high BMI specifically in visceral adiposity induce OS. OS damages the mitochondrial DNA, lipids, and proteins that impair mitochondrial function. Sequentially, dysfunctional mitochondria produce more reactive oxygen species that aggravate the OS. Mitochondria is pivotal for ovarian cell functioning for instance steroidogenesis, ovarian follicle development, and energy metabolism. Dysfunctional mitochondria can alter the ovarian follicle functioning leading to ovulatory dysfunction and infertility in PCOS.

Aims and objectives: This study is designed to investigate the effect of 12-week yoga practice on endocrine parameters, OS, and mitochondrial health, comparing outcomes in yoga and non-yoga groups.

Material and methods: A total of 75 participants, 32 PCOS females who completed yoga intervention in the yoga group and 29 in the nonyoga group. Hormonal levels were assessed through an immunoassay, while mitochondrial health markers, such as mtDNA copy number (mtDNA CN), reactive oxygen species, and lipid peroxidation were measured through quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), chemiluminescence, and ELISA respectively. Gene expression related to mitochondrial integrity, respiratory chain, and inflammation was analyzed via reverse transcription qPCR. Additionally, depression severity was also assessed using beck depression inventory II.

Result: The Yoga group showed a significant increase in mtDNA-CN and upregulation of transcripts responsible for maintaining mitochondrial integrity and the mitochondrial respiratory chain. In addition, the post-yoga group shows a reduction in, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory, OS markers, and an improvement in telomere length.

Conclusion: Yoga positively affects hormonal balance, mitochondrial health, OS, and inflammation in women with PCOS. It also alleviates depression symptoms, highlighting yoga as an effective adjunct therapy for managing PCOS. Regular yoga practice could prevent, delay, and help in managing PCOS symptoms.

Background: Nasal irrigation, including the traditional practice of Jal Neti, is increasingly used as an adjunctive treatment for various sinonasal disorders. It enhances mucociliary clearance, reduces mucus contact with irritants, and helps alleviate sinonasal symptoms. Despite its benefits, the practices and techniques vary widely across yoga traditions, necessitating a systematic examination of these differences.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at nine renowned yoga and naturopathy institutes in India to document and analyze the diverse practices of Jal Neti. Data were collected through direct interviews with experts, observations, and a review of institutional practices. Parameters studied included water source, purification methods, salt type and measurement, water temperature, and quality testing.

Results: The study revealed significant variations in Jal Neti practices among institutions, influenced by expertise, philosophy, and environmental factors. Water sources ranged from municipal to natural sources such as dams and ground water with purification methods including reverse osmosis and chlorination. Water temperatures varied seasonally, and salt types included rock, sea, and iodized salts, with measurement techniques often subjective. The pH, total dissolved solids, and salinity levels differed, reflecting the influence of local water characteristics. Although consistent water quality testing was observed, the frequency and parameters varied, affecting practice safety and effectiveness.

Conclusion: Jal Neti practices across major Indian yoga institutes exhibit significant diversity in methods, reflecting the individualistic yet systematic nature of this ancient technique. These findings highlight the need for standardized guidelines to ensure safety and efficacy, especially concerning water quality and salt concentration. The clinical relevance of these findings lies in the potential for improving the safety and effectiveness of Jal Neti for sinonasal disorders. Variations in salt types, concentrations, and water temperatures could influence mucosal irritation, symptom relief, and overall therapeutic outcomes. Standardizing these parameters could enhance the consistency and reliability, ensuring better patient outcomes in both traditional and clinical settings.