Effect of Sahaja yoga practice on seizure control & EEG changes in patients of epilepsy.

The effect of Sahaja yoga meditation on seizure control and electroencephalographic alterations was assessed in 32 patients of idiopathic epilepsy. The subjects were randomly divided into 3 groups. Group I (n = 10) practised Sahaja yoga for 6 months, Group II (n = 10) practised exercises mimicking Sahaja yoga for 6 months and Group III (n = 12) served as the epileptic control group. Group I subjects reported a 62 per cent decrease in seizure frequency at 3 months and a further decrease of 86 per cent at 6 months of intervention. Power spectral analysis of EEG showed a shift in frequency from 0-8 Hz towards 8-20 Hz. The ratios of EEG powers in delta (D), theta (T), alpha (A) and beta (B) bands i.e., A/D, A/D + T, A/T and A + B/D + T were increased. Per cent D power decreased and per cent A increased. No significant changes in any of the parameters were found in Groups II and III, indicating that Sahaja yoga practice brings about seizure reduction and EEG changes. Sahaja yoga could prove to be beneficial in the management of patients of epilepsy.

Effect of noise stress on some cardiovascular parameters and audiovisual reaction time.

A study of the effect of noise stress on some of the physiological parameters was carried out on healthy male workers of thermal power station (exposed to sound level 90-113 dBA) and compared with age and sex matched healthy controls (exposed to sound level 48-66 dBA). The parameters recorded were heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), galvanic skin resistance (GSR), auditory and visual reaction time (ART and VRT) and audiogram. Significant impairment in audiogram at 3000 Hz and 4000 Hz, increase in HR, SBP, DBP and decrease in GSR, ART and VRT were recorded in workers who were exposed to noise stress. Also a higher prevalence of hypertension was observed in them and that they were at a higher risk of developing hypertension than the control group. It was also observed that these modifications are related to duration of exposure to noise stress. It is presumed that all the above extra auditory effects are due to activation of autonomic nervous system and hypothalamo-hypophyseal adrenal axis, and the resultant release of catecholamines from adrenal medulla due to noise stress.

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials in epileptics on different anti-epileptic drugs.

The effects of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) on brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) were studied on 32 female patients of epilepsy and 10 age-matched normal healthy females (NS). The patients were divided into 6 groups, those not receiving medication (drug free, DF) and those receiving AEDs: Phenytoin (PHT), Carbamazepine (CBZ), Phenobarbital (PB), a combination of PHT and PB and a combination of CBZ and PB. DF epileptics had shortened were V absolute latency (AL) and I-V interpeak latency (IPL) as compared to NS. Phenytoin and CBZ monotherapy produced a prolongation of wave III AL (by PHT only), wave V AL, wave I-III IPL and I-V IPL, as compared to DF epileptics. Phenytoin monotherapy also prolonged wave III AL and I-III IPL, as compared to NS. When PB in the dosage of 30-60 mg/d was used in combination with PHT the above mentioned changes were not observed. These findings indicate altered neuronal conduction and/or synaptic transmission in epileptics. Anti-epileptic drugs in the dosages studied, with exception of PHT appear to lead towards "normalization" of BAEPs.

Effect of Sahaja yoga practice on stress management in patients of epilepsy.

An attempt was made to evaluate the effect of Sahaja yoga meditation in stress management in patients of epilepsy. The study was carried out on 32 patients of epilepsy who were rendomly divided into 3 groups: group I subjects practised Sahaja yoga meditation for 6 months, group II subjects practised postural exercises mimicking Sahaja yoga and group III served as the epileptic control group. Galvanic skin resistance (GSR), blood lactate and urinary vinyl mandelic acid (U-VMA) were recorded at 0, 3 and 6 months. There were significant changes at 3 & 6 months as compared to 0 month values in GSR, blood lactate and U-VMA levels in group I subjects, but not in group II and group III subjects. The results indicate that reduction in stress following Sahaja yoga practice may be responsible for clinical improvement which had been earlier reported in patients who practised Sahaja yoga.

Autonomic functions and audiovisual reaction time in heroin addicts.

Radial pulse rate, systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), initial GSR0), GSR after 5 minutes of relaxation (GSR5), auditory reaction time (ART) and visual reaction time, (VRT) were measured in 30 male heroin addicts and compared with 25 male control subjects of similar age group. In heroin addicts DBP was significantly low (71.73 mmHg +/- 7.42, P < 0.05); while SBP although being low (106.13 mmHG +/- 10.08) was not significant. However, radial pulse was significantly higher. GSR0 was significantly higher (P < 0.001) but GSR5 was not significantly higher in these addicts, suggesting less sympathetic activity. In a separate group of ten heroin addicts effect of change in posture from supine to erect on BP was studied. This did not produce any rise in SBP or DBP at 1 and 2 min, suggesting probably inhibition of baroreceptor reflex. Auditory reaction time (ART) and visual reaction time (VRT) were significantly prolonged (P < 0.001 for each) in addicts, indicating deterioration of processing capability of CNS, or poor sensory-motor performance, or both.

Effect of exercise on pulmonary function tests in normal first degree relations of asthmatic subjects.

The prevalence of exercise-induced asthma (EIA) after six minutes of standard exercise test on bicycle ergometer was studied in thirty healthy first degree relations of asthmatic subjects (group II) and was compared with that in thirty healthy controls (group I). Pulmonary function tests (PFT) measuring FVC, FEV1, FEF25-75% and PEFR were performed on each subject prior of exercise, immediately following exercise period and serially at 5 minute interval for 25 minutes thereafter. Bronchial lability was noted in 7% and 27% of the subjects in groups I and II respectively. Of all the parameters measured, FEF25-75% exhibited most striking changes when expressed as % of the baseline value.

A study of lung function abnormalities in workers of cotton spinning shops.

Lung function was studied by forced expiratory spirograms and measurement of peak expiratory flow in fourteen young male subjects of the age 20 to 30 years. Seven of the subjects were cotton spinners in small shops in Paharganj market with the duration of work from 1 to 3 years. The other seven subjects served as controls. All the subjects were of the same socio-economic status and were North Indians. Forced vital capacity; forced expiratory volume in 1 sec; forced expiratory volume in 1 sec expressed as a percentage of forced vital capacity; forced expiratory flow between 80 and 70 per cent, between 55 and 45 per cent, between 30 and 20 per cent and between 15 and 5 per cent of the forced vital capacity were determined from forced expiratory spirograms. Peak expiratory flow and FEB-80-70% were significantly lower in cotton spinners suggesting involvement of larger airways.

Study of urinary volume and creatinine excretion in women medical students.

The urine volume per 24 hours is much lower than that reported in literature and therefore, it is necessary to establish Indian base lines. The experiments have been done under three different weather conditions, the results suggest an extent of allowance to be made for interpreting the results of concentration of substances in urine. The daily creatinine excretion was much lower than that reported in Western literature. This may be of value when creatinine excretion is being used as a check for completeness of 24 hours urine volume in Indians.