The Yinota-trial: Efficacy of Yoga-intervention in high grade glioma patients and their caregivers - patient-reported outcomes and serum stress parameters

ABSTRACT

Background: High-grade glioma patients and their caregivers often suffer from psychological distress.1 Nevertheless, supportive services are lacking. This study investigates whether a mindfulness-based yoga intervention is feasible and affects anxiety, depression, quality of life, and stress-associated physiological parameters. Method(s) A monocentric on-site pilot study to test feasibility was started in 2020 and then adapted to an online format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were randomly assigned to immediate intervention and 8-weeks wait-list control groups. At randomization, immediately before and after the end of the 8-week intervention (1 h/week), which was performed by trained yoga teachers in a synchronous format, as well as another 3 months later, validated questionnaires were filled by participants and serum plus saliva samples were taken. In addition, participants were asked to rate their satisfaction with various course features. Result(s) A total of 43 participants with 27 donating biological samples and a drop-out of 14 were included. No significant changes in subjective criteria and physiological stress parameters were detected. Known disadvantages of online interventions were reported, e.g. technical difficulties. Overall course-satisfaction, with teachers guidance most positively rated, was reported. Discussion(s) High-grade glioma patients are very vulnerable due to their rapidly changing health status. Caregivers often have very limited time due to the care they provide. Therefore, recruitment is difficult and leads to dropouts. Validity of the results may be limited due to the small sample size and comparability of stress parameters due to circadian fluctuations in salivary cortisol. Conclusion(s) The online yoga course is feasible. Despite of lacking personal contact, supervision of participants is possible and satisfactory. To measure cortisol, more reliable hair samples will be taken in the upcoming multicenter study, starting in fall 2021.