ABSTRACT
CONTEXT: Ageing is an unavoidable facet of life. Yogic practices have been reported to promote healthy aging. Previous studies have used either yoga therapy interventions derived from a particular school of yoga or have tested specific yogic practices like meditation. AIMS: This study reports the development, validation and feasibility of a yoga-based intervention for elderly with or without mild cognitive impairment. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The study was conducted at the Advanced Centre for Yoga, National Institute for Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore. The module was developed, validated, and then pilot-tested on volunteers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The first part of the study consisted of designing of a yoga module based on traditional and contemporary yogic literature. This yoga module along with the three case vignettes of elderly with cognitive impairment were sent to 10 yoga experts to help develop the intended yoga-based intervention. In the second part, the feasibility of the developed yoga-based intervention was tested. RESULTS: Experts (n=10) opined the yoga-based intervention will be useful in improving cognition in elderly, but with some modifications. Frequent supervised yoga sessions, regular follow-ups, addition/deletion/modifications of yoga postures were some of the suggestions. Ten elderly consented and eight completed the pilot testing of the intervention. All of them were able to perform most of the Suksmavyayama, Pranayama and Nadanusandhana (meditation) technique without difficulty. Some of the participants (n=3) experienced difficulty in performing postures seated on the ground. Most of the older adults experienced difficulty in remembering and completing entire sequence of yoga-based intervention independently. CONCLUSIONS: The yoga based intervention is feasible in the elderly with cognitive impairment. Testing with a larger sample of older adults is warranted.
ABSTRACT
CONTEXT: Elderly have increased risk for cognitive impairment and dementia. Yoga therapy may be helpful in elderly to improve cognitive function. AIMS: We examined the benefits of yoga-based intervention compared with waitlist control group on cognitive function in the residents of elderly homes. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Single blind controlled study with block randomization of elderly homes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Study sample included yoga group (n=62) and waitlist group (n=58). A total of 87 subjects (yoga=44, waitlist=43) completed the study period of 6 months. Yoga group received daily yoga sessions for 1 month, weekly until 3(rd) month and encouraged to continue unsupervised until 6 months. They were assessed on Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Rey's complex figure test (CFT), Wechsler's Memory Scale (WMS)-digit and spatial span, Controlled Oral Word Association (COWA) test, Stroop Color Word Interference Test and Trail Making Test A and B at baseline and at the end of 6(th) month. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Paired t-test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to compare the difference in neuropsychological test scores. RESULTS: Yoga group showed significant improvement in immediate and delayed recall of verbal (RAVLT) and visual memory (CFT), attention and working memory (WMS-spatial span), verbal fluency (COWA), executive function (Stroop interference) and processing speed (Trail Making Test-A) than waitlist group at the end of 6 months after correcting for corresponding baseline score and education. CONCLUSION: Yoga based-intervention appears beneficial to improve several domains of cognitive function in elderly living in residential care homes. Study findings need to be interpreted after considering methodological limitations like lack of active comparison group.
ABSTRACT
CONTEXT: Yoga as a life-style practice has demonstrated beneficial effects. The role of yoga in the elderly for such benefits merits investigation. AIMS: The aim of this study is to examine the effects of yoga intervention on quality-of-life (QOL) and sleep quality in the elderly living in old age homes. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Single blind controlled study with block randomization of elderly homes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 120 subjects from nine elderly homes were randomized in to yoga group (n=62) and waitlist group (n=58). Subjects in the yoga group were given yoga intervention daily for 1 month and weekly until 3 months and were encouraged to practice yoga without supervision until for 6 months. Subjects in waitlist group received no intervention during this period. Subjects were evaluated with World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF for measuring QOL and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index for sleep quality in the baseline and after 6 months. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Independent t-test and repeated measures analysis of covariance respectively was used to measure the difference in outcome measures between the two groups at baseline and after the study period. RESULTS: Subjects in the yoga group had significantly higher number of years of formal education. Subjects in the yoga group had significant improvement in all the domains of QOL and total sleep quality after controlling for the effect of baseline difference in education between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Yoga intervention appears to improve the QOL and sleep quality of elderly living in old age homes. There is a need for further studies overcoming the limitations in this study to confirm the benefits of yoga for elderly in QOL and sleep quality.
ABSTRACT
CONTEXT: The efficacy of yoga as an intervention for in-patients with psychosis is as yet unknown; although, previous studies have shown efficacy in stabilized out-patients with schizophrenia. AIM: This study aimed to compare the effect of add-on yoga therapy or physical exercise along with standard pharmacotherapy in the treatment of in-patients with psychosis. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This study was performed in an in-patient setting using a randomized controlled single blind design. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 88 consenting in-patients with psychosis were randomized into yoga therapy group (n=44) and physical exercise group (n=44). Sixty patients completed the study period of 1½ months. Patients who completed in the yoga group (n=35) and in the exercise group (n=25) were similar on the demographic profile, illness parameters and psychopathology scores at baseline. RESULTS: The two treatment groups were not different on the clinical syndrome scores at the end of 2 weeks. At the end of 6 weeks, patients in the yoga group however had lower mean scores on Clinical Global Impression Severity (CGIS), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (total and general psychopathology subscale) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) (P<0.05). Repeated measure analysis of variance detected an advantage for yoga over exercise in reducing the clinical CGIS and HDRS scores. CONCLUSION: Adding yoga intervention to standard pharmacological treatment is feasible and may be beneficial even in the early and acute stage of psychosis.
