RESUMO
Introduction: Stroke survivors can experience various consequences that affect their physical and psychological balance. Yoga seems to be relevant for this population as it allows to work on both the body and the mind. The first objective of this study was to investigate the non-inferiority of yoga compared with conventional physical activity in improving physical function in patients with chronic post-stroke sequelae. The secondary objective was to investigate the superiority of yoga in improving the mental health of these patients. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted. Thirty-six patients were randomized into two groups to practice a yoga program (YOG'AVC) or the Fitness and Mobility Exercise (FAME) program. Patients were assessed in a blinding mode pre- (T0) and post-program (T1) and 3-4 months after completion (T2). The physical assessments were the Berg Balance Scale, timed up and go test, 6-minute walk test, and quadriceps strength measured by hand-held dynamometer. Questionnaire assessments were: Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale-Simplified, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck's Depression Inventory, and the Reintegration to Normal Living Index. Results: The YOG'AVC program was not inferior to the FAME program in improving balance, functional mobility and muscle strength. Both groups showed significant improvement (p < 0.05) between T0 and T1 in their anxiety, depression, and reintegration to normal life scores, with no significant difference between groups. Discussion: Both programs seem to be valuable in improving the physical abilities and psychological well-being of chronic post-stroke patients. However, further studies are required to confirm the difference between these programs.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Investigate the effect of yoga on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with central nervous system disorders. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted on the PubMed-NCBI, EBSCO Host, Cochrane Library, Scopus and ScienceDirect databases until 05 April 2021. Only randomized control trials published in English or French were included and had to compare yoga to another intervention group or a control group. They also had to clearly measure HRQoL. Methodological quality was assessed with the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials and the quality of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria. RESULTS: Sixteen studies were found, including six for multiple sclerosis, five for Parkinson's disease, two for stroke, one for dementia, one for epilepsy and one for brain tumour. Only 12 studies performed between-group statistics and 8 found a significant difference between groups after treatment. When yoga was compared to no intervention, the results were generally in favour of the yoga group, but when yoga was compared to another intervention programme, there was generally no significant difference between groups. There were many different HRQoL questionnaires, even within the same disease, which reduces the comparability of studies. CONCLUSIONS: With low to moderate quality of the evidence, yoga seems effective to improve HRQoL in people with Parkinson's disease. For multiple sclerosis, stroke, dementia, epilepsy and brain tumour, the quality of the evidence is still insufficient to conclude of the effectiveness of yoga.