Comparative impact of yoga and ayurveda practice in insomnia: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Insomnia is connected with a lifted hazard for neurocognitive dysfunction and psychiatric disarranges. Clinical observations of psychosomatic patients indicate that their distorted somatopsychic functioning necessitates their practice of yoga-like therapy. Sleep and its modifications and management have also been explained well in ayurveda. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Yoga and Nasya Karma on the sleep quality, stress, cognitive function, and quality of life of people suffering from acute insomnia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: It was an open-label, randomized controlled trial. A total of 120 participants were randomly (computer-generated randomization) equally allocated to three groups, yoga group (G-1), ayurveda group (G-2), and control group (G-3). All the groups were assessed on the first day before the start of the yoga regime and the 48th day. Participants in the study were included in the age group of 18 to 45 years, fulfilling DSM-V criteria for insomnia, physically fit for the yoga module, and Nasya procedure. Outcomes were measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), cognitive failure questionnaire, and WHO Quality of Life Scale-Brief (WHOQOL-Brief). Proportions and frequencies were described for categorical variables and compared using the Chi-square test. ANOVA (one-way) and post hoc analysis, Bonferroni test, were performed for multiple comparisons in groups at a significance level of P < 0.05 using SPSS (23 version). RESULTS: A total of 112 participants were analyzed as per protocol analysis. All groups have observed significant mean differences for stress (<0.05) and sleep quality (<0.05). All five aspects of quality of life - general health (<0.05), physical health (<0.01), psychological health (<0.05), social health (<0.05), and environmental health (<0.05) - had a significant mean difference in all three groups. All three aspects of cognitive failure, forgetfulness (<0.05), distractibility (<0.05), and false triggers (<0.01) had a significant mean difference in scores for all three groups. CONCLUSION: Yoga practice was effective, followed by ayurveda and the control group in reducing stress and improving sleep, cognitive function, and quality of life.

Yoga Practice Facilitates Prefrontal Oxygenation and Working Memory in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Pilot Study.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with cognitive decline. Lifestyle behaviors such as yoga practices play a significant role in preventing cognitive decline. Purpose: The goal of this study was to assess the effect of yoga intervention on working memory and prefrontal cortex (PFC) oxygenation in T2DM patients. Methods: Twenty T2DM participants, aged between 40 and 60 years, volunteered for a 6-week study. Participants were randomized into a yoga practice (n = 10) and a waitlist control group (n = 10). The n-back task was administered to evaluate working memory before and after the intervention. While performing the working memory task, PFC oxygenation was monitored using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Results: The yoga group showed a significant improvement in working memory performance. The accuracy improved in 1-back (mean difference of 4.73%, 95% CI[0.69,8.77], P = .026) and 2-back (8.0%, 95% CI[1.89,14.1], P = .016) task conditions. The reaction time improved in 0-back (mean difference of -79.07 milliseconds, 95% CI[-128.3,-29.8]), 1-back (mean difference of -119.17 milliseconds, 95% CI[-217.5,-20.8] ) and 2-back (-76.06 milliseconds, 95% CI[-148.8,-3.3]) task conditions. In the yoga group, at post-intervention, higher oxygenation was observed during 0-back and 1-back task conditions (Beta coefficient mean difference of 211.3, 95% CI[2.8, 420.0], P = .048 and 80.5, 95% CI [3.7,157.2], P = .042 respectively) in the left PFC region compared to the pre-intervention values. The control group showed no significant change in working memory performance and PFC oxygenation. Conclusions: The study suggests that yoga practice may improve working memory performance and facilitate higher PFC oxygenation in T2DM patients. Further studies with a larger sample and a longer intervention period are required to strengthen the findings.

Changes in Heart Rate Variability and Executive Functions Following Yoga Practice in Type 2 Diabetes Patients: A Pilot Study.

Context: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients are at increased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia compared to healthy individuals. Lifestyle practices such as yoga can have a vital role in preventing and managing T2DM. Some studies have found that yoga can positively impact cognitive function in T2DM. Objective: The study aimed to investigate the benefits of short-term yoga practice on heart rate variability (HRV) and cognitive function for T2DM patients, without a matched control group, to address the paucity of data on the effectiveness of yoga practice on cognitive health on T2DM individuals. Design: Current study is a single group pre post design. Setting: The study took place in the Department of Yoga and Life Sciences at Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (S-VYASA) in Bangalore, India. Participants: Participants were 21 T2DM patients from various hospitals, clinics and community setups, in different parts of Bengaluru city in India. Intervention: The participants took part in one month of yoga practice. Outcome Measures: The research team used the Madrid card sorting test (MCST) to assess participants' executive function (EF) at baseline and postintervention. In addition, the team monitored participants' heart rate variability (HRV) in a resting phase and during task performance. Results: Between baseline and postintervention: (1) participants' reaction time for the MCST decreased for overall task performance (P = .01) and during rule shifting (P = .03); (2) a significant reduction occurred in participants' random errors (REs) and incorrect responses, at P = .02 for both, whereas a significant increase occurred in correct responses and efficient errors (EEs), at P = .03 and P = .01, respectively; (3) the low frequency (LF) and LF/high frequency (HF ) ratio for the HRV decreased; HF increased but the difference wasn't statistically significant; and (4) a statistically significant decrease occurred in LF and LF/HF and an increase in HF occurred during task performance. Conclusion: Yoga therapy had beneficial effects on cognitive performance for the T2DM participants. The yoga practice also positively affected autonomic functions during task performance and suggesting that it can reduce task-induced stress. It's important for the future studies to validate the current findings with a randomized controlled trial.

Effect of Heartfulness Meditation Among Long-Term, Short-Term and Non-meditators on Prefrontal Cortex Activity of Brain Using Machine Learning Classification: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Meditation is a mental practice with health benefits and may increase activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. Heartfulness meditation (HM) is a modified form of rajyoga meditation supported by a unique feature called "yogic transmission." This feasibility study aimed to explore the effect of HM on electroencephalogram (EEG) connectivity parameters of long-term meditators (LTM), short-term meditators (STM), and non-meditators (NM) with an application of machine learning models and determining classifier methods that can effectively discriminate between the groups. Materials and methods EEG data were collected from 34 participants. The functional connectivity parameters, correlation coefficient, clustering coefficient, shortest path, and phase locking value were utilized as a feature vector for classification. To evaluate the various states of HM practice, the categorization was done between (LTM, NM) and (STM, NM) using a multitude of machine learning classifiers. Results The classifier's performances were evaluated based on accuracy using 10-fold cross-validation. The results showed that the accuracy of machine learning models ranges from 84% to 100% while classifying LTM and NM, and accuracy from 80% to 93% while classifying STM and NM. It was found that decision trees, support vector machines, k-nearest neighbors, and ensemble classifiers performed better than linear discriminant analysis and logistic regression. Conclusion This is the first study to our knowledge employing machine learning for the classification among HM meditators and NM The results indicated that machine learning classifiers with EEG functional connectivity as a feature vector could be a viable marker for accessing meditation ability.

Effects of Yoga on Psychological Health and Sleep Quality of Patients With Acute Insomnia: A Preliminary Study.

Context: Insomnia or poor sleep quality is associated with impaired physical, psychological, and mental functions that individuals require for health and well-being. Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the effects of yoga practice in managing insomnia and its related complications, such as cognitive failure, stress, and impaired quality of life (QoL), for individuals suffering from acute insomnia. Design: The research team designed a randomized controlled trial. Setting: The study took place at OPD of Dept. of Panchkarma Uttarakhand Ayurveda University in Uttarakhand, India. Participants: Participants were 24 patients at the hospital with acute insomnia between September 1 and September 30, 2021. Intervention: The research team randomly allocated 12 participants to the yoga group, the intervention group, and 12 to the control group. The yoga group participated in yoga practice for 60 minutes per day including Jala Neti- thrice in a week, Yoga Nidra- once in a week for 30 days, in addition to three days for an orientation program. The control group received conventional treatment. Outcome Measures: At baseline and postintervention on day 30, the research team measured outcomes using the Perceived stress scale (PSS), Cognitive Failure Questionnaire (CFQ), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Abbreviated (WHO-QOL-BREF). The team assessed the data for normality and applied the paired t test and an independent t test. Results: Postintervention, the decrease in the yoga group's stress and sleep quality were significantly greater, except for cognitive failure, than those of the control group. For the yoga group, three aspects of QOL-physical, psychological, and social-showed significant improvements but environmental health didn't. Conclusions: Yoga may be helpful in the management of insomnia and other sleep-related disorders in conjunction with pharmacotherapies and psychological interventions. Yoga can enhance QOL by improving overall mental health status and sleep quality and decreasing stress.

A perspective of yoga on smartphone addiction: A narrative review.

Evolution in technology is drastically becoming automatic and making life easier. Among those technologies, smartphones are fast-changing technology that is equipping humans to work from anywhere. Frequent usage and dependency on smartphones have increased, which in turn contributes to changes in psychosocial behavioral aspects. Addiction plays an important role in modifying the healthy habits of individuals. Problematic usage of smartphones affects both physical and psychosocial health and emerges as a cornerstone of psychosocial disorder. However, there is a dearth of data to understand the core concepts of smartphone addiction and there is a need to understand from the broader perspective. Yoga is considered one of the viable protocols to provide the way for digital detoxification from technology and smartphone addiction by promoting self-regulation. Yoga brings back a healthy living style, which allows individuals to have enough physical activity through asanas, emotional stability, and awareness through meditation and breathing practices. We hypothesize that a holistic approach to yoga can regulate the symptoms associated with smartphone addiction by increasing the stability of the body and mind and promoting emotional detachment and self-regulation, which play an important role in the de-addiction process.

The Impact of Complementary and Alternative Medicine on Insomnia: A Systematic Review.

Insomnia is characterized by difficulty in maintaining sleep and early morning awakenings. Although pharmacotherapies and psychological interventions remain essential for conventional treatment, motivational factors and interest in using complementary and alternative therapies for insomnia have developed over the last two decades. This review aims to comprehensively explore the effects of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) on improving sleep quality to guide evidence-based clinical decision-making and inform future research. Several electronic databases such as MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Clinical key, Cochrane, and Research gate were explored to search the relevant articles. For the systematic review, CAM studies were classified under "manual practices," "natural practices," and "mind-body practices." A total of 35 clinical trials were selected for inclusion in the systematic review, comprising adult samples. The systematic review revealed 11 RCTs with manual practice, 12 with mind-body practice, and 12 with natural medicine practice. The methodological quality of the RCTs was measured using the modified Jadad scale, a scientific quality index of ≥ 5/10 (on the augmented Jadad scale). Effect sizes (Cohen's d) were calculated and reported in all placebo-controlled studies with the available data. Regardless of systematic reviews, and randomized controlled trials on CAM, acupuncture, acupressure, herbal medicine, yoga, and tai chi, for insomnia, most of the RCTs did not agree with the findings. Further RCT for insomnia should be developed by considering the current advanced studies in the field of CAM.

Development, Content Validation, and Feasibility of Yoga Module for Smartphone Addiction.

Context: Mental health practitioners have postulated that smartphone addiction is a disorder characterized by maladaptive and problematic behavior, and treatment modalities are scarce. Yoga has been found to be a viable tool for addiction treatment and other psychiatric conditions, but no specific validated module is currently available for smartphone addiction. Objective: The study intended: (1) to develop a yoga-based intervention for smartphone addiction, based on the ancient literature of yoga and a modern literature review; (2) to validate the developed module with experts from different schools of yoga; and (3) to test the module's feasibility and efficacy for young adolescents, with the objective of creating biopsychosocial well-being. Design: The research team first conducted a search of traditional and contemporary literature, with the objective of developing the yoga program. That yoga program was then sent to yoga experts for content validation. A pilot study then tested the feasibility of using the developed module for individuals with internet and smartphone addiction. Setting: The study took place in Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (S-VYASA) University, Bengaluru, India. Participants: For content validity, participants were 15 yoga experts who had >10 years of experience in treating mental health disorders. For feasibility in a pilot study, participants were 22 students from an engineering college in Bengaluru, South India. Outcome Measures: For content validity, the experts' opinions were rated using a content validation ratio (CVR) through Lawshe's formula. For the feasibility study, assessments were performed at baseline and post intervention. Data were collected to evaluate: (1) addiction level using the Smartphone Addiction Scale - Short Version (SAS-SV), (2) impulsiveness using the Barat Impulsive Scale (BIS); (3) sleep problems using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), (4) mindfulness using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), (4) self-regulation using the Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SSRQ); and general health using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Results: In the final version of the module, 26 out of 35 items (74.28%) of the practices in the developed program were retained, together with the modifications suggested by the experts. The content validity index for the whole module, an average of all CVRs, was 0.74. The study found significant reductions in the most symptom scores after participants practiced the yoga module for six weeks. Conclusions: A yoga module for smartphone addiction was developed, validated, and checked for feasibility. The content validity of the module was found to be good. The module was found to potentially useful for reducing symptoms in individuals with smartphone addiction. Future studies should test the efficacy of the developed program through a randomized, controlled clinical trial.

Breathing-Focused Yoga Intervention on Respiratory Decline in Chronically Pesticide-Exposed Farmers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Occupational exposure to pesticides has been associated with lung and cognitive function exacerbations. In the present study, we tested the effectiveness of breathing focused yoga intervention on alleviation of adverse respiratory and cognitive effects associated with chronic pesticide exposure in farmers. Methods: We undertook a parallel, two-armed randomized controlled trial with blinded outcome assessors on a chronically pesticide-exposed farming population. The study was conducted at district Panipat, State Haryana located in the Northern part of India from November 2019 to August 2020. A total of 634 farmers were screened, and 140 farmers were randomized to breathing-focused yoga intervention (BFY, n = 70) and waitlist control arms (n = 65). BFY was delivered weekly in 45-min group sessions over 12 weeks followed by home-based practice. The primary outcome was the change in spirometry-based markers of pulmonary function from baseline expressed as raw values, Global Lung Initiative (GLI) percent predicted (pp), and GLI z-scores after 24 weeks of intervention. Secondary variables were Trail making tests (TMT A and B), Digit symbol substitution (DSST), and WHO Quality of life-BREF (WHOQOL-Bref). Analysis was by intention-to-treat. Mediation analysis was done considering oxidative stress markers as potential mediators. Results: At the end of 6 months of intervention, the overall follow-up in the participants was 87.85% (n = 123); 90% (n = 63) in the control group, and 85.71% in the yoga group (n = 60). The mean age of the study cohort (n = 140) was 38.75 (SD = 7.50) years. Compared with the control group, at 24 weeks post-intervention, the BFY group had significantly improved status of the raw sand z scores markers of airway obstruction, after adjusting for confounders, FEV1, FVC, FEF25-75 [z score-adjusted mean differences (95% CI); 1.66 (1.10-2.21) 1.88 (1.21-2.55), and 6.85 (5.12-8.57), respectively. A fraction of FEF25-75 change (mediation percentage 23.95%) was explained by glutathione augmentation. There were also significant improvements in cognitive scores of DSST, TMT-A and TMT-B, and WHOQOL-Bref. Conclusion: In conclusion, regular practice of BFY could improve the exacerbations in the markers of airway obstruction in chronically pesticide-exposed farmers and cognitive variables. A significant mediating effect of glutathione augmentation was also observed concerning the effect of the intervention on FEF25-75. These findings provide an important piece of beneficial evidence of the breathing-based yoga intervention that needs validation across different farming ethnicities.Clinical Trial Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: CTRI/2019/11/021989.

P300 and Heart Rate Variability Recorded Simultaneously in Meditation.

Sympathetic activation is required for attention. Separate studies have shown that meditation ( a) improves attention and ( b) reduces sympathetic activity. The present study assessed attention with the P300 and sympathetic activity with heart rate variability (HRV). Forty-seven male subjects (group mean age ± SD, 21.6 ± 3.4 years) were assessed in 4 mental states: ( a) random thinking, ( b) nonmeditative focusing, ( c) meditative focusing, and ( d) defocused meditation. These were recorded on 4 consecutive days. HRV, respiration, and P300 event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded before and after the sessions. Data were analyzed with repeated-measures analysis of variance followed by post hoc analysis. HRV showed a significant increase in low-frequency (LF) power, decrease in high-frequency (HF) power and an increase in average heart rate based on the average R-R interval after meditative focusing, compared with before. In contrast, the average heart rate decreased after defocused meditation compared with before. There was a significant increase in the P300 peak amplitude after meditative focusing and defocused meditation, with a reduction in peak latency after defocused meditation. These results suggest that after meditation with focusing, there was sympathetic arousal whereas after defocused meditation, there was a decrease in the average heart rate while participants carried out the P300 auditory oddball task sooner.

Sleep Quality and Body Composition Variations in Obese Male Adults after 14 Weeks of Yoga Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a big challenge all over the world. It is associated with many noncommunicable diseases. Yoga known to be add-on treatment may be effective for obesity control. AIM: To assess the effect of integrated approach of yoga therapy (IAYT) for body composition and quality of sleep in adult obese male. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted for 14 weeks on obese male of urban setting. Eighty individuals were randomly divided into two groups, i.e., yoga group (n = 40; age; 40.03 ± 8.74 years, body mass index [BMI] 28.7 ± 2.35 kg/m2) and control group (age; 42.20 ± 12.06 years, BMI 27.70 ± 2.05 kg/m2). The IAYT was imparted to yoga group for 1½ hour for 5 days in a week for 14 weeks. The control group continued their regular activities. The body composition by InBody R20 and sleep quality by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were assessed. Statistical analysis was done for within and between groups using SPSS version 21. The correlation analysis was done on the difference in pre-post values. RESULTS: The results showed that weight (P = 0.004), BMI (P = 0.008), bone mass (P = 0.017), obesity degree (P = 0.005), and mineral mass (P = 0.046) were improved in yoga group and no change in control group (P > 0.05). The global score of PSQI improved (P = 0.017) in yoga group alone. CONCLUSION: The results indicate the beneficial effects of IAYT on body composition and sleep quality in obese males. The yoga practice may reduce obesity with the improvement in quality of life.

Acute effects of 3G mobile phone radiations on frontal haemodynamics during a cognitive task in teenagers and possible protective value of Om chanting.

Mobile phone induced electromagnetic field (MPEMF) as well as chanting of Vedic mantra 'OM' has been shown to affect cognition and brain haemodynamics, but findings are still inconclusive. Twenty right-handed healthy teenagers (eight males and 12 females) in the age range of 18.25 ± 0.44 years were randomly divided into four groups: (1) MPONOM (mobile phone 'ON' followed by 'OM' chanting); (2) MPOFOM (mobile phone 'OFF' followed by 'OM' chanting); (3) MPONSS (mobile phone 'ON' followed by 'SS' chanting); and (4) MPOFSS (mobile phone 'OFF' followed by 'SS' chanting). Brain haemodynamics during Stroop task were recorded using a 64-channel fNIRS device at three points of time: (1) baseline, (2) after 30 min of MPON/OF exposure, and (3) after 5 min of OM/SS chanting. RM-ANOVA was applied to perform within- and between-group comparisons, respectively. Between-group analysis revealed that total scores on incongruent Stroop task were significantly better after OM as compared to SS chanting (MPOFOM vs MPOFSS), pre-frontal activation was significantly lesser after OM as compared to SS chanting in channel 13. There was no significant difference between MPON and MPOF conditions for Stroop performance, as well as brain haemodynamics. These findings need confirmation through a larger trial in future.

Self-reported measures of mindfulness in meditators and non-meditators: A cross-sectional study.

CONTEXT: Mindfulness forms an important component of meditation practice and has been increasingly popular around the world. There has been growing interest in studying the mindful component of various meditation techniques. One of the various forms of mindfulness is the practice of a unique technique called cyclic mediation (CM). We aimed at ascertaining the level of mindfulness in experienced practitioners of CM using a Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: MAAS was administered anonymously in a classroom setup and two of the project coordinators were present to supervise the administration and to assist the participants where necessary. We executed a cross sectional design. One hundred and thirty-three (n = 133) healthy male volunteers (66 meditators and 67 non-meditators) with ages ranging from 25 to 35 years participated in the study. Meditators had a minimum 3 years experience of meditation. RESULTS: Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 20. The data were checked for normality and an independent samples t-test was employed to compare the means of both the groups. MAAS scores were significantly higher in meditators as compared with the non-meditators (P < 0.001). We found a positive correlation (r = 0.620) between the years of meditation practice and the levels of trait mindfulness. CONCLUSIONS: CM can lead to development of higher levels of mindfulness and may have the ability to positively impact mental states and attention, thereby offering the potential for prevention of clinical levels of psychopathology and improving overall psychological well-being in healthy individuals.