Yoga Medical News Daily

Study concludes yoga can reduce sadness after calamity

This article mentions an earlier study that showed "that a week of yoga practice was useful in stress management after a natural calamity. Due to heavy rain and a rift on the banks of the Kosi river, in the state of Bihar in north India, there were floods with loss of life and property. A week of yoga practice was given to the survivors a month after the event and the effect was assessed."

Twenty-two male volunteers were randomly assigned to two groups with one group practicing yoga for an hour daily while the control group continued with their routine activities. "Both groups' heart rate variability, breath rate, and four symptoms of emotional distress using visual analog scales, were assessed on the first and eighth day of the program. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in sadness in the yoga group (p<0.05, paired t-test, post data compared to pre) and an increase in anxiety in the control group (p<0.05, paired t-test, post data compared to pre). CONCLUSIONS: A week of yoga can reduce feelings of sadness and possibly prevent an increase in anxiety in flood survivors a month after the calamity." Abstract: PubMed. "Post traumatic stress symptoms and heart rate variability in Bihar flood survivors following yoga: a randomized controlled study," by S. Telles, N. Singh, M. Joshi, A. Balkrishna,  BMC Psychiatry  [2010 Mar 2;10(1):18] Clinical Trials Registry of India: CTRI/2009/091/000285.

Yoga for Treatment-resistant Post-traumatic stress disorder

This clinical trial currently seeking participants is located at the Trauma Center in Brookline, Massachusetts, and is seeking women 18 to 58 years of age who have chronic, treatment-unresponsive post-traumatic stress disorder.  'This study will explore how a popular body-mind technique, yoga, compares with a attentional control group condition, Women's Health Education (WHE), in the treatment of [heretofore treatment- unresponsive adults with] PTSD, and measure whether yoga can affect "the attitudes and beliefs" that "can reduce psychological stress and contribute to positive health outcomes."'  The assigned intervention will include 10 weeks of trauma-sensitive yoga classes.  Details at ClinicalTrials.gov:

Defense Medical Research and Development Program Applied Research announces grant program; applications due December 18, 2009

These awards offered through the U.S. Department of the Army are intended to support research to advance medical care solutions with an emphasis on post-traumatic stress disorder, prosthetics, restoration of eye sight and advancing eye care and "other conditions directly relevant to the injuries our service members are currently receiving on the battlefield . . . " Funding is available to support a range of areas, including "Applied research leading to improved methods to enhance psychological resilience (e.g., environmental enrichment, yoga, and other complementary FY10 Defense Medical Research and Development Program (DMRDP) 7 alternative medicine methods, positive psychology interventions, and enhancement of traditional training)." Estimated total program funding: $97,000,000. Expected number of awards: 100.  Full text of award announcement and application form.

Evaluation of a yoga intervention for post-traumatic stress disorder: clinical trial at Brigham and Women's Hospital currently recruiting participants

"The main objective of this study is to establish efficacy and feasibility of a yoga-based treatment for PTSD in military veterans. Secondary objectives are to evaluate PTSD characteristics that may also be improved with the treatment and acceptability and compliance with the treatment. . . . The 10-week Kripalu-style yoga treatment will consist of 20 biweekly 90-minute group training/practice sessions. In addition, subjects will also receive CD's and written instructions for the daily 15-minute sessions, which they will use to guide them through the yoga procedures to be done at home." Details at U.S. NIH ClinicalTrials.gov.