{"id":8916,"date":"2013-03-15T10:38:36","date_gmt":"2013-03-15T14:38:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?p=8916"},"modified":"2013-03-15T10:38:36","modified_gmt":"2013-03-15T14:38:36","slug":"mind-body-research-update-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?p=8916","title":{"rendered":"Mind-Body Research Update"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?cat=21\"><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: right;\" align=\"left\">Research Update<\/h3>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"left\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\">Mind- Body Research Update<\/span><\/h1>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\">Compiled by Kevin Chen<\/span><\/h2>\n<p align=\"left\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><b><i>Qigong Exercise On Immunity And Infections<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><b>The effect of\u00a0qigong\u00a0exercise on immunity and infections: a systematic review of controlled trials.<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23227787\">American Journal of Chinese Medicine.<\/a>\u00a02012;40(6):1143-56. By <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed?term=Wang%20CW%5BAuthor%5D&amp;cauthor=true&amp;cauthor_uid=23227787\">Wang CW<\/a>,\u00a0et al. from Centre on Behavioral Health, University of Hong Kong, HKSAR, China.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">To summarize and critically evaluate the clinical evidence of the effect of\u00a0qigong\u00a0exercise on immunity and its efficacy in the prevention or treatment of infectious diseases, 13 databases were searched through January 2011, and all controlled clinical trials of\u00a0qigong\u00a0exercise on immunity and infections were included.\u00a0 Quality and validity of the included studies were evaluated using standard scales. Seven studies including two randomized controlled trials (RCTs), two controlled clinical trials (CCTs) and three retrospective observational studies (ROSs) met the inclusion criteria. One study focused on functional measures of immunity (antigen-induced immunity) and six studies on enumerative parameters of immunity. No study on clinical symptoms relevant to infectious diseases could be identified.\u00a0 Overall, <b>the included studies suggested favorable effects of\u00a0qigong\u00a0exercise<\/b> on immunity, but the quality of research for most of the studies examined in this review was poor. Further rigorously designed studies are required, which should adhere to accepted standards of methodology for clinical trials.<\/p>\n<p><b><i>Tai Chi for Schizophrenia<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b><i>\u00a0<\/i><\/b><b>Tai-chi\u00a0for residential patients with schizophrenia on movement coordination, negative symptoms, and functioning: a pilot randomized controlled trial.<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23304224\">Evidence Based Complementary &amp; Alternative Medicine.<\/a>\u00a0 2012;2012:923925. Epub 2012 Nov 24. By <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed?term=Ho%20RT%5BAuthor%5D&amp;cauthor=true&amp;cauthor_uid=23304224\">Ho RT<\/a> et al. Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong .<\/p>\n<p><b>Objective<\/b>: Patients with schizophrenia residing at institutions often suffer from negative symptoms, motor, and functional impairments more severe than their non-institutionalized counterparts.\u00a0Tai-chi\u00a0emphasizes body relaxation, alertness, and movement coordination with benefits to balance, focus, and stress relief. This pilot study explored the efficacy of\u00a0Tai-chi\u00a0on movement coordination, negative symptoms, and functioning disabilities towards schizophrenia. \u00a0<b>Methods<\/b>: A randomized waitlist control design was adopted, where participants were randomized to receive either the 6-week Tai-chi\u00a0program and standard care or only the latter. 30 Chinese patients with schizophrenia were recruited from a rehabilitation residency. All were assessed on movement coordination, negative symptoms, and functional disabilities at baseline, following intervention and 6 weeks after intervention. <b>Results:<\/b>\u00a0Tai-chi\u00a0buffered from deteriorations in movement coordination and interpersonal functioning, the latter with sustained effectiveness 6 weeks after the class was ended. Controls showed marked deteriorations in those areas. The\u00a0Tai-chi\u00a0group also experienced fewer disruptions to life activities at the 6-week maintenance. There was no significant improvement in negative symptoms after\u00a0Tai-chi. \u00a0<b>Conclusions<\/b>: <b>This study demonstrated encouraging benefits of\u00a0Tai-chi\u00a0in preventing deteriorations in movement coordination and interpersonal functioning for residential patients with schizophrenia.<\/b> The ease of implementation facilitates promotion at institutional psychiatric services.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hindawi.com\/journals\/ecam\/2012\/923925\">http:\/\/www.hindawi.com\/journals\/ecam\/2012\/923925<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><b><i>Deep Breathing and Respiration\/Heart Rate<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b><i>\u00a0<\/i><\/b><b>Influence of deep\u00a0breathing\u00a0exercise on spontaneous respiratory rate and heart rate variability: a randomized controlled trial in healthy subjects.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23029969\">Indian Journal of Physiology &amp; Pharmacology.<\/a>\u00a02012 Jan-Mar;56(1):80-7.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><b>By \u00a0<\/b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed?term=Tharion%20E%5BAuthor%5D&amp;cauthor=true&amp;cauthor_uid=23029969\">Tharion E<\/a> et al. from Dept of Physiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu , India.<\/p>\n<p>Studies show that yogic type of\u00a0breathing exercises\u00a0reduces the spontaneous respiratory rate. However, there are no conclusive studies on the effects of\u00a0breathing\u00a0exercise on heart rate variability. We investigated the effects of non-yogic\u00a0breathing\u00a0exercise on respiratory rate and heart rate variability. Healthy subjects (21-33 years, both genders) were randomized into the intervention group (n=18), which performed daily deep\u00a0breathin gexercise at 6 breaths\/min (0.1 Hz) for one month, and a control group (n=18) which did not perform any\u00a0breathing\u00a0exercise. Baseline respiratory rate and short-term heart rate variability indices were assessed in both groups. Reassessment was done after one month and the change in the parameters from baseline was computed for each group. Comparison of the absolute changes [median (inter-quartile ranges)] of the parameters between the intervention and control group showed a significant difference in the spontaneous respiratory rate [intervention group -2.50, control group 0.00, cycles\/min, P&lt;0.001], mean arterial pressure [ -0.67, vs. 0.67, mmHg, P&lt;0.05], high frequency power [278.50\u00a0 vs.\u00a0 -1.00, ms2 P&lt;0.05] and sum of low and high frequency powers [512.00, vs\u00a0 51.00, ms2, P&lt;0.05]. Neither the mean of the RR intervals nor the parameters reflecting sympatho-vagal balance were significantly different across the groups. In conclusion, the changes produced by simple deep slow\u00a0breathing\u00a0exercise in the respiratory rate and cardiac autonomic modulation of the intervention group were significant, when compared to the changes in the control group. <b>Thus practice of deep slow\u00a0breathing\u00a0exercise improves heart rate variability in healthy subjects, without altering their cardiac autonomic balance. <\/b>These findings have implications in the use of deep\u00a0breathing exercises\u00a0to improve cardiac autonomic control in subjects known to have reduced heart rate variability.<\/p>\n<p><b><i>Tai Chi vs. Physical Therapy for Preventing Falls<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\"><b>Efficacy of supervised\u00a0Tai Chi\u00a0exercises versus conventional physical therapy exercises in fall prevention for frail older adults: a randomized controlled trial.\u00a0 <\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23167499\">Disability &amp; Rehabilitation.<\/a>\u00a02012 Nov 20. [Epub ahead of print] by \u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed?term=Tousignant%20M%5BAuthor%5D&amp;cauthor=true&amp;cauthor_uid=23167499\">Tousignant M<\/a>,\u00a0et al. from Research Centre on Aging, University Institute of Geriatrics of Sherbrooke, Universit\u00e9 de Sherbrooke , Sherbrooke, Qu\u00e9bec , Canada.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b><a href=\"http:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?attachment_id=8919\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8919\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8919\" alt=\"foot massage\" src=\"http:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/foot-massage-212x300.png\" width=\"212\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/foot-massage-212x300.png 212w, https:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/foot-massage.png 636w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 212px) 100vw, 212px\" \/><\/a>Purpose:<\/b> To compare the effectiveness of supervised\u00a0Tai Chi\u00a0exercises versus the conventional physical therapy exercises in a personalized rehabilitation program in terms of the incidence and severity of falls in a frail older population. <b>Method:<\/b> The participants were frail older adults living in the community, admitted to the day hospital program in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada (n = 152). They were randomized to receive a 15-week intervention, either by supervised\u00a0Tai Chi\u00a0exercises (n = 76) or conventional physical therapy (n = 76). Fall incidence and severity were assessed using both the calendar technique and phone interviews once a month during 12 months following the end of the intervention. Other variables were collected at baseline to compare the two groups: age, comorbidity, balance, sensory interaction on balance, and self-rated health. <b>Results<\/b>: Both interventions demonstrated a protective effect on falls but\u00a0Tai Chi\u00a0showed a greater one (RR = 0.74; 95% CI = 0.56-0.98) as compared to conventional physical therapy exercises. <b>Conclusions:<\/b> <b>Supervised\u00a0Tai Chi\u00a0exercises as part of a rehabilitation program seem to be a more effective alternative to the conventional physical therapy exercises for this specific population.<\/b><\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><b><i>Meditation Effects on Anxiety &amp; Blood Pressure<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b><i>\u00a0<\/i><\/b><b>A randomized controlled trial of the effects of brief mindfulness\u00a0meditation\u00a0on anxiety symptoms and systolic blood pressure in Chinese nursing students<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nurseeducationtoday.com\"><i>Nurse Education Today<\/i><\/a>.\u00a02012 Dec 19. [Epub ahead of print]\u00a0 by\u00a0 Chen Y, et al. from School of Nursing, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"left\"><a href=\"http:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?attachment_id=8918\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8918\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-8918\" alt=\"yoga 2\" src=\"http:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/yoga-2-300x194.png\" width=\"300\" height=\"194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/yoga-2-300x194.png 300w, https:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/yoga-2.png 750w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>Background:<\/b> \u00a0Previous studies suggested that mindfulness\u00a0meditation\u00a0effectively reduced stress-related anxiety and depression symptoms, but no research has evaluated the efficacy of mindfulness\u00a0meditation\u00a0in nurses and nursing students in China. \u00a0This study tried to evaluate the effects of brief mindfulness\u00a0meditation\u00a0on the anxiety and depression symptoms and autonomic nervous system activity in Chinese nursing students.\u00a0 \u00a0<b>Methods:<\/b> A randomized controlled trial was run in a medical university in Guangzhou, 105 nursing students were randomly approached by email and seventy-two responded. Sixty recruited students were randomized into\u00a0meditation\u00a0and control group (n=30 each) after screening and exclusion due to factors known to influence mood ratings and autonomic nervous system measures. The\u00a0meditation\u00a0group performed mindfulness\u00a0meditation\u00a030min daily for 7 consecutive days. The control group received no intervention except pre-post treatment measurements. The Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Self-Rating Depression Scale were administered to participants, and heart rate and blood pressure were measured. Pre- and post-treatment data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance. \u00a0<b>Results:<\/b> Differences between pre- and post-treatment Self-Rating Anxiety Scale scores were significantly larger in the\u00a0meditation\u00a0group than in the control group, but no similar effect was observed for Self-Rating Depression Scale scores. Systolic blood pressure was reduced more after the intervention in the\u00a0meditation\u00a0group than in the control group, with an average reduction of 2.2mmHg. A moderate level of anxiety was associated with the maximum\u00a0meditation\u00a0effect. \u00a0<b>Conclusions:<\/b> <b>Brief mindfulness\u00a0meditation\u00a0was beneficial for Chinese nursing students in reducing anxiety symptoms and lowering systolic blood pressure. Individuals with moderate anxiety are most likely to benefit from a short-term mindfulness\u00a0meditation\u00a0program.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>Yoga for Menopause<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"left\"><b><i>\u00a0<\/i><\/b><b>Effectiveness of\u00a0yoga\u00a0for menopausal symptoms: a systematic review and <a href=\"http:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?attachment_id=8917\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8917\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-8917\" alt=\"yoga\" src=\"http:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/yoga-199x300.png\" width=\"199\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/yoga-199x300.png 199w, https:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/yoga-681x1024.png 681w, https:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/yoga.png 1823w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px\" \/><\/a>meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23304220\">Evidence Based Complementary &amp; Alternative Medicine.<\/a>\u00a02012;2012:863905. Epub 2012 Nov 7. By \u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed?term=Cramer%20H%5BAuthor%5D&amp;cauthor=true&amp;cauthor_uid=23304220\">Cramer H<\/a>, et al.\u00a0 from Chair of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><b>Objectives:<\/b> To systematically review and meta-analyze the effectiveness of\u00a0yoga\u00a0for menopausal symptoms. <b>Methods:<\/b> Medline, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO were screened through April 2012. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included if they assessed the effect ofyoga\u00a0on major menopausal symptoms, namely, (1) psychological symptoms, (2) somatic symptoms, (3) vasomotor symptoms, and\/or (4) urogenital symptoms. For each outcome, standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Two authors independently assessed risk of bias using the risk of bias tool recommended by the Cochrane Back Review Group. <b>Results: <\/b>\u00a0Five RCTs with 582 participants were included in the qualitative review, and 4 RCTs with 545 participants were included in the meta-analysis. There was moderate evidence for short-term effects on psychological symptoms (SMD = -0.37; 95% CI -0.67 to -0.07; P = 0.02). No evidence was found for total menopausal symptoms, somatic symptoms, vasomotor symptoms, or urogenital symptoms.\u00a0Yoga\u00a0was not associated with serious adverse events. <b>Conclusion: <\/b>\u00a0This systematic review found moderate evidence for short-term effectiveness of\u00a0yoga\u00a0for psychological symptoms in menopausal women. While more rigorous research is needed to underpin these results,\u00a0<b>yoga\u00a0can be preliminarily recommended as an additional intervention for women who suffer from psychological complaints associated with menopause.<\/b> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hindawi.com\/journals\/ecam\/2012\/863905\">http:\/\/www.hindawi.com\/journals\/ecam\/2012\/863905<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><b><i>Yoga for Enhanced Brain Function<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b><i>\u00a0<\/i><\/b><b>Yoga meditation practitioners exhibit greater gray matter volume and fewer reported cognitive failures: results of a preliminary voxel-based morphometric analysis.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23304217\">Evidence Based Complementary &amp; Alternative Medicine.<\/a>\u00a02012;2012:821307. By <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed?term=Froeliger%20B%5BAuthor%5D&amp;cauthor=true&amp;cauthor_uid=23304217\">Froeliger B<\/a>,\u00a0et al. from Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27708, USA.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Hatha yoga techniques, including physical postures (asanas),\u00a0breathing exercises\u00a0(pranayama), and meditation, involve the practice of mindfulness. In turn, yoga meditation practices may induce the state of mindfulness, which, when evoked recurrently through repeated practice, may accrue into trait or dispositional mindfulness. Putatively, these changes may be mediated by experience-dependent neuroplastic changes. Though prior studies have identified differences in gray matter volume (GMV) between long-term mindfulness practitioners and controls, no studies to date have reported on whether yoga meditation is associated with GMV differences. The present study investigated GMV differences between yoga meditation practitioners (YMP) and a matched control group (CG). The YMP group exhibited greater GM volume in frontal, limbic, temporal, occipital, and cerebellar regions; whereas the CG had no greater regional greater GMV. In addition, the YMP group reported significantly fewer cognitive failures on the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ), the magnitude of which was positively correlated with GMV in numerous regions identified in the primary analysis. Lastly, GMV was positively correlated with the duration of yoga practice. <b>Results from this preliminary study suggest that hatha yoga practice may be associated with the promotion of neuroplastic changes in executive brain systems, which may confer therapeutic benefits that accrue with repeated practice.<\/b><\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hindawi.com\/journals\/ecam\/2012\/821307\">http:\/\/www.hindawi.com\/journals\/ecam\/2012\/821307<\/a><\/p>\n<p><b><i>Mindfulness &amp; Yoga Enhance Sleep<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b><i>\u00a0<\/i><\/b><b>Effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction on sleep quality: Results of a randomized trial among Danish breast cancer patients.<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23282113\">Acta Oncol.<\/a>\u00a02013 Jan 3. [Epub ahead of print] By <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed?term=Andersen%20SR%5BAuthor%5D&amp;cauthor=true&amp;cauthor_uid=23282113\">Andersen SR<\/a>,\u00a0 et al.<b> \u00a0<\/b>From Danish Cancer Society Research Center , Survivorship, Copenhagen , Denmark.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">The prevalence of sleep disturbance is high among cancer patients, and the sleep problems tend to last for years after the end of treatment. As part of a large RCT (MICA trial, NCT00990977) of the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on psychological and somatic symptoms among breast cancer patients, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of MBSR on the secondary outcome, &#8216;sleep quality&#8217;. <b>Material and methods<\/b>. A total of 336 women operated on for breast cancer stage I-III 3-18 months previously were randomized to MBSR (n = 168) or treatment as usual (n = 168); both groups received standard clinical care. The intervention consisted of an eight-week MBSR program (psycho-education,\u00a0meditation\u00a0and gentle yoga). Sleep quality was assessed on the Medical Outcome Study sleep scale at baseline, after the intervention and at six- and 12-months&#8217; follow-up. <b>Results<\/b>. The mean sleep problem scores were significantly lower in the MBSR group than in controls immediately after the intervention. Quantile regression analyses showed that the effect was statistically significant only for the participants represented by the lower percentile of change between baseline and post-intervention, i.e. those who had more sleep problems; the MBSR group had a significantly smaller increase in sleep problems than the control group. After the 12-month follow-up, there was no significant between-group effect of MBSR on sleep quality in intention-to-treat analyses. <b>Conclusion<\/b>. <b>MBSR had a statistically significant effect on sleep quality just after the intervention but no long-term effect among breast cancer patients. <\/b>Future trials in which participation is restricted to patients with significant sleep problems are recommended for evaluating the effect of MBSR on sleep quality.<\/p>\n<p><b><i>Meditation Reduces Stress &amp; Cognitive Functions<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><b>Immediate and long-term effects of\u00a0meditation\u00a0on acute stress reactivity, cognitive functions, and intelligence<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23251943\">Alternative Therapies Health Medicine.<\/a>\u00a02012 Nov-Dec;18(6):46-53. By <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed?term=Singh%20Y%5BAuthor%5D&amp;cauthor=true&amp;cauthor_uid=23251943\">Singh Y<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed?term=Sharma%20R%5BAuthor%5D&amp;cauthor=true&amp;cauthor_uid=23251943\">Sharma R<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed?term=Talwar%20A%5BAuthor%5D&amp;cauthor=true&amp;cauthor_uid=23251943\">Talwar A<\/a>. from Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><b>Context:<\/b> With the current globalization of the world&#8217;s economy and demands for enhanced performance, stress is present universally. Life&#8217;s stressful events and daily stresses cause both deleterious and cumulative effects on the human body. The practice of\u00a0meditation\u00a0might offer a way to relieve that stress.\u00a0 The research team intended to study the effects of\u00a0meditation\u00a0on stress-induced changes in physiological parameters, cognitive functions, intelligence, and emotional quotients. \u00a0<b>Methods:<\/b>\u00a0 The study was done in two phases, with a month between them.\u00a0 Each participant served as his own control.\u00a0 In phase 1, the researcher studied the effects of a stressor (10 minutes playing a computer game) on participants&#8217; stress levels. In phase 2, the research team examined the effects of\u00a0meditation\u00a0on stress levels. \u00a0The research was done in a lab setting at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).\u00a0 The participants were 34 healthy male students. To study the effects of long-term\u00a0meditation\u00a0on stress levels, intelligence, emotional quotients, and cognitive functions participants meditated daily for 1 month, between phases 1 and 2.\u00a0 To study the immediate effects of\u00a0meditation\u00a0on stress levels, participants meditated for 15 minutes after playing a computer game to induce stress. The measures included galvanic skin response (GSR), heart rate (HR), and salivary cortisol and administered tests for the intelligence and emotional quotients (IQ and EQ), acute and perceived stress (AS and PS), and cognitive functions (ie, the Sternberg memory test [short-term memory] and the Stroop test [cognitive flexibility]). Using a pre-post study design, the team performed this testing (1) prior to the start of the study (baseline); (2) in phase 1, after induced stress; (3) in part 1 of phase 2, after 1 month of daily\u00a0meditation, and (4) in part 2 of phase 2, after induced stress, both before and after 15 minutes of\u00a0meditation.<\/p>\n<h4 align=\"left\">Results: Induced stress from the computer game resulted in a significant increase in physiological markers of stress such as GSR and HR. In the short term,\u00a0meditation\u00a0was associated with a physiological relaxation response (significant decrease in GSR) and an improvement in scores on the Stroop test of reaction times. In the long-term,\u00a0meditation\u00a0brought significant improvements in IQ and scores for cognitive functions, whereas participants&#8217; stress levels (GSR and AS) decreased. EQ, salivary cortisol, and HR showed no significant changes.\u00a0 Conclusions: \u00a0The practice of\u00a0meditation\u00a0reduced psychological stress responses and improved cognitive functions, and the effects were pronounced with practice of\u00a0meditation\u00a0for a longer duration (1 month).<\/h4>\n<p><b><i>Tai Chi Reduces Side-Effects of Rheumatologic Diseases<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><b>Role of\u00a0Tai Chi\u00a0in the treatment of rheumatologic diseases. <\/b><\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Current Rheumatology Reports.\u00a02012 Dec;14(6):598-603. By Wang C. from Division of Rheumatology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston,MA, USA. <a href=\"mailto:cwang2@tuftsmedicalcenter.org\">cwang2@tuftsmedicalcenter.org<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Rheumatologic diseases (e.g., fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis) consist of a complex interplay between biologic and psychological aspects, resulting in therapeutically challenging chronic conditions to control. Encouraging evidence suggests that\u00a0Tai Chi, a multi-component Chinese mind-body exercise, has multiple benefits for patients with a variety of chronic disorders, particularly those with musculoskeletal conditions. Thus,\u00a0Tai Chi\u00a0may modulate complex factors and improve health outcomes in patients with chronic rheumatologic conditions. As a form of physical exercise,\u00a0Tai Chi\u00a0enhances cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, balance, and physical function. It also appears to be associated with reduced stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as improved quality of life. Thus,\u00a0<b>Tai Chi\u00a0can be safely recommended to patients with fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis as a complementary and alternative medical approach to improve patient well-being. <\/b>This review highlights the current body of knowledge about the role of this ancient Chinese mind-body medicine as an effective treatment of rheumatologic diseases to better inform clinical decision-making for our patients.<\/p>\n<p><b>\u00a0<\/b><b><i>Yoga Reduces Pain<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><b>Yoga\u00a0for Functional Ability, Pain and Psychosocial Outcomes in Musculoskeletal Conditions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Musculoskeletal Care.\u00a02013 Jan 9. by\u00a0 Ward L,\u00a0et al.\u00a0 from\u00a0 Centre for Physiotherapy Research, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><b>Objectives:<\/b> Musculoskeletal conditions (MSCs) are the leading cause of disability and chronic pain in the developed world, impacting both functional ability and psychosocial health. The current review investigates the effectiveness of\u00a0yoga\u00a0on primary outcomes of functional ability, pain and psychosocial outcomes across a range of MSCs.<b> Methods<\/b>: A comprehensive search of 20 databases was conducted for full-text, randomized controlled trials of\u00a0yoga\u00a0in clinically diagnosed MSCs. <b>Result:<\/b> Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria, involving 1,626 participants with low back pain (LBP), osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), kyphosis or fibromyalgia. Studies were quality rated, and analysed for the effect of\u00a0yoga\u00a0on primary outcomes, immediately post-intervention. Twelve studies were rated as good quality.\u00a0Yoga\u00a0interventions resulted in a clinically significant improvement in functional outcomes in mild-to-moderate LBP and fibromyalgia, and showed a trend to improvement in kyphosis.\u00a0Yoga\u00a0significantly improved pain in OA, RA and mild-to-severe LBP. Psychosocial outcomes were significantly improved in mild-to-moderate LBP and OA. Meta-analysis of good-quality studies showed a moderate treatment effect for\u00a0yoga\u00a0of -0.64 (95%CI -0.89 to -0.39) for functional outcomes and -0.61 (95%CI -0.97 to -0.26) for pain outcomes. <b>Conclusions:<\/b> <b>Evidence suggests that\u00a0yoga\u00a0is an acceptable and safe intervention, which may result in clinically relevant improvements in pain and functional outcomes associated with a range of MSCs.<\/b> Future analysis of outcomes which take into account the amount of\u00a0yoga\u00a0received by participants may provide insight into any putative duration or dosage effects of\u00a0yoga\u00a0interventions for MSCs.<b><i>\u00a0<\/i><\/b><a href=\"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/msc.1042\/abstract;jsessionid=718C7EAD474D524256729311274C8331.d01t02\">http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">\n<p align=\"left\">\n<div id=\"attachment_8617\" style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?attachment_id=8617\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8617\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8617\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8617\" alt=\"Dr. Kevin Chen\" src=\"http:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/dr.-chen.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-8617\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Kevin Chen<\/p><\/div>\n<p><b>Kevin W Chen<\/b><b>,\u00a0<\/b>Ph.D.<b>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/b><span style=\"color: #000000;\">is an associate professor at the Center for Integrative\u00a0Medicine, University of Maryland. \u00a0Dr. Chen was educated in the universities of both China and the United States, and has\u00a0years of experience and training in blending eastern and western perspectives, and in\u00a0the practice of life-nurturing methods. As a long-time practitioner of Qigong Yang Sheng, he is one of the few scientists in the U.S. to have both hands-on knowledge of mind-body practice, and an active research career in mind-body medicine, which is funded through grants by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and various foundations.\u00a0 Dr. Chen devotes his career and life to the practice of Yang Sheng, and promotion of self-healing and mind-body-spirit integration through the non-profit organization, World Institute for Self Healing (WISH) (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.wishus.org\/\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">http:\/\/www.wishus.org<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div><div style=\"padding-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:10pt;font-family:arial;font-weight:bold;\">Do you like this? 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American Journal of Chinese Medicine.\u00a02012;40(6):1143-56. 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