Effects of Mindfulness Yoga Versus Conventional Physical Exercises on Symptom Experiences and Health-related Quality of Life in People with Parkinson's Disease: The Potential Mediating Roles of Anxiety and Depression.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the effects of mindfulness yoga versus conventional stretching exercises on symptom management and HRQOL in Parkinson's disease patients, while examining the mediating roles of anxiety and depression.
Results Summary
Yoga significantly improved nonmotor and motor symptoms compared to stretching, with reduced anxiety and depression mediating these positive effects on HRQOL. The study concluded that mindfulness yoga is superior to stretching for symptom relief in PD patients.
Population
138 adults with Parkinson's disease
Effective Dosage
Eight weekly sessions
Duration
8 weeks (with follow-up at 3 months post-intervention)
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mindfulness yoga | decrease | nonmotor symptom experiences | adults with PD | time-by-group interaction, T1:β = -1.99, p = .008; T2:β = -2.86, p < .001 | significantly improved | #1 |
mindfulness yoga | decrease | motor symptom experiences | adults with PD | time-by-group interaction, T1:β = -1.77, p = .03 | significantly improved | #2 |
mindfulness yoga | decrease | nonmotor and motor symptoms in daily living | people living with Parkinson's disease (PD) | - | is superior to conventional stretching exercises in improving | #3 |
mindfulness yoga | increase | symptom management and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) | people living with Parkinson's disease (PD) | - | positive effects | #4 |
mind-body exercises | increase | symptom management and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) | people living with Parkinson's disease (PD) | - | positive effects | #5 |
mindfulness yoga | increase | HRQOL | adults with PD | - | positive effects | #6 |
mindfulness yoga | increase | HRQOL | adults with PD | - | positive effects | #7 |
BACKGROUND: Although several studies have reported positive effects of mind-body exercises on symptom management and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of people living with Parkinson's disease (PD), it is not known whether these effects are attributable to a change in anxiety and depression. PURPOSE: To compare the effects of mindfulness yoga to conventional stretching exercises in a randomized controlled trial while examining potentially mediating effects of anxiety and depression. METHODS: 138 adults with PD were randomized to eight weekly yoga (n = 71) or stretching (n = 67) sessions. Symptom experiences, anxiety and depression, and HRQOL outcomes were assessed at baseline, immediate post-intervention, and 3-month post-intervention. RESULTS: Generalized estimating equation analyses revealed that, compared to stretching, yoga significantly improved patients' nonmotor (time-by-group interaction, T1:β = -1.99, p = .008; T2:β = -2.86, p < .001) and motor (time-by-group interaction, T1:β = -1.77, p = .03) symptom experiences. The mediation analysis found that the changes in anxiety and depression were the mediators in the associations between non-motor experience and HRQOL; while only the changes in depression were found to be the mediator in the relationship between motor experience and HRQOL. CONCLUSIONS: Yoga is superior to conventional stretching exercises in improving nonmotor and motor symptoms in daily living. Reduced anxiety and depression play a role in mediating the positive effects of the mindfulness yoga intervention. To optimize HRQOL, rehabilitation should reinforce psychological care in addition to pharmacological treatments and physical relief of PD symptoms. Future studies are needed to identify strategies for facilitating the implementation and sustainability of mind-body rehabilitation to enhance the quality of care for PD.