Yoga in major depressive disorder: molecular mechanisms and clinical utility.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mind-body disorder. Cellular aging has been implicated in the pathogenesis of MDD with the altered mind-body communication markers like stress response, immune response, nutrition sensing, and a range of other regulatory feedback systems. In this age of super specializations, one specific target and interventions (preferably a drug) on it are being rigorously sought by the health care community and industry, but have failed in it in the last fifty years in spite of advances in technology.

Impact of yoga based lifestyle intervention on psychological stress and quality of life in the parents of children with retinoblastoma.

Background: Childhood cancers are associated with a psychological burden to the parents and hence, decline their mental and physical health and overall quality of life.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study is to investigate the impact of 12-weeks yoga based lifestyle intervention on psychological stress and quality of life in the parents of children affected with retinoblastoma.

Method: Single arm prospective clinical trial conducted from October 2015 to October 2017 at the Laboratory for Molecular Reproduction and Genetics, Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

Impact of yoga based mind-body intervention on systemic inflammatory markers and co-morbid depression in active Rheumatoid arthritis patients: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Recovery of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) depends on several physical and psychological factors, besides pharmacological treatment. Co-morbid depression adversely affects the outcome in RA. Usual medical therapies have a limited scope and fail to cure the psychological component of the disease.

5-HTTLPR and >T polymorphisms and response to yoga-based lifestyle intervention in major depressive disorder: A randomized active-controlled trial.

Background: There is growing evidence suggesting that both genetic and environmental factors modulate treatment outcome in, a highly heterogeneous, major depressive disorder (MDD). 5-HTTLPR variant of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) and >T polymorphisms have been linked to the pathogenesis of MDD, and antidepressant treatment response. The evidence is lacking on the clinical utility of yoga in patients with MDD who have 5-HTTLPR and >T polymorphisms and less likely to respond to medications (SSRIs).

Yoga- and meditation-based lifestyle intervention increases neuroplasticity and reduces severity of major depressive disorder: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Current interventions for major depressive disorder (MDD) are suboptimal, and only one third respond to them on initial treatment. Neuroplasticity theories are the basis for several emerging treatments. Evidence on the impact of yoga, a well-known mind-body intervention, on neuroplasticity in MDD is limited.

Erratum to "Impact of Yoga and Meditation on Cellular Aging in Apparently Healthy Individuals: A Prospective, Open-Label Single-Arm Exploratory Study".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2017/7928981.].

Oxidative stress and male infertility.

DNA damage, largely owing to oxidative stress, is a leading cause of defective sperm function. High levels of oxidative stress result in damage to sperm DNA, RNA transcripts, and telomeres and, therefore might provide a common underlying aetiology of male infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss, in addition to congenital malformations, complex neuropsychiatric disorders, and childhood cancers in children fathered by men with defective sperm cells. Spermatozoa are highly vulnerable to oxidative stress owing to limited levels of antioxidant defence and a single, limited DNA-damage detection and repair mechanism.

Impact of Yoga and Meditation on Cellular Aging in Apparently Healthy Individuals: A Prospective, Open-Label Single-Arm Exploratory Study.

This study was designed to explore the impact of Yoga and Meditation based lifestyle intervention (YMLI) on cellular aging in apparently healthy individuals. During this 12-week prospective, open-label, single arm exploratory study, 96 apparently healthy individuals were enrolled to receive YMLI. The primary endpoints were assessment of the change in levels of cardinal biomarkers of cellular aging in blood from baseline to week 12, which included DNA damage marker 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OH2dG), oxidative stress markers reactive oxygen species (ROS), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and telomere attrition markers telomere length and telomerase activity.

Telomerase activity and cellular aging might be positively modified by a yoga-based lifestyle intervention.

Objectives: Recent studies showed that a brief yoga-based lifestyle intervention was efficacious in reducing levels of oxidative stress and cellular aging in obese men. The objective of this case report was to assess the efficacy of this intervention in reducing the levels of biochemical markers of cellular ageing, oxidative stress, and inflammation at baseline (day 0), at the end of active intervention (day 10), and follow-up at day 90.

Design: Single case report from a prospective ongoing study with pre-post design assessing the level of various markers of cellular aging.