Background: While the use of behavioral medicine in managing glioma patients' symptoms is not well studied, the high symptom burden in patients and their family caregivers is well established. We conducted a pilot randomized, controlled trial to examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a dyadic yoga (DY) intervention as a supportive care strategy.

Methods: Glioma patients undergoing radiotherapy and their caregivers were randomized to a 12-session DY or waitlist control (WLC) group. Prior to radiotherapy and randomization, both groups completed measures of cancer-related symptoms (MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Brain Tumor module), depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression measure), fatigue (Brief Fatigue Inventory), and overall quality of life (QOL; Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short-form survey). Dyads were reassessed at the last day of radiotherapy.

Results: Twenty patients (mean age: 46 years, 50% female, 80% WHO grade IV and caregivers (mean age: 50 years, 70% female, 50% spouses) participated in the trial. A priori feasibility criteria were met regarding consent (70%), adherence (88%), and retention (95%) rates. Controlling for relevant covariates, change score analyses revealed clinically significant improvements for patients in the DY compared with the WLC group for overall cancer symptom severity ( = 0.96) and symptom interference ( = 0.74), depressive symptoms ( = 0.71), and mental QOL ( = 0.69). Caregivers in the DY group reported clinically significant improvements in depressive symptoms ( = 1.12), fatigue ( = 0.89), and mental QOL ( = 0.49) relative to those in the WLC group.

Conclusion: A DY intervention appears to be a feasible and beneficial symptom and QOL management strategy for glioma patients undergoing radiotherapy and their caregivers. An efficacy trial with a more stringent control group is warranted.

Clinical Trial Number: NCT02481349.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6660820PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/nop/npy052DOI Listing

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