• Humans
• Yoga
• Intraocular Pressure/physiology
• Male
• Female
• Tonometry, Ocular/methods
• Tonometry, Ocular/instrumentation
• Middle Aged
• Glaucoma/physiopathology
• Glaucoma/diagnosis
• Glaucoma/therapy
• Reproducibility of Results
• Adult
• Equipment Design
• Sensitivity and Specificity
• Equipment Failure Analysis
• Aged
• Prospective Studies

• Integrative approaches
• meditation optic neuropathy
• neuroprotection
• visual health
• yoga

• Asana
• Jyoti-trataka
• Meditation
• Ocular hypertension
• Pranayama
• Primary open angle glaucoma

• breathing exercises
• eye
• glaucoma
• risk-factor
• yoga

Yoga is considered a widely-used approach for health conservation and can be adopted as a treatment modality for a plethora of medical conditions, including neurological and psychological disorders. Hence, we reviewed relevant articles entailing various neurological and psychological disorders and gathered data on how yoga exerts positive impacts on patients with a diverse range of disorders, including its modulatory effects on brain bioelectrical activities, neurotransmitters, and synaptic plasticity. The role of yoga practice as an element of the treatment of several neuropsychological diseases was evaluated based on these findings.

• Complementary medicine, depression
• Bipolar disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Anxiety
• Migraine
• Parkinson’s disease
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Epilepsy
• Multiple sclerosis

• Alcohol Drinking
• Dietary Supplements
• Exercise
• Glaucoma
• Intraocular Pressure
• Lifestyle
• Nutrients
• Optic Nerve
• Smoking
• Vitamins

We investigate 24-hour intraocular pressure (IOP) fluctuation patterns and the influence of body position on IOP in a chronic ocular hypertension (COHT) monkey model.

We recorded 24-hour IOPs (nine time points) in the different body positions in 10 eyes with normal and eight with high IOP (with random selection of one eye of each monkey) using a Tonopen. The IOPs at various time points and in different body positions were compared.

The average 24-hour IOPs in the immediate-supine, 10-minute supine, 10-minute seated, and immediate-seated positions in the COHT models were 28.64 ± 9.82, 25.42 ± 7.62, 23.49 ± 7.67, and 20.53 ± 7.80 mmHg, respectively. The diurnal-to-nocturnal IOP changes were 8.51 ± 2.93, 5.81 ± 3.67, 5.48 ± 2.97, and 3.59 ± 2.74 mmHg, respectively. The sudden shift between the supine and seated positions bring greater IOP variations (8.11 ± 2.85 mmHg) in the COHT monkeys, and the IOP fluctuations reached 14 to 38 mmHg when considering body position and the measurement time points.

The measurement time and body position influenced IOP. More elevated IOP occurred in the immediate-supine position and during the transient shift between the seated and supine positions. Maintaining a fixed position for sufficient time before measurement is important.

Glaucoma patients should focus on the importance of IOP measurements in the clinic occurring after an adequate amount of time in a fixed body position.

• IOP
• IOP fluctuation
• animal model
• non-human primate
• posture

• glaucoma
• intraocular pressure
• mental health
• neuroprotection
• ocular perfusion
• physical exercise

Sirsasana is a type of headstand postural yoga in which the body is completely inverted. It is performed with or without wall support. In this position, the body is held upright supported by the forearms, while the crown of the head rests lightly on the floor. This is an advanced pose and should be attempted under the supervision of a qualified yoga instructor. The practice of Sirsasana is postulated to increase blood flow to the brain, improving memory, and other intellectual functions. It is also known to cause causes raised intraocular pressure, decompression retinopathy, glaucomatous visual field defects, central retinal vein occlusion, progression of glaucoma, optic neuropathy, and conjunctival varix thrombosis. We report a case of branch retinal vein occlusion following Sirsasana in a patient with systemic hypertension.

• Branch retinal vein occlusion
• Sirsasana
• systemic hypertension

To measure changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) in association with yoga exercises with a head-down position.

The single Center, prospective, observational study included 10 subjects with primary open-angle glaucoma and 10 normal individuals, who performed the yoga exercises of Adho Mukha Svanasana, Uttanasana, Halasana and Viparita Karani for two minutes each. IOP was measured by pneumatonometry at baseline and during and after the exercises.

All yoga poses were associated with a significant (P<0.01) rise in IOP within one minute after assuming the yoga position. The highest IOP increase (P<0.01) was measured in the Adho Mukha Svanasana position (IOP increase from 17±3.2 mmHg to 28±3.8 mmHg in glaucoma patients; from 17±2.8 mmHg to 29±3.9 mmHg in normal individuals), followed by the Uttanasana position (17±3.9 mmHg to 27±3.4 mmHg (glaucoma patients) and from 18±2.5 mmHg to 26±3.6 mmHg normal individuals)), the Halasana position (18±2.8 mmHg to 24±3.5 mmHg (glaucoma patients); 18±2.7 mmHg to 22±3.4 mmHg (normal individuals)), and finally the Viparita Kirani position (17±4 mmHg to 21±3.6 mmHg (glaucoma patients); 17±2.8 to 21±2.4 mmHg (normal individuals)). IOP dropped back to baseline values within two minutes after returning to a sitting position. Overall, IOP rise was not significantly different between glaucoma and normal subjects (P = 0.813), all though glaucoma eyes tended to have measurements 2 mm Hg higher on average.

Yoga exercises with head-down positions were associated with a rapid rise in IOP in glaucoma and healthy eyes. IOP returned to baseline values within 2 minutes. Future studies are warranted addressing whether yoga exercise associated IOP changes are associated with similar changes in cerebrospinal fluid pressure and whether they increase the risk of glaucoma progression.

ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT01915680

• Adult
• Case-Control Studies
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Glaucoma/physiopathology
• Humans
• Intraocular Pressure/physiology
• Male
• Meditation
• Middle Aged
• Patient Positioning
• Posture/physiology
• Prognosis
• Prospective Studies
• Tonometry, Ocular
• Yoga

Yoga is a representative mind-body therapy of complementary and alternative medicine. In Japan, yoga is practiced widely to promote health, but yoga-associated adverse events have also been reported. To date, the frequencies and characteristics of yoga-related adverse events have not been elucidated. This study was conducted to elucidate the frequencies and characteristics of adverse events of yoga performed in classes and the risk factors of such events.

The subjects were 2508 people taking yoga classes and 271 yoga therapists conducting the classes. A survey for yoga class attendees was performed on adverse events that occurred during a yoga class on the survey day. A survey for yoga therapists was performed on adverse events that the therapists had observed in their students to date. Adverse events were defined as “undesirable symptoms or responses that occurred during a yoga class”.

Among 2508 yoga class attendees, 1343 (53.5%) had chronic diseases and 1063 (42.3%) were receiving medication at hospitals. There were 687 class attendees (27.8%) who reported some type of undesirable symptoms after taking a yoga class. Musculoskeletal symptoms such as myalgia were the most common symptoms, involving 297 cases, followed by neurological symptoms and respiratory symptoms. Most adverse events (63.8%) were mild and did not interfere with class participation. The risk factors for adverse events were examined, and the odds ratios for adverse events were significantly higher in attendees with chronic disease, poor physical condition on the survey day, or a feeling that the class was physically and mentally stressful. In particular, the occurrence of severe adverse events that interfered with subsequent yoga practice was high among elderly participants (70 years or older) and those with chronic musculoskeletal diseases.

The results of this large-scale survey demonstrated that approximately 30% of yoga class attendees had experienced some type of adverse event. Although the majority had mild symptoms, the survey results indicated that attendees with chronic diseases were more likely to experience adverse events associated with their disease. Therefore, special attention is necessary when yoga is introduced to patients with stress-related, chronic diseases.

• Adverse event
• Large-scale survey
• Risk factor
• Stress
• Yoga

• Adult
• Databases, Bibliographic
• Eye/physiopathology
• Female
• Glaucoma/physiopathology
• Humans
• Male
• Medical Records/statistics & numerical data
• Middle Aged
• Musculoskeletal System/physiopathology
• Nervous System/physiopathology
• Treatment Failure
• Yoga