The longitudinal effects of seated isometric yoga on blood biomarkers, autonomic functions, and psychological parameters of patients with CFS

[Murph]

The longitudinal effects of seated isometric yoga on blood biomarkers, autonomic functions, and psychological parameters of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: a pilot study.
Oka T1,2, Tanahashi T1, Lkhagvasuren B1,3, Yamada Y2.
Author information
1. Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8582 Japan.

2. Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, International University of Health and Welfare Hospital, Iguchi 537-3, Nasushiobara-shi, Tochigi-ken, 329-2763 Japan.

3. Brain Science Institute, Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, Zorig Street 3, Ulaanbaatar, 14210 Mongolia.

Abstract
Background:
In a previous randomized controlled trial, we found that practicing seated isometric yoga regularly for 2 months improved the fatigue of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) who are resistant to conventional therapy. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the possible mechanisms behind this finding by comparing blood biomarkers, autonomic nervous function, and psychological indices before versus after an intervention period of seated isometric yoga practice.

Methods:
Fifteen patients with CFS who did not show satisfactory improvements after at least 6 months of conventional therapy practiced seated isometric yoga (biweekly 20-min sessions with a yoga instructor and daily practice at home) for 2 months. The longitudinal effects of seated isometric yoga on fatigue, blood biomarkers, autonomic function, and psychological state were investigated by comparing the following parameters before and after the intervention period: Fatigue severity was assessed by the Chalder fatigue scale (FS) score. Levels of the blood biomarkers cortisol, DHEA-S, TNF-α, IL-6, prolactin, carnitine, TGF-β1, BDNF, MHPG, HVA, and α-MSH were measured. The autonomic nervous functions assessed were heart rate (HR) and HR variability. Psychological indices included the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

Results:
Practicing seated isometric yoga for 2 months resulted in significant reductions in the Chalder FS (P = 0.002) and HADS-depression (P = 0.02) scores. No significant changes were observed in any other parameter evaluated. The change in Chalder FS score was not correlated with the change in HADS-depression score. However, this change was positively correlated with changes in the serum TNF-α levels (P = 0.048), the high frequency component of HR variability (P = 0.042), and TAS-20 scores (P = 0.001).

Conclusions:
Regular practice of seated isometric yoga for 2 months reduced the fatigue and depressive symptom scores of patients with CFS without affecting any other parameters we investigated. This study failed to identify the markers responsible for the longitudinal fatigue-relieving effect of seated isometric yoga. However, considering that the reduced fatigue was associated with decreased serum TNF-α level and TAS-20 scores, fatigue improvement might be related to reduced inflammation and improved alexithymia in these patients.

Trial registration:
University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN CTR) UMIN000009646. Registered Dec 27, 2012.
© The Author(s). 2019.
KEYWORDS:
Alexithymia; Chronic fatigue syndrome; Cytokine; Heart rate variability; Isometric yoga; Myalgic encephalomyelitis; TNF-α

 

[Murph]

potentially controversial, wouldn't want to push it onto anyone and wouldn't recommend it for severe patients. but yeah, I can see 20 mins of easy yoga twice a week making some mild patients feel a bit better. Might not be the exercise that does the trick, though! Could just be getting out of the house and doing something different!

 

[ryan31337]

Researchers hailing from the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and publishing in a BPS journal... so despite their use of clever sounding biomarkers, its not a result I would take at face value without very careful review

 

[Hip]

It may be the autonomic nervous system effects of yoga that are the source of the benefit.

Yoga increases activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, and interestingly enough, some ME/CFS patients benefit from the parasympathetic-boosting drug pyridostigmine, which they find greatly reduces or eliminates their PEM.

Perhaps the combo of parasympathetic + yoga would work even better.


The problem with this study however is that the fatigue has been measured on the Chalder fatigue scale, which is unreliable because it uses entirely subjective assessments of fatigue (it asks about how you feel, not what you can physically do). A fatigue scale based on, for example, how far you can walk without getting tired or PEMed would have been better.

 

[Murph]

Researchers hailing from the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and publishing in a BPS journal... so despite their use of clever sounding biomarkers, its not a result I would take at face value without very careful review

Perhaps I'm Polyannaish but I see this as taking the biological model to the heart of the psychosomatic establishment. I see no reason to write a paper off because of the journal it shows up in.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

alexithymia

That was an entirely new concept, interesting....

Thats all rather fascinating to think about further.

ME in my case, has made me more narcissistic in a type of self-protective way, and I could also see that as being a type of- alexithymia.

My bodies weirdness really just so fully takes over consciousness.

The Japanese exercise studies are unlikely to use our ME criteria in identifying the patients....they don't consider ME or viral onset triggers, in the same way as US studies.

 

[ryan31337]

Perhaps I'm Polyannaish but I see this as taking the biological model to the heart of the psychosomatic establishment. I see no reason to write a paper off because of the journal it shows up in.

Did not suggest it should be written off, just interpreted with a careful mind to the inherent bias with which the researchers work.

 

[frozenborderline]

made me more narcissistic in a type of self-protective way, and I could also see that as being a type of- alexithymia.

Theres narcissistic personality disorder and then theres narcissism just as a kind of ego protective trait that everyone has to some degree. We've been taught it as a bad word but in the latter case it can be a good and important thing. I have experienced this due to cfs forbsure. Theres less interactions w the world around me. I have to be more ego protective to hold onto what's left of myself

 

[percyval577]

I used to practice hatha yoga when I was 14, and did it later occasionally too. It always let arrive calming and focusing effects.

Since I have come down with mecfs after mono I couldn´t do any hatha yoga with any good effect, it only made me confuse.
I ever could walk around though, and never was bedbound, and only to very little degree somehow housebound.


Recently then within an improvement I discovered some movements and a related finger position to this:

including when walking or coming downstairs. All have sometimes a surprisingly good effect.
(I mostly use only four fingers, and doing it pronounced.) I guess this would go for isometric yoga.