Feasibility, acceptability and evaluation of meditation to augment yoga practice among persons diagnosed with schizophrenia

Yoga-A complementary and traditional medicine for human health

Yoga is a therapeutic practice renowned for its multifaceted benefits across the body's systems. Its positive impact spans the physical, mental and emotional realms, fostering harmony and well-being. Through a combination of postures, breathing techniques and meditation, yoga offers profound effects, enhancing flexibility, strength and balance while simultaneously promoting relaxation and reducing stress. This integrative approach not only cultivates physical resilience but also supports mental clarity, emotional balance and overall vitality, showcasing yoga as a comprehensive and impactful system for holistic health. The review delved into the multifaceted ways in which yoga exerts a positive influence on the body's various systems. It highlights how yoga serves as a beneficial tool in addressing and counteracting the underlying factors associated with different diseases. By examining yoga's effects on these systems and its potential in combating illness, the paper sheds light on the comprehensive therapeutic benefits that yoga offers. Please cite this article as: Pandey S, Pandey AC, Kotecha VR. Yoga-A complementary and traditional medicine for human health. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(2): 93-105.

The efficacy of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in patients with schizophrenia: a meta-analysis

The modulation of gut microbiota through probiotics holds promise as a novel avenue for schizophrenia treatment. This study aims to analyze probiotic complementary therapy on individuals with schizophrenia systematically, to investigate probiotic efficacy, potential mechanisms, and implications for clinical practice. Adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we searched in Medline, Web of Science, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, CNKI, VIP, and WanFang databases using keywords ("probiotics" OR "prebiotics" OR "synbiotics" OR "Lactobacillus" OR "Bifidobacterium") AND ("schizophrenia"), focused on randomized controlled trials published before July 1, 2023. Among the identified studies, 8 randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria, encompassing a total of 342 participants in the intervention group and 306 participants in the control group. Our analysis revealed a statistically significant reduction (p = 0.03) in the total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores following probiotic treatment in individuals with schizophrenia. While no statistical significance was observed in individual subscales (P > 0.05), significant improvements were noted in insulin levels, Insulin Resistance Index (IRI), and glucose levels. Additionally, the Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI) demonstrated a significant increase (all P < 0.05). The probiotic intervention significantly reduced gastrointestinal discomfort among schizophrenia patients (P = 0.003). This study suggests that probiotics could hold therapeutic potential for addressing clinical symptoms, abnormal glucose metabolism, and gastrointestinal discomfort in individuals with schizophrenia. Future research should encompass comparative trials employing robust experimental designs to explore the differential effects of various probiotic strains on schizophrenia treatment to provide evidence-based therapeutic approaches. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This review protocol was pre-registered on PROSPERO (No. CRD42023455273).

The effects of mindful exercise on cognition in patients with schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Cognitive impairment is a core symptom of schizophrenia. This study investigated the effects of mindful exercise on the cognitive performance of individuals with schizophrenia. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed from inception to March 2023. The quality of included studies was evaluated using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. A random effects model was used to generate the pooled effect size. Ten randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria with fair-to-good methodological quality. The results showed that Mindful exercise significantly improved global cognition in patients with schizophrenia (g = 0.25, p = .002). There was a significant difference in mindful exercise compared with the passive control group (g = 0.34, p = .002), whereas no significant difference was found between the mindful exercise and exercise intervention group (g = 0.09, p = .371). These findings indicate that mindful exercise could be promising for improving cognition in patients with schizophrenia.

Effects of mind-body therapies on schizophrenia: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this meta-analysis is to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of different mind-body therapies in reducing the symptoms of schizophrenia.

METHODS

A systematic search was performed using databases such as PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus. Randomized controlled trials that assessed the effects of mind-body therapies on patients with schizophrenia were included. The search covered the period between the inception of each database and November 17th, 2022. The methodological quality of the trials was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. A network meta-analysis was conducted to compare the effects of various mind-body therapies, including Yoga, Mindfulness, Tai Chi, Baduanjin, and Yijinjing.

RESULTS

The analysis included 22 randomized controlled trials involving a total of 2064 subjects. The network meta-analysis revealed that Yoga and Mindfulness interventions were more effective than other mind-body therapies in reducing the symptoms of schizophrenia. Specifically, Yoga improved PANSS-positive symptom scores (SUCRA: 74.8 %) and PANSS-negative symptom scores (SUCRA: 80.4 %), whereas Mindfulness improved PANSS-positive symptom scores (SUCRA: 85.6 %).

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study indicate that Yoga may be a promising intervention for the treatment of schizophrenia. However, the small sample size and the low quality of the included studies have limited the generalizability of our findings Therefore, this study must be understood with caution, and further investigation is warranted when more relevant studies emerge.