Multicomponent Yoga Intervention for Major Depressive Disorder
Condition: Major Depressive Disorder
MeSH terms: Depressive Disorder; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 2

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a multi-component yoga intervention
      featuring Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) as an adjunctive treatment for patients with Major
      Depressive Disorders with incomplete response to antidepressants.
    

Detailed description: 
      According to the World Health Organization, compared to two hundred health conditions,
      depression is ranked as the second leading cause of disability worldwide. The annual
      prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in the United States is estimated at 7% and the
      lifetime risk approximately 17%. Depression is associated with approximately 75% of all
      deaths by suicide, resulting in immense suffering for families and society at large. 83
      billion dollars are spent per year on treatment and lost productivity related to the
      disorder. Current treatments for MDD have remission rates between 35-50%. Patients who
      respond to treatment, but do not experience clinical remission are at markedly increased risk
      for relapse. Approximately 50% of patients treated with two trials of antidepressant
      interventions do not achieve clinical remission. Consequently, novel evidence-based treatment
      modalities that can further treat this devastating disorder are needed. Mind-body
      interventions constitute a large and diverse group of practices that reduce both stress and
      inflammation and are increasingly being evaluated in the treatment of MDD The 2007 NHIS
      concluded that 16.6% of U.S. adults, representing 34.1 million Americans, used at least one
      mind-body intervention in the past year. Initial studies with different mind-body
      interventions have been shown to improve outcomes in MDD. A recent meta-analysis gave a Grade
      B for current evidence for the use of yoga as an intervention for MDD. Sudarshan Kriya Yoga
      (SKY) is a advanced yogic breathing intervention that has been reported to relieve symptoms
      of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. In MDD, SKY can correct the
      P300 amplitude, decrease plasma cortisol levels and increase plasma prolactin levels. In a
      small-scale randomized controlled trial, 45 consenting inpatients meeting criteria for DSM-IV
      severe, melancholic depression were randomized to receive SKY, electroconvulsive therapy
      (ECT) or imipramine treatment for four weeks (Janakiramaiah et al. 2000). Consequently, the
      rigorous evaluation of a multicomponent yogic intervention featuring SKY as an adjunctive
      treatment for adults with MDD warrants further study.
    

Intervention name(s): Sudarshan Kriya Yoga
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): A manual-based yoga program featuring a yoga-breathing meditation technique
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment