Feasibility of a Yoga Program for Veterans With PTSD

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study is designed to examine the feasibility of a 12-week yoga program on physiological and psychological health and its neurobiological mechanisms in N=15 veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The investigators will be examining specific parameters of health and mechanisms before and after the yoga program.

Official Title
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Feasibility of a Yoga Program for Veterans With PTSD

Conditions
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Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Yoga Intervention


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: U.S. Military Veteran 18 years of age or older Diagnosis of PTSD as assessed by a score of >30 on the PTSD-Checklist Version 5 (PCL-5) Willing and able to attend testing and yoga sessions at the Athletic and Human Research Performance Center (AHPRC) on the campus of Marquette University Clear to participate in physical activity based on the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PARQ+) Exclusion Criteria: Currently pregnant or trying to become pregnant Positive score to one or more items on the PAR-Q+ without physician approval Already established regular use of yoga (i.e., more than one day per week)

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Yoga Intervention<br>The yoga exercise program will be conducted at the Marquette campus and will consist of one session per week for 12 weeks. The duration of each session will be approximately one hour. The program the investigators will use is the Mindful Resilience for Trauma Recovery Program (https://www.veteransyogaproject.org/), an evidence-informed practice adapted for veterans with PTSD based on clinical and neuroscientific knowledge. This program is a 12-week protocol developed by a licensed clinical psychologist and is publicly available. All yoga sessions will be standardized based on the resilience program guidelines. | Other: Yoga Intervention<br>* The yoga exercise program will be conducted at the Marquette campus and will consist of one session per week for 12 weeks. The duration of each session will be approximately one hour. The program the investigators will use is the Mindful Resilience for Trauma Recovery Program (https://www.veteransyogaproject.org/), an evidence-informed practice adapted for veterans with PTSD based on clinical and neuroscientific knowledge. This program is a 12-week protocol developed by a licensed clinical psychologist and is publicly available. All yoga sessions will be standardized based on the resilience program guidelines.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Endocannabinoid assay | Endocannabinoid ligands reported in ng/ml | Change in ligands from baseline to12 weeks | 
| Cortisol assay | Cortisol reported in μg/dL | Change in cortisol from baseline to12 weeks | 
| Cognitive functioning using a computerized battery | Performance on cognitive tasks reported in accuracy and reaction time | Change in performance from baseline to12 weeks | 
| Body Mass Index (BMI) | Body Mass Index (BMI) calculated by height and weight | Change in BMI from baseline to12 weeks | 
| Blood pressure | Blood pressure reported in systolic and diastolic (mmHg) | Change in blood pressure from baseline to12 weeks | 
| Heart rate | Heart rate reported in beats per minute (BPM) | Change in heart rate from baseline to12 weeks | 
| Heart rate variability (HRV) | Heart rate variability (HRV) reported in the standard deviation of the RR intervals (distance between heartbeats) as quantified on standard electrocardiogram (ECG) | Change in HRV from baseline to12 weeks | 
| Lung functioning | Lung functioning measured by spirometry reported in vital capacity (VC) | Change in lung functioning from baseline to12 weeks | 
| Range of motion | Range of motion measured by goniometer reported in degrees | Change in range of motion from baseline to12 weeks | 
| Body composition | Body composition measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) reported in volume cubic meters (m3) and mass (kilograms) | Change in body composition from baseline to12 weeks | 
| Hand grip strength | Hand grip strength measured by a dynamometer reported in pounds (lbs) | Change in hand grip strength from baseline to12 weeks | 
| Aerobic fitness | Aerobic fitness measured by a submaximal graded exercise test reported in the volume of oxygen consumed (VO2) | Change in aerobic fitness from baseline to12 weeks | 
| Physical activity | Physical activity measured by a accelerometer reported in change in velocity over time (meters per seconds) | Change in physical activity from baseline to12 weeks | 
| Severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | Scores on the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5) (range 0-80; higher scores indicate more severity) | Change in scores from baseline to12 weeks | 
| Frequency of physical activity | Scores on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) reported in hours and minutes each day | Change in scores from baseline to12 weeks | 
| Physical health rating | Scores on the Medical Outcomes Study-Short Form (SF-36) (range 0-100; higher scores indicate better health outcome) | Change in scores from baseline to12 weeks | 
| Severity of sleep disturbance | Scores on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) (range 0-21; higher scores indicate worse sleep quality) | Change in scores from baseline to12 weeks | 
| Mindfulness rating | Scores on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) (range 39-195; higher scores indicate more mindfulness) | Change in scores from baseline to12 weeks | 
| Frequency of yoga rating | Scores on the Yoga and Self-efficacy Scale (YSES) (range 12-108; higher scores indicate more engagement with yoga practices) | Change in scores from baseline to12 weeks |