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.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
14
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.
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Endocannabinoid assay
Endocannabinoid ligands reported in ng/ml
Time frame: Change in ligands from baseline to12 weeks
Cortisol assay
Cortisol reported in μg/dL
Time frame: Change in cortisol from baseline to12 weeks
Cognitive functioning using a computerized battery
Performance on cognitive tasks reported in accuracy and reaction time
Time frame: Change in performance from baseline to12 weeks
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body Mass Index (BMI) calculated by height and weight
Time frame: Change in BMI from baseline to12 weeks
Blood pressure
Blood pressure reported in systolic and diastolic (mmHg)
Time frame: Change in blood pressure from baseline to12 weeks
Heart rate
Heart rate reported in beats per minute (BPM)
Time frame: 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)
Time frame: Change in HRV from baseline to12 weeks
Lung functioning
Lung functioning measured by spirometry reported in vital capacity (VC)
Time frame: Change in lung functioning from baseline to12 weeks
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Range of motion
Range of motion measured by goniometer reported in degrees
Time frame: 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)
Time frame: Change in body composition from baseline to12 weeks
Hand grip strength
Hand grip strength measured by a dynamometer reported in pounds (lbs)
Time frame: 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)
Time frame: 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)
Time frame: 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)
Time frame: 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
Time frame: 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)
Time frame: 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)
Time frame: 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)
Time frame: 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)
Time frame: Change in scores from baseline to12 weeks