The study, published in the journal Neurology (2004, vol 62, no 11), examined the effect of yoga and aerobic exercise on fatigue, mood, cognitive function and quality of life in MS patients.
Researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon, randomly assigned 69 MS patients to three groups including a weekly Iyengar yoga class along with home practice, a weekly exercise class using a stationary bicycle along with home exercise, or a waiting-list control group, for six months. The participants' levels of attention, physiologic alertness, mood, anxiety, fatigue, and health-related quality of life were assessed by a battery of cognitive tests, at the beginning and end of the study.
The researchers found that the yoga and stationary bicycle groups had significantly improved fatigue and energy, compared to the control group. However, there were no significant changes in mood or cognitive function in any of the groups. The participants did not experience adverse effects related to yoga or bicycle exercise during the study period.
"Subjects with MS participating in either a 6-month yoga class or exercise class showed significant improvement in measures of fatigue compared to a waiting-list control group," the study authors conclude.
Posted by Kristopher Foster on June 30, 2006 03:24 AM
