Yoga for veterans with PTSD: Cognitive functioning, mental health, and salivary cortisol.

Abstract

Objective: Research indicates that cognitive functioning is negatively impacted by exposure to chronic stress due to overactivation of the stress response. Yoga has demonstrated benefits when practiced by individuals diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This quasi-experimental pilot study examined the impact of a yoga intervention on cognitive functioning, symptoms of PTSD, and the biological stress response in Veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Method: Cognitive functioning, self-report measures of mental health symptoms, and salivary cortisol were measured within two weeks prior to beginning and following completion of a 10-week yoga protocol. Veterans with PTSD participated in gender-specific groups of the yoga intervention. Paired t tests and correlational analyses were used to analyze quantitative data. Results: Statistically significant improvements were observed between baseline and postintervention scores on measures of response inhibition, PTSD, depression, sleep, quality of life, and subjective neurocognitive complaints. Positive correlations were found between baseline and postintervention changes in sleep and depression, and between change in cortisol output and a measure of life satisfaction. Statistically significant differences (baseline to postintervention) for other objective measures of cognitive performance and cortisol were not detected. Conclusions: Results provide preliminary support for the practice of yoga to improve cognitive functioning (response inhibition) related to symptoms of PTSD while also improving mental health symptoms, sleep, and quality of life. Positive correlations affirm the role of sleep in mood symptoms and indicate the need for further examination of the role of cortisol in life satisfaction.

Trauma-Sensitive Yoga for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Women Veterans who Experienced Military Sexual Trauma: Interim Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial

“…The moderate-to-large effect sizes in the TCTSY group are double those reported in other studies of trauma-sensitive yoga (TSY) with civilians 30 and veterans. 28 The effect sizes and CMDs in this study reflect within-group improvement. Davis et al recently reported on their large RCT of yoga for PTSD; however, while their control condition was active, it was not evidence based, and their effect size (0.46) was between yoga and a wellness intervention, rather than change within groups.…”

“…TCTSY, the experimental intervention in this RCT, was developed for civilian women survivors of complex trauma, specifically childhood sexual trauma, with chronic PTSD. 26,27 Studies of TCTSY with civilian women and veterans have effect sizes of 0.20-1.07, compared with no control, 28 wait list control, 29 and women's health education. 30 This 5-year study addresses the current gaps in knowledge of the effectiveness of yoga for PTSD and associated symptoms.…”

Exercise to Reduce Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Veterans

“…25 In a study with 34 veterans, Chopin and colleagues found that a trauma-informed yoga intervention was associated with a statistically significant reduction in PTSD symptoms, as did a study by Zaccari and colleagues with 17 veterans. 26,29 Justice and Brems also found some evidence that trauma-informed yoga interventions helped PTSD symptoms in a small sample of 4 veterans, although these results were not quantitatively analyzed. 27 In contrast, a small pilot study (n = 12) by Staples and colleagues testing a biweekly, 6-week yoga program did not show a significant effect on PTSD symptoms.…”

“…18,[25][26][27][28][29] Participants consisted of veterans with chronic pain, post-9/11 veterans, female veterans of childbearing age, veterans with a history of trauma therapy, and other veterans. Types of exercise included moderate aerobic exercise and yoga.…”

Introduction to the special issue: Complementary medicine and integrative health approaches to trauma therapy and recovery.

“…Another pre-post trial of a trauma-sensitive yoga intervention was undertaken by Zaccari et al (2020) among a smaller number of veterans with PTSD, which had a particular interest to determine outcomes not only for PTSD and other mental health symptoms but also for cognitive functioning and salivary cortisol. To our knowledge, this is the first published RCT of a yoga intervention to include salivary cortisol as an outcome.…”