The effects of yoga on depression and motor function in patients with Parkinson's disease: A review of controlled studies.

Background Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative/neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by both motor and non-motor symptomology. The reported prevalence of depression in patients with PD is difficult to ascertain due to overlapping somatic symptoms and failure to self-report symptoms. Although antidepressants remain a first-line treatment, they can have adverse effects. Recently, literature has demonstrated that due to its anti-inflammatory properties, yoga may be an effective nonpharmacologic therapy for depression. Methods A search was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from January 2000 to January 2019 that assessed the effects of yoga on depression and motor functioning in PD. Results Three studies met the criteria for inclusion. In one RCT, biweekly yoga resulted in a decrease in depression score (P = .056). In another RCT, weekly yoga resulted in a significant decrease in depression and demonstrated that its therapeutic effects are long-lasting. Finally, in a third RCT, no significant difference was found between control and experimental groups in depression after biweekly yoga. However, yoga was found to be protective against worsening of depression. Conclusions Our review suggests that the practice of yoga may be a useful nonpharmacologic adjunctive treatment for depression in patients with PD. However, more controlled RCTs are needed to validate our conclusions.