Yoga and psychiatric disorders: a review of biomarker evidence

Abstract

Traditionally, yoga has been used as a means for spiritual growth but over the past two decades or so its therapeutic benefits in psychiatric disorders have been scientifically explored. Yoga has been shown to be useful as a mono-therapy in mild to moderate depression and as an adjuvant in several psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders and Mild Cognitive Impairment. Furthermore, systematic attempts have been made to understand the biological correlates of yoga in these psychiatric disorders. Given that no psychiatric disorder has strong and established biomarkers, it is interesting that preliminary research has demonstrated significant changes in certain important biomarkers following regular yoga practice. In this brief review, we provide an update on the effects of yoga on biochemical, neuro-physiological and neuro-imaging related bio-markers in psychiatric disorders. Although findings and trends are promising, much more research is warranted to establish a definite biological basis for yoga in psychiatry.

Keywords:

• Biomarkers
• evidence
• psychiatry
• yoga
• psychiatric disorders

Acknowledgement

We thank Cambridge University Press for granting us permission to use this figure. This figure first appeared in an article titled ‘Yoga for psychiatric disorders: From fad to evidence-based intervention? (The British Journal of Psychiatry, 2019).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Authors acknowledge the Central Council of Research in Yoga and Naturopathy (CCRYN), Government of India, New Delhi for funding a Collaborative Research Centre at NIMHANS. Hemant Bhargav acknowledges funding from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, New Delhi (Ref. no. DST/005/504/2018/01112 – Science and Technology of Yoga and Meditation scheme). Shivarama Varambally is the recipient of a current Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance Intermediate Clinical Fellowship [Grant number IA/CPHI/15/1/505026].