Cortisol and antidepressant effects of yoga

Abstract

Context:Hypercortisolemia is well-known in depression and yoga has been demonstrated earlier to reduce the parameters of stress, including cortisol levels.Aim:We aimed to find the role of yoga as an antidepressant as well as its action on lowering the serum cortisol levels.Settings and Design:An open-labeled study consisting of three groups (yoga alone, yoga along with antidepressant medication and antidepressant medication alone) was conducted at a tertiary care psychiatry hospital.Methodology:Out-patient depressives who were not suicidal were offered yoga as a possible antidepressant therapy. A validated yoga module was used as therapy taught over a month and to be practiced at home daily. Patients were free to choose the drugs if their psychiatrist advised. Patients (n=54) were rated on Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) with serum cortisol measurements at baseline and after 3 months. In 54 patients, assessments and blood test results were both available. 19 each received yoga alone or with drugs and 16 received drugs only. Healthy comparison subjects (n=18) too underwent morning cortisol measurements once.Results:Serum cortisol was higher in depressives compared with controls. In the total sample, the cortisol level dropped significantly at the end of treatment. More patients in the yoga groups had a drop in cortisol levels as compared to drug-only group. In the yoga-only group, the cortisol drop correlated with the drop in HDRS score (antidepressant effect).Conclusion:The findings support that yoga may act at the level of the hypothalamus by its ‘anti-stress’ effects (reducing the cortisol), to bring about relief in depression.

Effectiveness of Selected Mind Body Interventions on Cortisol Level Among Antenatal Women With Anxiety Related to Childbirth

“…Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and serum cortisol level were used to assess the data. The findings of the study proved that yoga has an effect of antidepressant and reduction in the level of cortisol 18 .…”

Changes in MIDAS, Perceived Stress, Frontalis Muscle Activity and Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Usage in Patients with Migraine Headache without Aura following Ayurveda and Yoga Compared to Controls: An Open Labeled Non-Randomized Study

“…Increased parasympathetic activity may cause reduced firing of the paragigantocellular nucleus of the medulla to locus coeruleus, and decreased stimulation of locus ceruleus could reduce norepinephrine output, resulting in relaxation, quiescence, and reduced respiratory and heart rates [30]. Using real-time functional MRI, attempts were made in healthy volunteers to modulate the activation of their own anterior cingulate cortex to alter their pain experience [31].…”

Global Mental Health, Peace and Sustainability: Does Yoga Show the Way?

“…Many studies confirmed the physiological effects and advantages of yoga in the treatment of mental illnesses characterized by decrease in cortisol, plasma oxytocin, heart rate variability, increase in neurotropic factors (BDNF), copiousness of the cognitive experience related potential, and gray matter level are also reported [12][13][14][15].…”