EFFECT OF CAFFEINE AND CAFFEINE WITHDRAWAL
ON STRUCTURE OF SLEEP

SANJIB KUMAR PATRA, Regd. Ph.D Scholar
Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation, Bangalore, India

Caffeine induces a state of alertness which is a distinct state of consciousness, quite different from that induced by yoga practice. This study aimed at measuring the withdrawal and load of caffeine on different aspects of sleep architecture. Seven coffee drinkers (three cups per day) underwent 2 night sessions of polysomnography recording. For the first session subjects were asked to give up coffee for three days and for the second session those same subjects were asked to have 3 cups of coffee (1 cup=125 ml and each cup contains approximately 12.2gm of coffee). The recording was taken on the third and fourth night of the experiment. Analyses were based on 7 subjects. Slow Wave Sleep 4 (SWS-4) was significantly lower when the subjects were in the 'caffeine withdrawal' stage (p=0.05). Hence the present study provides strong support to the studies done before and supports a decline SWS-4 during caffeine withdrawal. These findings are of interest to yoga research as (i) Many yoga practitioners attempt to reduce their intake of caffeine after starting yoga practice, and (ii) Caffeine intake represents a state of consciousness, which is also true for meditation.

EFFECTS OF YOGA VERSUS SUPPORTIVE COUNSELING ON
MOOD AND SALIVARY CORTISOL RHYTHMS
IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING RADIOTHERAPY

VADIRAJA H.S., B.N.Y.S., Regd. Ph.D. Scholar
Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation, Bangalore, India

To evaluate the effects of yoga versus supportive counseling on mood and salivary cortisol rhythms in breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy where in twenty seven subjects aged between 35 to 70 years were randomized into two group assignment of yoga (n=15) versus supportive therapy as a control (n=12). Subjects were assessed using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Rotterdam Symptom Checklist, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, European Organization for Research in Treatment of Cancer QoL Scale and Perceived Stress Scale before and after 28c Gy of radiation. Subjects were also requested to give 3 saliva samples per day on 3 consecutive days before and after radiotherapy, results demonstrate that yoga intervention was effective in significantly decreasing negative mood states and improving positive mood states, useful in reducing anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, pain and improving their role and emotional function in stage II and III breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant radiotherapy. Our results also indicate a decrease in abnormal diurnal salivary cortisol slopes in the yoga group as compared to controls even though there wasn't any significant change in cortisol levels between the groups. This indicates that yoga intervention can be effective in reducing the effects of stress and psychologic morbidity in early breast cancer patients undergoing conventional cancer treatment.