SPECTRAL ANALYSIS OF SANSKRIT VOWELS

YESHA GANDHI, Post Graduate Student
Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation, Bangalore, India

Samskrta is the classical language of Indian and the liturgical language of Hinduism. The Samskrta alphabet (Devanagari Varnamala) consists mainly of 14 vowels. A vowel is that letter, which can be pronounced distinctly without the help of any other letter. The 14 Sanskrita vowels used for this study are:

Since the time of Lord Rayleigh, a lot of investigation has been done into the sound patterns of the English alphabets and the western classical musical notes, corresponding studies on Spectral Analysis of Indian musical notes, and the Spectral Analysis of Gamaka svara have been recently done. Also, a study on the Spectral Analysis of the Vedic mantra Omkara has been done by Dr. Heisnam Jina Devi. All the later three studies have been done using more or less the same techniques. Thus, the study on spectral analysis of Samskrta vowels has been undertaken which appears to be the first of its kind in the world. The main aims and objectives of the study are to investigate the sound patterns of Sanskrita vowels, to build an archive of signatures of Samskrta vowels and, to study the variations among the various vowels. The experimental procedure consisted of recording the signals from 10 subjects (5 males and 5 females), on a computer with the help of a microphone using Sound Forge Software (Version 4.5). The recording was done after training and screening the subjects for the proper pronunciation and accent of the Samskrta vowels with the help of an expert. After checking the signals for noise level, the short-time window pattern was used for checking the periodicity. The Energy-Frequency spectra and the Frequency-Time spectra for the transitions, for the analysis have been extracted with the help of the Sound Forge software (Version 4.5). The number of formats for each one of the recording has been noted and compiled. The analysis of pattern of the formats is being done.

EVALUATION OF PERCEIVED STRESS ON SOMATIZATION SYMPTOMS
FOLLOWING A SHORT TERM YOGA INTERVENTION

SATYA PUROHIT, Post Graduate Student
Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation, Bangalore, India

Earlier studies have shown yoga to help reduce stressful symptoms; the study was conducted to evaluate the effect of perceived stress on somatization symptoms in participants attending a yoga camp. 192 Healthy volunteers were recruited in an open uncontrolled pilot study in a week long yoga camp. Subjects were assessed at baseline for perceived stress, and Somatization symptoms using Somatization component of SCL 90 scale, before and after intervention. Intervention effects on Somatization symptoms were analyzed using non parametric Wilcoxon signed rank test and regression analysis was also done to evaluate the effect of age, sex, perceived stress and baseline Somatization symptoms on the changes in Somatization following intervention. There was significant reduction in Somatization symptoms of healthy individuals following Yoga intervention (p<0.001). Regression Analysis showed baseline Somatization symptoms to be the primary predictor for decrease in somatization symptoms following yoga intervention (a=0.679, p<0.001). The results show significant reduction in somatization symptoms with a short term yoga intervention and better effects in individuals with already with higher Somatization complaints.

TRIDOSHAS IN PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS

SUCHITRA PATIL, Post Graduate Student
Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation, Bangalore, India

This is a report, on the development and initial standardization of unmada specific symptoms to measure tridosha symptoms of unmada in patients with psychotic disorders. The 67 item unmada specific symptom check-list was developed, on the basis of, translation of Sanskrit verses describing vataja (V), pittaja (P) and kaphaja (K) unmada and opinions of experts (fifteen Ayurveda experts, five psychiatrists and five psychologists). The checklist was administered, for 30 consecutive patients with non affective psychotic disorders in a private psychiatric nursing home, in Bangalore city. The unmada specific symptom check-list was associated with excellent internal consistency. The Cronbach's alpha for V, P and K scale were 0.98, 0.98 and 0.97 respectively. The Split-Half reliability for V, P and K scale were 0.97, 0.97 and 0.88 respectively. Scores on vataja, pittaja and kaphaja scales were inversely correlated, suggesting that they are mutually exclusive. The three subgroups of psychoses- paranoid schizophrenia, schizophrenia NOS and psychosis NOS, had significantly different loadings on the three scores, having high scores on vataja, pittaja and kaphaja respectively. The tridoshas in psychotic disorder patients can be measured reliably by this instrument. The scores on each of these doshas help in sub-classifying unmada that has good correspondence with prevailing classification.