http://www.newswise.com/articles/2001/7/EPILEPSY.NYM.html
26-Jul-01
NEW YORK, July 25 -- In a quiet,
dark gym, yoga instructor Ramona Shih tells her students to focus on breathing
deeply. Her voice is gentle and soothing. At the end of this 90-minute
yoga session, a profound sense of peacefulness has descended over the six
people taking the class. It would appear to be a regular yoga class, but
Ms. Shih's students have epilepsy, and the class is really a novel clinical
study at NYU Medical Center's Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.
The six-month clinical study is evaluating
whether yoga can reduce the number of seizures in people with epilepsy
and improve their emotional well-being. It is based on the observation
that alleviating stress can benefit people with chronic seizure disorders,
says Steven Pacia, M.D., Assistant Professor of Neurology at NYU School
of Medicine, who is conducting the yoga study.
"Yoga has been clearly shown to reduce
stress," says Dr. Pacia. "We are fairly confident that it will improve
the quality of life of our epilepsy patients by reducing the number of
seizures they experience or by easing their anxiety or both. This will
be the first prospective study to assess yoga's effects on epilepsy."
According to the National Institute
of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, more than two million people in the
United States have had an unprovoked seizure or have been diagnosed with
epilepsy. Epilepsy is like an electrical storm in the brain-the normal
pattern of nerve activation is disrupted, causing seizures and other symptoms.
Epilepsy may stem from head injuries, complications of other illnesses,
genetics, or an unknown cause. Despite advances in medical and surgical
treatments for the brain disorder, some 20 percent of patients will continue
to experience seizures even with the latest available treatments. Moreover,
many people with epilepsy have incapacitating anxiety and depression, which
are known to exacerbate seizures.
The yoga classes are held in a gym
next door to NYU's Comprehensive Epilepsy Center in the Rivergate building
on East 34th Street in Manhattan. A physician is on call during each 90-minute
class in case of emergencies. The yoga that is taught is a gentle form
called hatha, which does not involve strenuous movement. The classes are
structured so that the last half-hour is devoted to breathing exercises
and meditation. "These yoga classes have helped me enormously in terms
of my overall well-being," says Regina Scudellari, who is part of the epilepsy
study. "Yoga brings such a sense of peace, which I feel like I can always
tap into."
During a recent class, one patient
felt like he was having an asthma attack. Ms. Shih, a certified yoga instructor,
showed him how to maneuver his body into a relaxation pose, and he soon
relaxed. At any point, a person can come into a relaxation pose, she said
after the class ended. "Yoga is about connecting the mind and body. Through
yoga we try to calm the brain and surrender to the pose. It isn't about
competing or about being judged."
The new study is open to patients
with epilepsy who experience at least two seizures a month or who suffer
anxiety or depression based on standardized surveys. All patients must
attend at least two yoga classes each week for up to six months and must
receive clearance to participate in the study from their primary care physician.
Patients should continue taking medication, maintaining the same dosage
levels for the duration of the study, if possible. Patients also are required
to keep track of seizures, auras, and any changes in medication during
the study.
NYU's Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
is the largest epilepsy program in the Eastern United States. It offers
testing, evaluation, screening, medical and surgical treatment, clinical
drug trials, and alternative therapies to children, adolescents, and adults
with all forms of epilepsy through inpatient and outpatient programs. The
Center's approach includes evaluations by teams of epileptologists, neuropsychologists,
neurosurgeons, neurology nurses, and specialized technologists. Each year,
more than 5,500 patients are treated at the Center.
Contact
NYU Medical Center
Pam McDonnell
212-404-3555
NYU Medical Center
Office of Public Affairs