National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) has received a grant of Rs 16 lakh from the Department of Ayush to conduct an advanced two-year study, a randomised clinical trial on schizophrenia patients. The trial will ensure that patients supplement their regular medication with yoga or physical training (aerobic exercises).

In this study, NIMHANS in association with Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (Research Foundation) (sVYASA) will assess the metabolic parameters of patients on the positive impact of yoga or exercises.

For the trial, which is expected to commence in April, NIMHANS has identified the personnel who are undergoing training to support the experts to assess patient compliance to yoga and exercises with the prescribed drugs.

The 120 patients aged between 18 and 55 will be identified for the clinical trial after a confirmed diagnosis using Structured Clinical Interview and a written consent. They will be divided into three groups and all will be administered schizophrenia drugs. One group will be take up yoga asanas, the second will do exercises and the third will not be involved in either yoga or exercises.

The main aim is to evaluate the metabolic factors and prove whether yoga or exercises could help schizophrenia cases, Dr BN Gangadhar, professor, department of psychiatry, NIMHANS told Pharmabiz.

The need for a larger study for schizophrenia cases came about after NIMHANS efforts in 2004-05 with sVYASA where for 41 out of 61 patients completed the study. The patients were on antipsychotic medications for several months and there was no change in their medication dose for at least four weeks prior to their entry into the study and through the study period.

The moderately ill schizophrenia patients were randomly assigned to yoga therapy and physical exercise therapy for four months. They were assessed at baseline and four months after the start of intervention, by a rater who was blind to their group status. For the first month patients came to NIMHANS for the trial after which they were monitored at home by the doctors and the 'sVYASA' consultant, said Dr Gangadhar.

Of the forty-one subjects who were available at the end of four months for assessments, those who practiced yoga had significantly less psychopathology than those who practiced physical exercises, besides showing better social and occupational functioning and improved quality of life. "Therefore it was proved that yoga therapy, as an add-on treatment along with anti-psychotics was beneficial in psychopathology and other outcome measures in schizophrenia," informed Dr Gangadhar.

The schizophrenia patients were aged between age group of 18-55 years for this study were attending the outpatient and inpatient services at NIMHANS. Patients with severe physical ailments like myocardial infarction, fracture, seizure disorders, mental retardation or co-morbid substance dependence (except nicotine dependence) were excluded. Only patients with Clinical Global Impression Severity Scale (21) score of 4 or more and who were cooperative for yoga therapy were included.

At least three out of 1,000 people in the country suffer from Schizophrenia caused either due to hereditary, cannabis drugs or bio-chemical pathology deficiency. NIMHANS is the only institution in the country involved in the first ever-randomised trial for the disorder where drugs are not discontinued, added Dr Gangadhar.