title: Yoga and compassion meditation program improve quality of life and self-compassion in family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients: A randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of the practice of yoga in combination with compassion meditation on the quality of life, attention, vitality and self-compassion of family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 46 volunteers were randomly allocated to two groups, the yoga and compassion meditation program group (n = 25), and the control group (CG) that received no treatment (n = 21). The program lasted 8 weeks, and comprised three yoga and meditation practices per week, with each session lasting 1 h and 15 min. Quality of life, attention, vitality, and self-compassion scores were measured pre- and postintervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The yoga and compassion meditation program group showed statistically significant improvements (P < 0.05) on quality of life, attention, vitality and self-compassion scores as compared with the control group, which showed no statistical significant differences at the postintervention time-point.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of the present study suggest that an 8-week yoga and compassion meditation program can improve the quality of life, vitality, attention, and self-compassion of family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 85-91.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychobiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil.|União Brasileira Educacional - UNIBR, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo Ad
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Danucalov
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychobiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil.|Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elisa H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Kozasa
authors.affiliation: Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rui F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Afonso
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychobiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Cf
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Galduroz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychobiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: José R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Leite
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D001288:Attention; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D004645:Empathy; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D015013:Yoga
keywords: attention; caregiver; meditation; quality of life; self-compassion; vitality; yoga