Role of Yoga and Meditation as Complimentary Therapeutic Regime for Stress-Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Utilization of Brain Waves Activity as Novel Tool

Stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders like anxiety, depression, chronic tension headache, and migraine affect many people worldwide. While drugs such as antidepressants, anxiolytics, and analgesics help combat symptoms, they also create long-term side effects. As an alternative, complementary therapies like yoga and meditation have proved effective in alleviating the causes and symptoms of various neuropsychiatric disorders. The role of altered brain waves in this context has been recognized and needs further study. This review describes the effects of yoga and meditation on anxiety and depression and explores brain waves as a tool for assessing these therapies.

Study at a glance

Abstract

During recent decades, stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, chronic tension headache, and migraine have established their stronghold in the lives of a vast number of people worldwide. In order to address this global phenomenon, intensive studies have been carried out leading to the advancement of drugs like anti-depressants, anxiolytics, and analgesics which although help in combating the symptoms of such disorders but also create long-term side effects. Thus, as an alternative to such clinical practices, various complementary therapies such as yoga and meditation have been proved to be effective in alleviating the causes and symptoms of different neuropsychiatric disorders. The role of altered brain waves in this context has been recognized and needs to be pursued at the highest level. Thus, the current study provides a review focused on describing the effects of yoga and meditation on anxiety and depression as well as exploring brain waves as a tool for assessing the potential of these complementary therapies for such disorders.