rui afonso

Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Psicobiologia, Graduate Student

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UFBA - Federal University of Bahia

Ana Cristina D Andretta Tanaka

Beatriz Vilela

Universidade Federal de Goiás

Eliane Lopes de Oliveira

Caio Fábio Schlechta Portella

Universidade Anhembi Morumbi - Laureate International University

Evelyn Sola

MARISE SILVEIRA

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Papers by rui afonso

Yoga para melhora dos sintomas do climatério em mulheres na pós-menopausa com insônia

Revista Brasileira de Medicina de Família e Comunidade, Jun 22, 2012

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Yoga increased serum estrogen levels in postmenopausal women-a case report

Menopause (New York, N.Y.), May 24, 2016

This case report aimed to evaluate 4 months of yoga practice on the quality of life (QOL) and est... more This case report aimed to evaluate 4 months of yoga practice on the quality of life (QOL) and estradiol levels of two postmenopausal women. Participants were clinically healthy postmenopausal women, with follicle-stimulating hormone levels greater than or equal to 30 mIU/mL and a body mass index lower than 30 kg/m. The participants practiced yoga for 4 months in two 1-hour sessions per week. The participants exhibited an abnormal estrogen-level increase after 4 months of yoga practice and showed QOL improvements. In some cases, yoga practice can affect the female neuroendocrine system, increasing estrogen and improving QOL.

Neural correlates of meditation a review of structural and functional MRI studies

Frontiers in Bioscience

Andrade et al. points out that about 30% of the inhabitants of a large metropolis suffer from men... more Andrade et al. points out that about 30% of the inhabitants of a large metropolis suffer from mental disorders (10). Several meta-analysis have also shown that meditation can be used for treatment different psychological disorders with positive outcomes (11), (12). In this scenario, the use of adequate scientific methodology and instruments to observe the phenomena associated with meditation becomes important and allows health professionals to encourage meditation practice (13). Although there may be some differences between meditation practices such as focused attention (FA) and open monitoring (OM) and their correlates dharana (concentration) and dhyana (meditation) in the ancient texts (14), such techniques share many similarities. Here, we will review, the effects of meditation on brain structure and function, raise some methodological questions and will not discuss semantic differences. For example, in cross-sectional studies, conclusions about the results of meditation might be mistaken for pre-existing individual differences. Moreover, if we take the effects of meditation into account, we should also consider state and trait (15), where state encompasses the alterations caused during some practice, while trait encompasses those that transform baseline patterns and remain even when the individual is not meditating. In the present scenario, researches are more focused on the psychobiological effects of meditation as a cognitive training than on the reports of the mystical states of trance described as nirvana or samadhi, which were precursors for the first meditation studies (16), (17). The aim of this study was to review structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging studies about meditation.

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Yoga decreases insomnia in postmenopausal women: a randomized clinical trial

Objective: The practice of yoga has been proven to have positive effects on reducing insomnia. St... more Objective: The practice of yoga has been proven to have positive effects on reducing insomnia. Studies have also shown its effects on reducing climacteric symptoms. To date, however, no studies that evaluate the effects of yoga on postmenopausal women with a diagnosis of insomnia in a randomized clinical trial have been conducted. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of yoga practice on the physical and mental health and climacteric symptoms of postmenopausal women with a diagnosis of insomnia. Methods: Postmenopausal women not undergoing hormone therapy, who were 50 to 65 years old, who had an apnea-hypopnea index less than 15, and who had a diagnosis of insomnia were randomly assigned to one of three groups, as follows: control, passive stretching, and yoga. Questionnaires were administered before and 4 months after the intervention to evaluate quality of life, anxiety and depression symptoms, climacteric symptoms, insomnia severity, daytime sleepiness, and stress. The volunteers also underwent polysomnography. The study lasted 4 months. Results: There were 44 volunteers at the end of the study. When compared with the control group, the yoga group had significantly lower posttreatment scores for climacteric symptoms and insomnia severity and higher scores for quality of life and resistance phase of stress. The reduction in insomnia severity in the yoga group was significantly higher than that in the control and passive-stretching groups. Conclusions: This study showed that a specific sequence of yoga might be effective in reducing insomnia and menopausal symptoms as well as improving quality of life in postmenopausal women with insomnia.