Twenty four studies (n=1,897, range 9 to 570) were included in the review. Five studies were classified as level 4, four as level 3, 15 as level 2 and none as level 1 grade of evidence; studies were assessed as being of moderate to low quality. The description of randomisation was clear for all studies. Few studies reported the method of blinding. No information was reported on intention-to-treat analysis and withdrawals.
Neuromuscular effects of yoga (10 studies): After a yoga intervention, improvements were reported for paediatric participants with ADHD in several measurement scales (one study). Yoga was described as a promising therapy for children with ADHD when delivered via a family treatment approach and used with existing treatment (one study). Improvements on time spent on a task were reported for paediatric participants with attention problems (one study). Improvements for recall of spatial information were reported (one study). Improvements in IQ and social adaptation for paediatric participants with learning difficulties were reported (one study).
Improvements were reported after healthy paediatric participants had participated in a yoga intervention for sensory-motor performance and enhanced processing after yoga sessions (one study), planning and execution time for simple and complex tasks (one study), motor performance (one study), memory (two studies), and in motor speed for repetitive finger movements, but not in strength or endurance for healthy paediatric and adults (one study).
Cardiopulmonary effects (10 studies): Yoga was associated with improvements in a paediatric population with a history of asthma for forced expiratory volume and overall physical fitness (one study) and weekly number of asthma attacks, scores for drug treatment and peak flow rate compared to control in a mixed adult and paediatric population (one study).
A positive correlation was reported between yoga and cardiopulmonary improvements for paediatric and adult asthmatic participants (one study). Regularity of practice of yoga was found to be the strongest predictor of improved peak expiratory flow and decreased use of medication for adult and paediatric asthmatic participants (one study).
Yoga was reported to have reduced levels of fear and anxiety for socially or emotionally traumatized adolescent girls (one study), reduced respiration rates in visually impaired adolescents with normal cardiac function but increased levels of anxiety (1 study) and reduced fears and feelings of helplessness in adolescents with abnormal examination anxiety (one study).
Hospitalised children and adolescents with a diagnosis of an adjustment disorder and depression appeared to benefit from the yoga (one study). Yoga interventions in healthy populations of children and adolescents was associated with improvements in self image (one study) and ventricular performance (one study).
Musculoskeletal effects of yoga (four studies): Yoga improved physiological function, overall health and performance in a population of adolescent girls who had difficulty adjusting to home, school or society (one study) as well as healthy children and adolescents (three studies).