Yoga and aerobic exercise in epilepsy: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: There has been a growing interest in demonstrating the health benefits of exercise among people with epilepsy in recent years. Although exercise is recommended for people with epilepsy, there is uncertainty concerning the effects of yoga and aerobic exercise on multiple health outcomes in epilepsy. Purpose: The aim of this trial was to examine the effects of yoga and aerobic exercise training on physical activity, seizure frequency, health-related physical fitness, mental, emotional, and psychological health status, and quality of life. Methods: This study was designed as a single-center, 8-week, randomized controlled trial in a three-arm parallel group. Participants will be randomly allocated to yoga, aerobic exercise, or wait-list control groups. The primary outcome is physical activity/sedentary behavior measured by the ActiGraph GT9X accelerometer and seizure frequency. Secondary outcomes include functional capacity, lower extremity strength, balance, body composition, waist and hip circumference, cognition, depression, anxiety, perceived stress, fatigue, sleep quality, and quality of life. The outcomes will be evaluated at baseline and at 8 weeks of follow-up. Implications of physiotherapy practice: This study is the first randomized controlled trial comparing the effects of yoga and aerobic exercise among people with epilepsy. The findings of this study could provide important information about the effects of yoga and aerobic exercise training on a variety of health conditions in people with epilepsy. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05066880, registered October 4, 2021.