Impact of Breathing Exercises and Meditation on Improving Quality of Life in Glaucoma Patients

Not Applicable

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: Glaucoma; Anxiety; Sleep Disorder; Quality of Life; Depression
• Interventions: Behavioral: Breathing Exercises followed by Meditation

• Registration Number: NCT05960513
• Lead Sponsor: Lawson Health Research Institute

Brief Summary

Glaucoma is a chronic disease that causes loss of vision and potentially blindness as a result of optic nerve damage, often due to increased intraocular pressure. Glaucoma is currently the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.1 In 2020, 4.1 million and 3.6 million adults over the age of 50 suffered from mild to severe glaucoma-induced visual impairment and blindness, respectively.1 However, these figures are likely underestimated since glaucoma can remain asymptomatic until later stages in disease progression.2 The relaxation response evoked by mind-body interventions, such as breathing exercises and meditation, is known to reduce stress and improve quality of life (QOL). In a recent study, mindfulness-based meditation was found to reduce intraocular pressure and improve QOL in patients with glaucoma.3 A feasibility study will be conducted using a mixed-method design to assess the feasibility of the online delivery of an intervention titled Breathing Exercises followed by Meditation for potentially enhancing the QOL and mental health of glaucoma patients. Upon recruitment, participants will undergo blocked randomization to either the intervention arm or usual care arm, stratified by sex. Participants in each arm will complete online questionnaires at baseline and after 12 weeks to collect data on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), depression symptoms, anxiety, and sleep quality using REDCap, an electronic data capturing system provided by Lawson Health Research Institute (LHRI). Our study can help to assess the feasibility of conducting a pilot study on breathing exercises followed by meditation to assess its effects in a sample of patients with glaucoma.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2023-07-14
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-07-21
• Study First Posted: 2023-07-25
• Status Verified: 2023-10
• Last Update Submitted: 2023-10-16
• Last Update Posted: 2023-10-18
• Study Start: 2023-11-01
• Primary Completion: 2024-11-01
• Study Completion: 2024-11-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 50

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Breathing Exercises followed by Meditation	Breathing Exercises followed by Meditation	Breathing exercises and Meditation taught by Prasanna Wellness, a non-profit organization, helps dissolve stress and create a proper system in the mind. These breathing exercises include slow deep breaths and rapid breaths and are followed by meditation. Participants will receive three weekly online instructions (90 minutes each) by trained instructors in addition to standard care. Weekly 60 minutes follow-ups will include 10 minutes of breathing exercises followed by 33 minutes of guided meditation practice, and then focus on participants' experiences with breathing exercise followed by meditation during the week, additional observations, and a review of relevant knowledge to support their home practice.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in health-related quality of life (HRQoL)	Baseline visit, Week 1, Week 3, Week 6, Week 12	HRQoL is an essential measure of quality of life related to health; it helps physician identify hidden morbidity in clinical care as well as improves patient-physician communications. HRQoL will be measured using time trade-off questionnaire
Change in Anxiety	Baseline visit, Week 1, Week 3, Week 6, Week 12	Anxiety will be measured using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - Anxiety (HADS-A) subscale
Change in Depression	Baseline visit, Week 1, Week 3, Week 6, Week 12	Depression is a feeling of severe despondency and dejection. Depression will be measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies - Depression (CES-D) score.
Change in Sleep quality	Baseline visit, Week 1, Week 3, Week 6, Week 12	Sleep quality as measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

St. Joseph's Hospital, Ivey Eye Institute; 🇨🇦 London, Ontario, Canada