Relaxation Effects of Personalized Breathing Exercises for Healthy College Students
- Conditions
- Breathing Exercises
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Breathing Exercise
- Registration Number
- NCT06121596
- Lead Sponsor
- Technical University of Munich
- Brief Summary
Stress plays a major role in the etiology and pathogenesis of anxiety and depression. Relaxation therapies, such as breathing exercises, can reduce stress and increase relaxation.
This study has two aims. First, it aims to personalize and optimize breathing protocols. Second, it aims to tailor breathing protocols to subgroups based on prediction models of expected efficacy.
Three different breathing protocols, varying solely in their instructed breathing frequency with 40 percent (A), 60 percent (B), and 80 percent (C) of the interindividual spontaneous breathing frequency, are tested in a randomized, counterbalanced crossover trial. Other parameters, such as breathing quality (i.e., nasal and diaphragmatic), rhythm (i.e., prolonged exhalation without instructed pauses) and depth (i.e., increased depth due to slower breathing frequency) as well as contextual factors (e.g., posture, video-based instructions, type of pacer, etc.) are invariant between protocols.
First, this study hypothesizes a difference in the relaxation response between breathing protocols A, B, and C. This study looks at the relaxation response from three different angles (1) self-report, (2) autonomic arousal, and (3) central nervous system arousal. Second, this study explores prediction models of expected efficacy based on the interindividual variance in characteristics (i.e., depressive, anxious and stress symptoms as well as expertise in relaxation therapies) and biomarkers (e.g., heart rate variability, peripheral temperature, skin conductance, etc.). Prediction models can tailor breathing protocols to subgroups to increase expected efficacy.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 42
- Above 18 years old
- University student
- Native German speaker
- Any psychiatric (e.g., anxiety), neurologic (e.g., epilepsy) or cardio-pulmonary (e.g., asthma) diagnosis
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- CROSSOVER
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Breathing Exercise with 40 Percent of the Spontaneous Breathing Frequency (A) Breathing Exercise Participants are instructed (via visual pacer) to reduce their breathing frequency to 40 percent of their spontaneous breathing frequency for a period of five minutes. In advance, participants are instructed (via pre-recorded video) to breathe nasally (if possible) and abdominally, with a prolonged exhalation (inspiration-to-expiration ratio is 1-to-2 - also instructed via visual pacer) during the breathing exercise. Breathing Exercise with 60 Percent of the Spontaneous Breathing Frequency (B) Breathing Exercise Participants are instructed (via visual pacer) to reduce their breathing frequency to 60 percent of their spontaneous breathing frequency for a period of five minutes. In advance, participants are instructed (via pre-recorded video) to breathe nasally (if possible) and abdominally, with a prolonged exhalation (inspiration-to-expiration ratio is 1-to-2 - also instructed via visual pacer) during the breathing exercise. Breathing Exercise with 80 Percent of the Spontaneous Breathing Frequency (C) Breathing Exercise Participants are instructed (via visual pacer) to reduce their breathing frequency to 80 percent of their spontaneous breathing frequency for a period of five minutes. In advance, participants are instructed (via pre-recorded video) to breathe nasally (if possible) and abdominally, with a prolonged exhalation (inspiration-to-expiration ratio is 1-to-2 - also instructed via visual pacer) during the breathing exercise.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Relaxation Sum Score Immediately after each 5-minute breathing exercise Measured with the German Version of the Relaxation State Questionnaire; Sum scores range from 10 to 50 (higher scores indicate greater relaxation).
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Current Perceived Stress Level Immediately after each 5-minute breathing exercise Measured on a visual analog scale ranging from 0 to 100, where zero is absolutely no stress and 100 is extreme stress.
Heart Rate Variability During each 5-minute breathing exercise Measured via blood volume pulse with a finger clip on the middle finger
Peripheral Temperature During each 5-minute breathing exercise Measured via temperature sensor on the small finger
Skin Conductance During each 5-minute breathing exercise Measured via skin conductance sensor on the index and ring finger
Power in Frequency Bands During each 5-minute breathing exercise Measured via four channel EEG with linked earlobe reference and active electrode placement on F3, F4, F7, and F8 according to the international 10-20 system
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Technical University of Munich
🇩🇪Munich, Bavaria, Germany