Breath Training Exercise for the Reduction of Chronic Dyspnea: a Pilot Study
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Enrollment
- 23
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- the feasibility
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The purpose of this study is to test whether a breath training exercise program may be used to make patients with chronic lung conditions feel less short of breath, whether such a program is well received by patients and whether a future larger study is worthwhile.
The breath training exercise program uses some breathing techniques derived from Yoga practices. They were shown to help patients experiencing shortness of breath feel less short of breath in other settings. Whether the training is beneficial to patients with chronic lung conditions, especially those with a history of cancer affecting their lungs, is not clear. This study would help us answer that question.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Na
- Intervention Model
- Single Group
- Primary Purpose
- Supportive Care
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 19 Years to — (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •>18 years of age
- •Diagnosis of a chronic pulmonary disorder (a diagnosis of lung cancer is not required as the symptom of dyspnea, not cancer itself, is targeted)
- •If diagnosed with lung cancer, must have completed definitive treatment more than 6 months prior
- •At least moderate dyspnea defined by a BDI score of 6 or less in the Self- Administered Computerized Versions of the Baseline and Transition Dyspnea Indexes(SAC-BDI/TDI)13,14 (This cutoff score is close to the score of 5.7 used to define "moderate dyspnea" in the publication that validated the instrument and is selected by attending physicians in the Pulmonary Service as a good indication of "moderate dyspnea" in clinical practice. A typical person with BDI of 6, for example, would be a 52 year old woman who has to pause when walking because of dyspnea and/or has eliminated doing an activity because of dyspnea).
- •Able to safely complete the Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT)15 as per attending physician's clinical judgment.
- •Respiratory functions clinically stable for the preceding 3 months and expected to be stable for the next 3 months as determined by project PIs and other Pulmonary Medicine faculty.
Exclusion Criteria
- •Life expectancy less than 6 months
- •Any cause of dyspnea that is determined by the investigators as readily reversible by other means (e.g. pleural effusion, pulmonary embolism, acute infection, anemia Hb<9.0, etc.)
- •Non-English speaking
Arms & Interventions
The breath training program
Approximately 30-minutes of group instruction session on breathing techniques delivered at a Main Campus outpatient clinic, followed by approximately 15 minutes twice daily home practice for six weeks with weekly telephone coaching. The intervention will conclude at about week 6. Patients will be encouraged to continue the practice, but there will be no further phone calls to remind patients or to confirm their continuing practice.
Intervention: breathing techniques (Other)
The breath training program
Approximately 30-minutes of group instruction session on breathing techniques delivered at a Main Campus outpatient clinic, followed by approximately 15 minutes twice daily home practice for six weeks with weekly telephone coaching. The intervention will conclude at about week 6. Patients will be encouraged to continue the practice, but there will be no further phone calls to remind patients or to confirm their continuing practice.
Intervention: Self-Administered Baseline and Transition Dyspnea Indexes (Behavioral)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
the feasibility
Time Frame: 2 years
of a breath training program Feasibility is defined by the combination of acceptance rate (number of patients agreeing to participate divided by total number of offered participation), completion rate (percentage of patients completing 75% of practice sessions and providing data on the SAC-BDI/TDI at baseline and 6 weeks) and estimated effect size (20% improvement in SAC-BDI).
Secondary Outcomes
No secondary outcomes reported