Investigation of the Effect of Video Game-Based Breathing Exercises on Dysfunctional Respiration in Patients With Asthma-COPD Overlap Syndrome (ACOS)

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are significant public health problems. Asthma is defined as a chronic respiratory disease characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness causing intermittent and usually reversible airway obstruction, whereas COPD is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by progressive and irreversible airway obstruction, typically occurring in individuals over the age of 40 and associated with tobacco use. These definitions allow asthma and COPD to be recognized as distinct diseases. However, many epidemiological studies indicate that asthma and COPD can coexist, or that one condition may progress into the other, a condition referred to as Asthma-COPD Overlap Syndrome (ACOS). According to global guidelines, individuals who are generally aged 40 years or older, have a history of smoking at least five pack-years or biomass exposure, have a medical history of asthma or allergy, and show a post-bronchodilator FEV₁ increase of typically 12% and 200 mL are considered to have ACOS. Compared to patients with asthma or COPD alone, those with ACOS tend to experience more frequent exacerbations, rapid decline in lung function, and reduced health-related quality of life. These factors contribute to higher mortality rates among ACOS patients. Reports indicate that ACOS patients experience more dyspnea, higher comorbidity indices, more frequent hospitalizations, and higher BODE indices. Functional exercise capacity has also been found to be lower in this group.

A review of the literature suggests pulmonary rehabilitation as a non-pharmacological treatment method for ACOS patients. Breathing exercises, forming the basis of pulmonary rehabilitation, aim to reduce dyspnea and hyperinflation, improve respiratory muscle performance, and optimize thoraco-abdominal movement by regulating respiratory muscle activation and patterns. The most commonly used breathing exercises include deep diaphragmatic and segmental breathing exercises (also known as breathing control), pursed-lip breathing, and thoracic expansion exercises. Pulmonary rehabilitation applied to individuals with ACOS has been reported to improve functional capacity and BODE index, reduce dyspnea and symptom scores, and contribute to improved lung function. Studies investigating the effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation have shown significant improvements in six-minute walk distance, BODE index, and quality-of-life questionnaire results. In COPD and ACOS patients, significant improvements have been observed after training in lung function, six-minute walk test distance, peripheral and inspiratory muscle strength, activities of daily living, and quality-of-life scores. Considering the clinical course, further research is necessary to develop personalized pulmonary rehabilitation programs for ACOS patients.

No studies have been found applying video game-based exercise programs specifically for ACOS patients. Initially incorporated only into exercise training programs, these digital applications have recently been integrated into respiratory exercise regimens due to technological advancements and have been established in the literature as comprehensive, effective, and innovative treatment approaches for respiratory diseases. With advantages such as increasing patient motivation, interest, exercise adherence, and active participation while making exercises more enjoyable, video game-based exercise applications are recognized as effective and beneficial methods. Nonetheless, video game-based respiratory exercise applications remain extremely limited. The current research project implements video game-based breathing exercises in ACOS patients for the first time.

Studies indicate that dysfunctional breathing patterns are common in patients with asthma and COPD. Dysfunctional breathing is a respiratory disorder characterized by irregular breathing patterns, occurring either in the absence of concurrent diseases or secondary to cardiopulmonary conditions. Dysfunctional breathing leads to symptoms such as hyperventilation, dyspnea, increased accessory muscle activity, paradoxical breathing, postural disorders, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. Reports demonstrate that pulmonary rehabilitation reduces symptoms of dysfunctional breathing.

In studies on asthma patients, pulmonary rehabilitation has been reported to have a positive effect on dysfunctional breathing and to improve quality of life as well as anxiety and depression levels. In studies on COPD patients, reductions in dyspnea levels and respiratory symptoms, along with increases in physical activity levels, have been observed. A case study reported that a pulmonary rehabilitation program including breathing and posture exercises improved dysfunctional breathing symptoms, increased breath-holding time, reduced pain and depression findings, and enhanced attention and concentration levels. A review of the literature indicates that studies on dysfunctional breathing are quite limited. Furthermore, no studies have been identified examining dysfunctional breathing in ACOS patients. Therefore, investigating the effects of video game-based breathing exercises on dysfunctional breathing in ACOS patients represents an original contribution.