Publikation

The effects of controlled breathing during pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COPD

Wissenschaftlicher Artikel/Review - 07.04.2011

Bereiche
PubMed
DOI

Zitation
van Gestel A, Kohler M, Steier J, Teschler S, Russi E, Teschler H. The effects of controlled breathing during pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COPD. Respiration 2011; 83:115-24.
Art
Wissenschaftlicher Artikel/Review (Englisch)
Zeitschrift
Respiration 2011; 83
Veröffentlichungsdatum
07.04.2011
eISSN (Online)
1423-0356
Seiten
115-24
Kurzbeschreibung/Zielsetzung

BACKGROUND
Conventional pulmonary rehabilitation programs improve exercise tolerance but have no effect on pulmonary function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The role of controlled breathing using respiratory biofeedback during rehabilitation of patients with COPD remains unclear.

OBJECTIVES
To compare the effects of a conventional 4-week pulmonary rehabilitation program with those of rehabilitation plus controlled breathing interventions.

METHODS
A randomized controlled trial was performed. Pulmonary function (FEV1), exercise capacity (6-min walking distance, 6 MWD), health-related quality of life (chronic respiratory questionnaire, CRQ) and cardiac autonomic function (rMSSD) were evaluated.

RESULTS
Forty COPD patients (mean±SD age 66.1±6.4, FEV1 45.9±17.4% predicted) were randomized to rehabilitation (n=20) or rehabilitation plus controlled breathing (n=20). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding the change in FEV1 (mean difference -0.8% predicted, 95% CI -4.4 to 2.9% predicted, p=0.33), 6 MWD (mean difference 12.2 m, 95% CI -37.4 to 12.2 m, p=0.16), CRQ (mean difference in total score 0.2, 95% CI -0.1 to 0.4, p=0.11) and rMSSD (mean difference 2.2 ms, 95% CI -20.8 to 25.1 ms, p=0.51).

CONCLUSIONS
In patients with COPD undergoing a pulmonary rehabilitation program, controlled breathing using respiratory biofeedback has no effect on exercise capacity, pulmonary function, quality of life or cardiac autonomic function.