Cystic Fibrosis- Children and Adults Tai Chi Study

Summary

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a progressive disease. Symptoms include coughing, poor lung ventilation, recurrent infections, poor weight gain, diarrhoea, malnutrition, stress, frustration, depression, irritability, worry, insomnia, behavioural issues and missed school/work.

Tai chi, a Chinese form of exercise, uses slow choreographed movements, breathing exercises and mindfulness. Research suggests tai chi can improve physical and emotional wellbeing for various chronic conditions.

This study compares methods of teaching tai chi to 70 people with CF, and evaluates the effect on symptoms and quality of life. Adults and children with CF will be recruited and randomly allocated to an intervention group or a control group. The former will receive 8 individual face to face sessions of tai chi over a 3 month period and a video and handouts to aid home practice. The latter will have routine care for the first 12 weeks, followed by 8 individual online sessions of tai chi over a 3 month period, and a video and handouts for home practice.

Both groups will be encouraged to practice tai chi at home in the months following the taught sessions.

Questionnaire data on how participants and their carers are coping with CF, any general improvements in wellbeing, and differences in other clinical outcomes (medication etc.)will be collected. Data will be collected at the beginning and end of the intervention, and at 6 and 9 months post intervention and differences between the 2 groups compared over time.

Feedback from on line focus groups will ask about their experiences, feasibility of learning and practicing of tai chi, engagement with the process, perceived health impact, and experiences of participation.

It is hoped that the study may show how Tai Chi can help people with CF to maintain their health through mindful exercise, and improve troublesome symptoms like sleep and anxiety.

Conditions

• Cystic Fibrosis

Interventions

OTHER

Tai chi

Tai Chi, a Chinese form of mindful exercise, may help alleviate CF symptoms, encourage active self-management and provide a practical way to relieve and manage stress for patients and carers. It involves gentle physical exercises, combined with breathing techniques and mindful awareness. It will be taught by qualified instructors either face to face in the participant's home or over videoconferencing technology e.g. Skype. A DVD of the Tai Chi was developed in Phase 1 which was successful for teaching adults, and will be used here, along with a child-friendly DVD. This will be filmed with and aimed at children aged 6-18. Teaching support materials, incorporating child-specific guidance such as animal-based Tai Chi movements, will be prepared for use in conjunction with the DVD.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust

  collaborator OTHER

• London South Bank University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Nicola Robinson, PhD · LSBU

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

6 Years

Max Age

100 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2014-06-30

Primary Completion

2016-08-31

Completion

2016-11-30

Countries

• United Kingdom

Study Locations