Trial Outcomes & Findings for Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback: It's Role in Asthma Therapeutics (NCT NCT02766374)

NCT ID: NCT02766374

Last Updated: 2019-01-15

Results Overview

Change in PEC20FEV1 measured after biofeedback from the PC20FEV1 measured at baseline

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

NA

Target enrollment

68 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

4-weeks

Results posted on

2019-01-15

Participant Flow

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
HRV Biofeedback
During the first training session, we will measure heart rate variability (HRV) amplitude while the patient breathes for two minutes at a frequency ranging between 4.5-6.5 breaths/min, providing a "pacing stimulus" for this purpose. In subsequent sessions, the individual will be given personal HRV biofeedback, and instructed to increase the amplitude of heart rate oscillations, using a cardiotachometer tracing and frequency peaks as biofeedback stimuli, while avoiding hyperventilation symptoms, by breathing more shallowly, although slowly, at whatever frequency produces maximum-amplitude HRV. This procedure detailed in Lehrer, P. M., Vaschillo, B., Zucker, T., Graves, J., Katsamanis, M.,Aviles, M., \& Wamboldt, F. S. (2013). Protocol for heart rate variability biofeedback training. Biofeedback, 41(3), 98-109.
EEG+ Biofeedback
Included instructions to increase and decrease EEG alpha from the right frontal to occipital areas (F4 to Oz), to listen regularly to relaxing music and to do paced breathing at the baseline rate of spontaneous breathing observed during a nondemanding task. Procedure detailed in Lehrer, P. M., Hochron, S. M., Mayne, T., Isenberg, S., Carlson, V., Lasoski, A. M., … Rausch, L. (1994). Relaxation and music therapies for asthma among patients prestabilized on asthma medication. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 17(1), 1-24.
Overall Study
STARTED
35
33
Overall Study
COMPLETED
25
30
Overall Study
NOT COMPLETED
10
3

Reasons for withdrawal

Withdrawal data not reported

Baseline Characteristics

Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback: It's Role in Asthma Therapeutics

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
HRV Biofeedback
n=35 Participants
Biofeedback to maximaize heart rate variability. Procedure detailed in Lehrer, P. M., Vaschillo, B., Zucker, T., Graves, J., Katsamanis, M.,Aviles, M., \& Wamboldt, F. S. (2013). Protocol for heart rate variability biofeedback training. Biofeedback, 41(3), 98-109.
EEG+ Biofeedback
n=33 Participants
Included instructions to increase and decrease EEG alpha from the right frontal to occipital areas (F4 to Oz), to listen regularly to relaxing music and to do paced breathing at the baseline rate of spontaneous breathing observed during a nondemanding task. Procedure detailed in Lehrer, P. M., Hochron, S. M., Mayne, T., Isenberg, S., Carlson, V., Lasoski, A. M., … Rausch, L. (1994). Relaxation and music therapies for asthma among patients prestabilized on asthma medication. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 17(1), 1-24.
Total
n=68 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
Age, Continuous
38 years
n=99 Participants
31 years
n=107 Participants
34 years
n=206 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
23 Participants
n=99 Participants
23 Participants
n=107 Participants
46 Participants
n=206 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
12 Participants
n=99 Participants
10 Participants
n=107 Participants
22 Participants
n=206 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
4 Participants
n=99 Participants
8 Participants
n=107 Participants
12 Participants
n=206 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
31 Participants
n=99 Participants
25 Participants
n=107 Participants
56 Participants
n=206 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
n=99 Participants
0 Participants
n=107 Participants
0 Participants
n=206 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
n=99 Participants
0 Participants
n=107 Participants
0 Participants
n=206 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
4 Participants
n=99 Participants
1 Participants
n=107 Participants
5 Participants
n=206 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
n=99 Participants
0 Participants
n=107 Participants
0 Participants
n=206 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
5 Participants
n=99 Participants
5 Participants
n=107 Participants
10 Participants
n=206 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
17 Participants
n=99 Participants
21 Participants
n=107 Participants
38 Participants
n=206 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
5 Participants
n=99 Participants
6 Participants
n=107 Participants
11 Participants
n=206 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
4 Participants
n=99 Participants
0 Participants
n=107 Participants
4 Participants
n=206 Participants
Reported use of Short Acting Beta Adrenergic Medication (SABA) > 3/week
3 Participants
n=99 Participants
7 Participants
n=107 Participants
10 Participants
n=206 Participants
Asthma Control Test (ACT) score total
20 units on a scale
n=99 Participants
20 units on a scale
n=107 Participants
20 units on a scale
n=206 Participants
Percent of Asthma Control Test (ACT) score ≤ 19
18 Participants
n=99 Participants
20 Participants
n=107 Participants
38 Participants
n=206 Participants
Baseline provocative conc causing 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (PC20FEV1) (mg/ml)
1.66 mg/ml
n=99 Participants
1.40 mg/ml
n=107 Participants
1.46 mg/ml
n=206 Participants
Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 sec (FEV1) (L)
2.79 Liters (L)
n=99 Participants
3.01 Liters (L)
n=107 Participants
2.89 Liters (L)
n=206 Participants
Precent predicted Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 sec (FEV1)
86.7 Percent
n=99 Participants
84.1 Percent
n=107 Participants
85.9 Percent
n=206 Participants
Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) (L)
3.78 Liters (L)
n=99 Participants
4.11 Liters (L)
n=107 Participants
4.04 Liters (L)
n=206 Participants
Precent predicted Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)
102.2 Percent
n=99 Participants
103.7 Percent
n=107 Participants
103.0 Percent
n=206 Participants
Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) (L/s)
6.90 Liters/second (L/s)
n=99 Participants
7.66 Liters/second (L/s)
n=107 Participants
7.27 Liters/second (L/s)
n=206 Participants
Precent predicted Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR)
92.2 Percent
n=99 Participants
92.6 Percent
n=107 Participants
92.2 Percent
n=206 Participants
Exhaled Nitric Oxide cocentration (eNO) (ppb)
35.0 parts per billion (p/b)
n=99 Participants
43.0 parts per billion (p/b)
n=107 Participants
40.5 parts per billion (p/b)
n=206 Participants
Body Mass Index (BMI)
28.53 kg/m^2
n=99 Participants
27.41 kg/m^2
n=107 Participants
28.27 kg/m^2
n=206 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 4-weeks

Change in PEC20FEV1 measured after biofeedback from the PC20FEV1 measured at baseline

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
HRV-BF
n=35 Participants
During the first training session, we will measure heart rate variability biofeedback amplitude while the patient breathes for two minutes at a frequency ranging between 4.5-6.5 breaths/min, providing a "pacing stimulus" for this purpose. In subsequent sessions, the individual will be given personal HRV biofeedback, and instructed to increase the amplitude of heart rate oscillations, using a cardiotachometer tracing and frequency peaks as biofeedback stimuli, while avoiding hyperventilation symptoms, by breathing more shallowly, although slowly, at whatever frequency produces maximum-amplitude HRV.
PBO-BF
n=33 Participants
The method consists of: 1) receiving EEG/music biofeedback (actually, a mildly relaxing intervention, using EEG biofeedback to alternately increase and decrease frontal/occipital EEG alpha rhythms while listening to relaxing music), and 2) listening to recorded sounds of nature along with relaxing music with instructions to maintain a condition of "relaxed alertness." For home training, subjects will be given "placebo" StressEraser programmed to give feedback to maintain their breathing at baseline rate.
Magnitude Change of Airway Reactivity Measured by Methacholine PC20FEV1
2.9782 mg/ml
Interval 1.393 to 6.3675
2.1181 mg/ml
Interval 1.2133 to 3.6977

Adverse Events

HRV Biofeedback

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

EEG+ Biofeedback

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Paul M. Lehrer, PhD

Rutgers - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Phone: (732) 235-4413

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place