Breathing Exercises in Asthma Targeting Dysfunctional Breathing

Summary

Dyspnoe can disable patients with asthma. Dysfunctional breathing (DB), resulting in dyspnoe, can mimic or exaggerate asthma. Around every forth patient with asthma have DB. Breathing exercises (BrEX) can improve asthma-related quality of live (QOL) in less severe asthma. No study has investigated the effect of BrEX on QOL neither on level of physical activity in severe asthma.

A randomised controlled multicentre trial will include 190 adults with poor asthma control (Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ6)-score≥0.8) from seven outpatient departments and one specialized private clinic. Patients will be allocated to either usual care (no intervention) or breathing exercises (BrEX)-treatment consisting of 12-week intervention including three physiotherapist-sessions focusing on breathing pattern modification (Papworth Method; Buteyko technique) in rest and activity and 10 minutes home-exercise twice daily. Primary outcome is change in Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (MiniAQLQ) at six-months follow-up.

Conditions

• Dysfunctional Breathing in Asthma

Interventions

OTHER

Breathing Exercises

Key points in the intervention are * Reduction (or normalising) of the respiration rate; use of rhythmic, nasal inspiration, diaphragmatic breathing; reduction of depth of breath, longer expiration; breath-holding at functional residual capacity. * Relaxation, especially the neck, jaw, tongue, and shoulders. Emphasizing the impact of gravity to the body. * Inclusion of the breathing modification into walking and other physical activities. * Daily home exercise of BrEX.

OTHER

Usual care

Participants will receive only short information given initially at recruitment. No instruction or booklet will be distributed in the Usual care-Group.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Zealand University Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• Hvidovre University Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• Aalborg University Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• Bispebjerg Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• TrygFonden, Denmark

  collaborator INDUSTRY

• Slagelse Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• Region Zealand

  collaborator OTHER

• Association of Danish Physiotherapists

  collaborator OTHER

• Allergi og Lungeklinikken Helsingør

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Regionshospitalet Silkeborg

  collaborator OTHER

• Odense University Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• Naestved Hospital

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Karen H Andreasson, PT MSc · University of Southern Denmark, Dep. of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, Neastved-Slagelse-Ringsted Hospitals, Region Zealand, Denmark

• Uffe Bødtger, MD PhD · University of Southern Denmark and Naestved Hospital

• Søren T Skou, PT PhD · University of Southern Denmark and Naestved-Slagelse-Ringsted Hospitals

• Mike Thomas, Prof MD PhD · University of Southampton and Aldermoor Health Centre, Southampton

• Celeste Porsbjerg, Prof MD PhD · University of Copenhagen and Bispebjerg Hospital

• Charlotte S Ulrik, Prof MD PhD · University of Copenhagen and Hvidovre Hospital

• Peder G Fabricius, MD · Universityhospital Roskilde

• Karin D Assing, MD · Aalborg University Hospital

• Kirsten E Sidenius, MD PhD · Allergi og Lungeklinikken Helsingør

• Charlotte Hyldgaard, MD · Diagnostisk Center, Regionshospitalet Silkeborg

• Hanne Madsen, MD PhD · University of Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2017-04-27

Primary Completion

2020-04-14

Completion

2024-08-31

Countries

• Denmark

Study Locations