Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing Guided Physiotherapy During Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients With Dysfunctional Breathing, a Randomized Controlled Trial

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a pulmonary rehabilitation program tailored to patients with dysfunctional breathing (DB), a condition affecting about 9% of the general population and common in people with diseases like asthma or COPD. The study compares this specialized rehabilitation, guided by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), against standard physiotherapy focused on breathing retraining. The goal is to find improved ways to relieve symptoms and address the lack of consensus on diagnosing and treating DB. The trial involves two groups: one receives a pulmonary rehabilitation program consisting of 16 sessions over 8 weeks, combining exercise with breathing retraining guided by CPET findings, and the other group undergoes physiotherapy with five sessions over 9 weeks focusing on progressive breathing retraining and related techniques. Both treatments aim to address erratic breathing patterns and hyperventilation characteristic of DB. Participants will have assessments including CPET, questionnaires like the Nijmegen questionnaire and Breathing Pattern Assessment Tool, and scales measuring anxiety, depression, and dyspnea at enrollment and after their treatment period (8 or 9 weeks depending on the group). Researchers will track breathing patterns, symptom changes, and quality of life. The study is randomized and single-blinded, with a total participation time of about two months.

CPET Guided Rehab vs Physiotherapy in Patients With Dysfunctional Breathing