Breathing Control in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Breathing Control in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Intervention With Device-guided Breathing Control in COPD

There is a demand for explorative and comparative studies on various non-pharmaceutical efforts in treating and helping chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. This study has been developed in light of this need. The main purpose of the project is to test whether a device guided breathing control system can decreasing the feeling of breathlessness in patients with moderate stage and severe stage of COPD. In addition the study could shed light on whether a reduced feeling of breathlessness can lead to improved physical function, and less experience of other symptoms (I.e., depression, anxiety, sleeping difficulties, fatigue, pain) and provide a better quality of life for patients with COPD.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Dyspnoea symptoms in daily life
• Spirometry values showing a COPD moderate stage II (FEV1/FVC<70%, FEV1<80%) and severity grade at a severe stage III (FEV1/FVC<70%, FEV1<50% and FEV1 = 30% of a predicted)
• Be able to read, write and speak Norwegian
• Be at a stable phase of the disease

Exclusion Criteria:

• Changes in pulmonary medication during the last 4 weeks
• Diagnosis of cancer
• Presently attending a pulmonary rehabilitation course or other similar COPD education courses (due to the fact that these courses often have instructions on breathing control), or having attended similar courses during the last six months
• Ongoing exacerbation
• Attending other competitive studies
• Diagnosis of neuromuscular disease
• Diagnosis of dementia
• Attending help from a pulmonary physiotherapist