NCT01624272

Respiratory Muscle Training in Institutionalized Elderly Population

The Effectiveness of Pranayama Breathing Exercises vs. Threshold Inspiratory Muscle Trainer to Improve Respiratory Muscle Function in an Institutionalized Frail Elderly Population

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 71 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Valencia · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The global loss of muscle mass and strength associated with aging is a cause of functional impairment and disability, particularly in the frail elderly. Respiratory function can be severely compromised if there is a decrease of respiratory (RM) strength complicated by the presence of comorbidities and physical immobility. Previous studies have shown that the specific RM training is an effective method to increase RM strength, both in healthy people and patients. In this case, specific RM training may be regarded as a beneficial alternative to improve RM function, and thus prevent physical and clinical deterioration in this population. The hypothesis is that specific RM training would improve RM strength and endurance in the experimental groups vs. control who do not participate in RM training. Institutionalized elderly people with an inability to walk were randomly allocated to a control group, a Threshold group or a Pranayama group. Both experimental groups performed a supervised RM training, five days a week for six consecutive weeks. The maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressures (MIP and MEP) and the maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) were assessed at four time points in each of three groups.

Detailed description

Studies have shown that general aerobic exercise training is accompanied by significant respiratory physiological benefits, including gains in RM strength and endurance (Larson, et al., 1999; Sheel, 2002; Watsford, et al., 2005; Lacasse et al., 2006). This benefit appears to be greater when general exercise conditioning is combined with specific RM training (Weiner, et al., 1992; Wanke, et al., 1994; Larson, et al., 1999; Hill y Eastwood, 2005; O'Brien, et al., 2008). However, many frail elderly are not able to perform general aerobic exercise, related or not to ADL, as it is mentioned above (e.g., institutionalized elderly with comorbidities, functional impairment and RM weakness). In this case, specific RM training may be used as a beneficial alternative to maintain or improve RM function (Watsford and Murphy, 2008), and thus prevent deterioration in this functionally impaired elderly. The most commonly used techniques of specific RM training are: a) isocapnic hyperpnoea (Leith and Bradley, 1976; Belman and Mittman, 1980), b) respiratory resistive loading (Pardy, et al., 1981; Sonne and Davis, 1982; Belman, et al., 1986), and c) respiratory threshold loading (Clanton, et al., 1985; Chen, et al., 1985; Martyn, et al., 1987; Larson, et al., 1988). Apart from these three well-known techniques, other less studied types of exercise such as the controlled breathing exercises of Yoga, Pranayama, may also be added to this list (Kulpati, et al., 1982; Manocha, et al., 2002; Donesky-Cueco, et al., 2009).

Conditions

• Muscle Weakness
• Syndrome; Institutionalization
• Other Diagnoses, Comorbidities, and Complications

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Threshold® Inspiratory Muscle Trainer (Respironics® Health Scan Inc. Cedar Grove, NJ, USA).	Interval-based program consisting of seven cycles of 2-minutes work and 1-minute rest. The sessions took place 5 times per week over a six-week period for a total of 30 sessions. All participants were familiarized with the breathing exercises over a two-day familiarization period at the beginning of the protocol.
OTHER	Yoga Pranayama breathing exercises	Interval-based program. The sessions took place 5 times per week over a six-week period for a total of 30 sessions. All participants were familiarized with the breathing exercises over a two-day familiarization period at the beginning of the protocol.

Timeline

• Start date: 2008-11-01
• Primary completion: 2009-07-01
• Completion: 2010-02-01
• First posted: 2012-06-20
• Last updated: 2014-03-26

Locations

3 sites across 1 country: Spain