Please select the arm or intervention descriptions that belong to the clinical trial below.
Title: Effects of a Short-term Diaphragmatic Breathing Training Program in COPD Patients: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Brief Summary: Diaphragmatic dysfunction and alterations of thoracoabdominal motions are common in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Several studies have described an impairment in diaphragmatic mobility of COPD patients compared to age matched control subjects and it has been associated with increase in dyspnea, exercise intolerance and mortality. COPD patients also experiment a higher activity of the accessory breathing muscles, which greatly increases the work of breathing and dyspnea sensation.

Breathing strategies have been considered an important component of pulmonary rehabilitation and refer to a range of techniques, including/which includes the diaphragmatic breathing (DB). The principal aim of DB is to improve the participation of the abdominal motion while reducing the accessory muscles activity. The role of DB as an adjunctive treatment modality in the rehabilitation of COPD patients remains controversial. Despite the conflicting results, improvement of the abdominal motion and a reduction of thoracic excursion, during voluntarily DB, has been described as a common finding of several studies. The investigators hypothesized that a 4-week DBTP could induce higher participation of the diaphragm and this modification would relieve respiratory symptoms and improve exercise tolerance and the HRQoL. Therefore, in this randomized controlled trial the investigators aimed to test the effects of a short-term DBTP on thoracoabdominal motion, pulmonary function, diaphragmatic mobility, dyspnea, HRQoL and exercise tolerance in patients with mild to severe COPD.


Options:
A: Arm Label: Inspiratory Muscle Training; Type: EXPERIMENTAL; Interventions: Procedure: Inspiratory Muscle Training | Arm Label: Sham IMT; Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR; Interventions: Procedure: Inspiratory Muscle Training | Intervention Type: PROCEDURE; Name: Inspiratory Muscle Training; Assigned to Arm(s): Inspiratory Muscle Training, Sham IMT
B: Arm Label: Inspiratory muscle training group; Type: EXPERIMENTAL; Interventions: Other: Inspiratory muscle training | Arm Label: Respiratory exercise group; Type: EXPERIMENTAL; Interventions: Other: Respiratory exercise | Intervention Type: OTHER; Name: Inspiratory muscle training; Assigned to Arm(s): Inspiratory muscle training group | Intervention Type: OTHER; Name: Respiratory exercise; Assigned to Arm(s): Respiratory exercise group
C: Arm Label: IMT group; Type: EXPERIMENTAL; Interventions: Other: Pulmonary rehabilitation | Arm Label: Control group; Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR; Interventions: Other: Pulmonary rehabilitation | Intervention Type: OTHER; Name: Pulmonary rehabilitation; Assigned to Arm(s): Control group, IMT group
D: Arm Label: Control Group; Type: NO_INTERVENTION; Interventions: N/A | Arm Label: Diaphragmatic breathing training; Type: EXPERIMENTAL; Interventions: Other: Diaphragmatic breathing training | Intervention Type: OTHER; Name: Diaphragmatic breathing training; Assigned to Arm(s): Diaphragmatic breathing training

Answer: D