Weight Training With VR in Out-Patients With Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Condition: COPD; COPD Exacerbation; Pulmonary Rehabilitation; Weight Training; Virtual Reality; Muscle Strength; Pulmonary Function; Quality of Life; Readmission
MeSH terms: Lung Diseases; Lung Diseases, Obstructive; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Body Weight
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Using weight training with virtual reality can help after discharge patients of acute
      exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which maintained their quality of
      life, and improved their exercise capacity, pulmonary function, readmission condition.
    

Detailed description: 
      Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type obstructive lung disease which had
      become the third leading cause of deaths worldwide. The main symptoms including dyspnea,
      coughing, sputum production and acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). The physical activity
      level, muscle power, exercise tolerance and quality of life (QoL) would decline rapidly when
      an episode of AECOPD occurred, with the worsen of the pulmonary function and activities
      level, the patient would get weaker and mortality rate would increase. Pulmonary
      rehabilitation (PR) had become a common-used clinical programs which including (but not limit
      to) medication, education, psychological support, nutrition consultation and exercise
      interventions.

      In PR programs, exercise had been specifically pointed out for its improvement of physical
      activity level and quality of life, however, the adherence rate of programs remains low due
      to lack of motivation and insufficient training effect. Previous interventions preferred
      aerobic exercise conducting in sitting position considering the long-term sedentary life
      style of patients. However, such an intervention demonstrated little effect on increasing
      muscle power of lower extremities, results in insufficient physical activity level and
      functional performance. Besides, the interventions are usually single and repeatedly limb
      movement exercise which fail to brings up interests and results in poor motivation of the
      patients. Literatures review has suggested the highly involvement of upper extremities which
      is strongly contributed to independently daily living. The implantation of virtual reality in
      PR program has gained attentions with its advantage of facilitate the motivation. Therefore,
      the study aims to conduct the muscle strength training including both upper and lower
      extremities with the combination of virtual reality (VR). Anticipated result expects to
      provide a research evidence of innovative pulmonary rehabilitation exercise intervention.

      The study will recruited 30 participants who will be randomly divided into control and
      intervention group. Control group will receive routine pulmonary rehabilitation including
      medication and education, the research stuff will give a brief explanation of home exercise,
      and weekly telemedicine to follow the exercise intensity and provide conciliation.
      Intervention group will receive the routine medical care. Extra weight training program
      targeting on upper extremities with the VR headsets will be conducted with the accompany of
      the research stuff. 3 times a week for 8 weeks (as a 24-times interference totally)
      interventions with muscle strength, exercise capacity, pulmonary function and improvement of
      quality of life will be assess to investigate the training effects. Expected result including
      the progression of muscle strength, oxygen uptake level, as well as pulmonary performance.
      The implantation of VR will also improve the motivation to participant, which will further
      alleviate the symptoms and quality of life. It can also provide some research evidence for
      clinical therapist to conduct an individualized exercise prescription for COPD.
    

Intervention name(s): Education; Supervision upper limb weight training exercise with VR
Intervention type(s): Other; Other
Intervention description(s): Usual pulmonary rehabilitation education and pharmacological therapies, and taught them some limbs exercise, using social application to contact and suggestion giving as supervision.; Participant is supervised by physical therapist to conduct upper limb weight training exercise with VR.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; upper extremity weight training; virtual reality; exercise capacity; functional capacity; adherence rate of exercise