The Hyper-COPD Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Breathing Vigilance in a COPD population with hyperinflation
IRAS ID
321477
Contact name
Adam Lewis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Brunel University London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
41561, Brunel Ethics Committee reference number
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
This study will investigate the prevalence of dysfunctional breathing and breathing vigilance in individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), who have lung hyperinflation, attending outpatient respiratory clinics in Royal Brompton Hospital.
COPD is a lung disease commonly caused by smoking. It causes breathlessness as the airways progressively become obstructed. Emphysema is part of COPD. In Emphysema the airways become baggy and lose elasticity. In many cases this causes air to be trapped in peoples lungs when they breathe out, which causes hyperinflation (too much air in the lungs).
Dysfunctional Breathing (DB) is when people have an abnormal breathing pattern leading to chemical, mechanical and psychological changes relating to breathing. These changes lead to symptoms such as feeling tense or anxious, tingling and stiffening of fingers, stomach aches, feeling short of breath and chest pain. Dysfunctional Breathing is thought to be more common in people with COPD and treatable with physiotherapy. Breathing Vigilance is anxiety related conscious monitoring of breathing and due to the common presentation of both anxiety and breathlessness in people with COPD it is thought that breathing vigilance may be commonly present in this population, and if so treatable.
We will provide 3 questionnaires (which measure dysfunctional breathing, breathing vigilance, and anxiety and depression) to patients living with COPD attending a specialist clinical service being assessed for interventions in COPD clinics. These questionnaires will be provided in a paper-based format and electronic format via Microsoft Forms.
Questionnaire data will be analysed to assess the prevalence of dysfunctional breathing, breathing vigilance and the relationship between these phenomena in this population. By collecting other clinical data we will also be able to determine what impact other variables such as age, gender and lung-function have on the ability to determine DB and breathing vigilance.
REC name
South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/SW/0120
Date of REC Opinion
15 Dec 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion