Dysfunctional Breathing
Conditions
Brief summary
Dysfunctional breathing in children primarily affects the ability to participate in sport or exercise but can also stop children doing other activities such as playing musical instruments. Clinical experience has shown that physiotherapy (through the use of breathing retraining and other associated techniques) can stop the symptoms of dysfunctional breathing, allowing children to return to normal activities and reduce or stop inhaled medications. Whilst there is some evidence in adults with this condition to support the use of physiotherapy, there have been no studies carried out in children investigating whether physiotherapy is beneficial for children with dysfunctional breathing. This study therefore aims to investigate the feasibility of a future large scale multicentre clinical trial designed to investigate whether physiotherapy improves outcomes for children with dysfunctional breathing. The improved management of this common but under recognised condition would lead to significant improvements in the quality of life of children coupled with the reduction in potentially harmful medications.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALPhysiotherapy
A course of breathing retraining delivered by a physiotherapist and practiced by the participant at home.
Sponsors
University of Sheffield
Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
8 Years to 16 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Aged 8-16 years Clinical diagnosis of dysfunctional breathing
Exclusion criteria
Uncontrolled comorbidities Participant and parents/guardians not fluent in written and spoken English Inability to follow instructions
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Child and parent proxy report versions of the quality of life questionnaire(PedsQL) | 24 months | To measure participant and parent proxy report of quality of life in the four domains of physical, emotional, social and school functioning |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Symptom questionnaire (Nijmegen questionnaire) | 24 months | To measure the type and frequency of symptoms commonly associated with dysfunctional breathing |
| Structured light plethysmography (SLP) scan (Thora-3DI) | 24 months | To objectively measure breathing pattern and rate without influencing these parameters |
| Reliever inhaler usage recorded using a data logger device | 24 months | To measure usage of inhaled reliever medication |
Countries
United Kingdom
Outcome results
None listed