Spinal Cord Injuries, Slow Breathing
Conditions
Keywords
resonance, yogic, pranayama, spinal cord injury
Brief summary
This research will aid in understanding of slow-breathing and its effect on heart rate and blood pressure in people with a spinal cord injury (SCI). This research will investigate if traditional 'yogic' breathing exercises can be performed by subjects with SCI and its influence on the cardiovascular system.
Detailed description
The relationship between respiratory patterns and cardiovascular variability in healthy persons has been previously studied. However, the impact of SCI on the interrelationships between the respiratory and cardiovascular systems remains relatively unstudied. The loss of autonomic control in SCI may mean that slow breathing has profound effects on cardiovascular variability. Hence, those with SCI may represent a population that could benefit from the potential physiologic effects of numerous yogic-based breathing patterns that can be applied anywhere any time. Hence, it is important to determine if slower breathing patterns can shift the cardiovascular control pattern to-wards important healthful effects. This physiological study will compare the effects of uncontrolled breathing and traditional yogic slow-breathing practices on cardiovascular variability in SCI patients.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALSlow Breathing
On two separate visits (on Day 1 and between Day 7 and 9 of their self-practice) the subject will be coached on yoga breathing techniques. The breathing techniques will be varied in: 1. frequency (between 0.25 and 0.1 Hz) 2. Inspiratory:Expiratory (I:E) ratio or 'Duty Cycle' 3. with and without ujjayi (yogic throat restriction) 4. with and without inspiratory/expiratory breath holding At the end of the first coaching visit the subject will be given a diary to record their own practice of the breathing techniques they were coached on.
Sponsors
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
This study will be a small prospective cohort (N= 20) study with a one-time unblinded intervention of 4 differing breathing techniques/ratios compared to spontaneous breathing. Patients will receive instruction on D1 and on D7 lasting about 45 minutes and a diary for self-practice. On D14 the participant will be asked to sequentially perform the directed breathing frequencies and ratios. The lab visit will last approximately 1.5 hours, during which beat-by-beat cardiovascular variables and breath-by-breath respiratory variables will be recorded. The total in-person time commitment (\ 4 hours) over the 14 days.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 60 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Age: 18-60 years old 2. Wheelchair user 3. Medically stable & able to follow directions 4. Body mass index (18.5 - 35 kg/m2)
Exclusion criteria
1. BP \>140/90 mmHg 2. Current use of cardioactive medications (except medication to support blood pressure) 3. Current tobacco use 4. Significant arrhythmia 5. Coronary artery disease 6. Diabetes 7. Renal Disease 8. Cancer 9. Epilepsy or other neurological diseases
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Heart Rate Variability | 1,5 hour during Slow-breathing | R-R interval on a 5 lead Electrocardiogram (EKG) |
| beat-by-beat arterial pressure | 1,5 hour during Slow-breathing | blood pressure fluctuations via Finometer and Dinamap blood pressure cuff |
| beat-by-beat limb blood flow | 1,5 hour during Slow-breathing | brachial blood flow via doppler |
| peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2) | 1,5 hour during Slow-breathing | blood oxygen saturation via pulse oximetry |
| respiratory excursions | 1,5 hour during Slow-breathing | Measuring belly and chest depth of inspiration and expiration |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed