Concussion, Mild
Conditions
Brief summary
The goal of this pilot clinical trial is to assess the feasibility of administering a paced breathing exercise intervention program to children and adolescents in the sub-acute period after concussion, and to document the autonomic function, and symptom severity (post-concussion symptoms, anxiety, sleep) before and after administration of the intervention. Participants will: will be instructed to perform a daily 10-minutes daily paced breathing home-exercise program and to document the daily exercises performed within a performance log, or receive usual care from a concussion follow-up program. A weekly phone meeting will be performed with the participants, to review exercise, providing, specific instructions, and making any necessary adjustments. All participants (intervention and control group) will undergo a second assessment after four weeks following completion of the intervention program. During the second assessment information regarding the intervention feasibility, time to return to school, return to sport, and clear from medication will be collected as well.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALBreathing exercises
as per group description
Sponsors
McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
9 Years to 18 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* aged 9-18 years * seven days-3 months post-concussion, * at least one post-concussion symptom in the Post-concussion Symptom Inventory (PSCI) that is relevant to ANS dysfunction (e.g. dizziness, nausea, fatigue, confusion, anxiety or sleep disturbances).
Exclusion criteria
* known heart disease, * previous neurological problems other than concussion
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Feasibility-days of practice | 4 weeks | number of days children in the experimental group will engage in performing their breathing exercises |
| Feasibility-daily duration of practice | 4 weeks | number of minutes children in the experimental group will engage in performing their breathing exercises |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Autonomic nervous system function-Heart rate | initial and 4 week evaluation | heart rate during autonomous nervous system testing |
| Autonomic nervous system function-Heart rate variability | initial and 4 week evaluation | heart rate variability during autonomous nervous system testing |
Countries
Canada
Contacts
Primary ContactIsabelle Gagnon, PhD
Outcome results
None listed