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Chronic Effect of Whole-body Electrical Stimulation in COPD Patients

Chronic Effect of Whole-body Electrical Stimulation in COPD Patients

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06761963
Enrollment
16
Registered
2025-01-07
Start date
2025-01-20
Completion date
2025-04-10
Last updated
2025-01-07

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Brief summary

Randomized clinical trial. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) GOLD III or IV will undergo 16 sessions of Whole-body Electrical Stimulation (WB-EMS) or pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), twice a week. WB-EMS will be performed in association with squats, biceps and triceps exercises, climbing up and down a step, and abdominal exercises. There will be a progression in the number of muscle contractions after the fourth (from 64 to 96) and tenth sessions (96 to 120). PR will consist of upper and lower limb strengthening exercises. Both groups will perform aerobic exercise (essential component of the pulmonary rehabilitation program). Peripheral muscle strength (dynamometry), respiratory muscle strength (maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressure), muscle thickness (ultrasound), functional capacity (6MWT), quality of life (Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire), inflammatory profile (PCR, IL-6 e IL-10, TNFα), oxidative stress (protein oxidation, superoxide dismutase and catalase, total hydrogen sulfides, dichlorofluorescein diacetate) will be assessed before and after the 16 sessions.

Detailed description

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will undergo a 16-session whole-body electrical stimulation (WB-EMS) protocol or a pulmonary rehabilitation program, twice a week, for eight weeks. The Miha Bodytec equipment will be properly calibrated, with electrodes on the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, biceps, triceps, pectorals, abdomen, trapezius, latissimus dorsi and quadratus lumborum muscles. Symmetrical pulsed biphasic current will be used, pulse width of 400 µs, frequency of 75 Hz. In the first two weeks, the contraction time will be five seconds and the rest time will be 10 seconds, the session will last 16 minutes, resulting in 64 muscle contractions. In weeks 3, 4 and 5, the contraction time will be five seconds and the rest time will be five seconds, the session will last 16 minutes, resulting in 96 muscle contractions. In weeks 6, 7 and 8, the contraction time will be five seconds and the rest time will be five seconds. The session will last 20 minutes, resulting in 120 muscle contractions. During the first two minutes of stimulation, the patient will remain in isometric position to familiarize themselves with the electrical current. After that, a series of squats, biceps and triceps exercises (using a proprioception stick), abdominal exercises and climbing up and down a step will be performed. At the end of each session, patients will do aerobic exercise (bicycle or treadmill). Pulmonary rehabilitation will consist of muscle strengthening exercises, using weights, ankle weights and weight training equipment. Squats, biceps and triceps exercises (with weights), knee flexion and extension (equipment with weights) and stretching will be performed. At the end of each session, patients will do aerobic exercise (bicycle or treadmill). Peripheral muscle strength (dynamometry), respiratory muscle strength (maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressure), muscle thickness (ultrasound), functional capacity (6MWT), quality of life (Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire), inflammatory profile (PCR, IL-6 e IL-10, TNFα), oxidative stress (protein oxidation, superoxide dismutase and catalase, total hydrogen sulfides, dichlorofluorescein diacetate) will be assessed before and after the 16 sessions.

Interventions

Performed using Miha Bodytec equipment, properly calibrated, with electrodes on the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, biceps, triceps, pectorals, abdomen, trapezius, latissimus dorsi and quadratus lumborum muscles.

OTHERRehabilitation

Pulmonary rehabilitation program.

Sponsors

Santa Casa de Porto Alegre
CollaboratorOTHER
Federal University of Health Science of Porto Alegre
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Diagnosis of COPD GOLD 3 and 4; * Age between 18 and 80 years; * Ability to ambulate.

Exclusion criteria

* Cognitive dysfunction that prevents assessments from being carried out, as well as inability to understand and sign the informed consent form (ICF); * Intolerance to the electrostimulator and/or change in skin sensitivity; * Patients with stroke sequelae; * Recent acute myocardial infarction (two months); * Uncontrolled hypertension; * New York Heart Association grade IV heart failure or decompensated; * Unstable angina or arrhythmia; * Peripheral vascular changes in lower limbs such as deep vein thrombosis; * Disabling osteoarticular or musculoskeletal disease; * Uncontrolled diabetes (glycemia \> 300mg/dL); * Patients with cancer and/or undergoing cancer treatment; * Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus or other autoimmune disease; * Artificial cardiac pacemaker; * Epilepsy; * Hemophilia; * Liver and kidney diseases.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Peripheral muscle strengthBaselinePeripheral muscle strength will be assessed by maximum isometric strength of the knee extensor, elbow flexor and palmar flexor muscles using a hand-held dynamometer

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Maximum expiratory pressureBaselineMaximum expiratory pressure will be assessed by manovacuometry.
Muscle thicknessBaselineMuscle thickness will be assessed by the thickness of the quadriceps, biceps and abdominal muscles using ultrasound
Functional capacityBaselineFunctional capacity will be assessed by the Six-minute walk test
Maximum inspiratory pressureBaselineMaximum inspiratory pressure will be assessed by manovacuometry.
Inflammatory profileBaselineThe inflammatory profile will be assessed by the levels of PCR, IL-6 e IL-10, TNFα
Oxidative stressBaselineThe oxidative stress will be assessed by the measurement of protein oxidation, superoxide dismutase and catalase, total hydrogen sulfides, dichlorofluorescein diacetate
Quality of lifeBaselineQuality of life will be assessed by the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more limitations

Contacts

Primary ContactJociane Schardong
joci_fisioufsm@yahoo.com.br+55 55981348114

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026