Breathing Regulation Training for Individuals With Panic Disorder
Summary
This study will compare two different breathing regulation techniques to determine which is more effective in reducing the rate of panic attacks in people with panic disorder.
Description
PD is a serious condition characterized by episodes of rapid heart rate, difficulty breathing, and other symptoms of fear. Explanations for panic attacks have been proposed in two theories: suffocation alarm theory and hyperventilation theory. The suffocation alarm theory claims that panic attacks are due to a "suffocation monitor" in the brain, erroneously signaling a lack of useful air. The hyperventilation theory suggests that stressful events cause people to slightly hyperventilate; some people have panic attacks as a result of their overreaction to the dizziness and lightheadedness they feel from hyperventilation. Both theories note the role of carbon dioxide (CO2) in panic attacks; they suggest that rising CO2 levels in arterial blood act as a panic stimulus. This study will compare two types of breathing regulation techniques based on the panic attack theories to determine which is more effective in reducing panic symptoms in people with PD.
This study will last 4 weeks and will include both people with PD and those without the condition. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: raise-CO2 breathing, lower-CO2 breathing, or a control group. Participants in both the raise-CO2 and lower-CO2 breathing groups will have five sessions of training in which they will learn specific breathing techniques. Participants in the raise-CO2 group will be taught techniques to recover from hyperventilation faster; participants in the lower-CO2 group will be taught techniques to reach hyperventilation levels, then switch to breathing techniques that reduce hyperventilation symptoms. Participants in the control group will not be taught any breathing techniques but will be included in all assessments.
Participants will be assessed at study entry, during each breathing training session, and at Months 1 and 6 after the study. During each assessment, questionnaires and self-report scales will be used to measure cognitive, psychological, and physiological changes related to participants' breathing.
Study Design
Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment
Conditions
Panic Disorder
Intervention
Raise-CO2 breathing regulation training, Lower-CO2 breathing regulation training, Control
Location
Stanford University & VA Health Care System
Palo Alto
California
United States
94304
Status
Completed
Source
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Results (where available)
Links
- Source: http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00183521
- Information obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov on July 15, 2010
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Training Support
Financial support for training including both student stipends and loans and training grants to institutions.
Mouth Breathing
Abnormal breathing through the mouth, usually associated with obstructive disorders of the nasal passages.
Inservice Training
On the job training programs for personnel carried out within an institution or agency. It includes orientation programs.
Respiration, Artificial
Any method of artificial breathing that employs mechanical or non-mechanical means to force the air into and out of the lungs. Artificial respiration or ventilation is used in individuals who have stopped breathing or have RESPIRATORY INSUFFICIENCY to increase their intake of oxygen (O2) and excretion of carbon dioxide (CO2).
Respiratory-gated Imaging Techniques
Timing the acquisition of imaging data to specific points in the breathing cycle to minimize image blurring and other motion artifacts. The images are used diagnostically and also interventionally to coordinate radiation treatment beam on/off cycles to protect healthy tissues when they move into the beam field during different times in the breathing cycle.
Clinical Trials
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Effects of the Breathing Muscular Training of Institutionalized Elderly
The purpose of this study was to use associated breathing exercises the incentive inspiratory of load lineal pressoric, Threshold® IMT, or of load pressoric alinear, Voldyne®, in institu...
PubMed Articles
A 3D kinematic analysis of breathing patterns in competitive swimmers.
Abstract The purpose of this paper was to understand which differences long-term swimming training can cause on trunk mechanics during breathing and how these differences are related to the years of s...
Effects of Weightlifting and Breathing Technique on Blood Pressure and Heart Rate.
Lepley, AS and Hatzel, BM. Effects of weightlifting and breathing technique on blood pressure and heart rate. J Strength Cond Res 24(8): 2179-2183, 2010-Weight training is a method commonly used to in...
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Effect of mouth breathing on masticatory muscle activity during chewing food.
The aim of this study was to examine the effect of mouth breathing on masticatory muscle activity during chewing food. Masseter muscle activity during chewing of a rice ball was recorded in 45 adult v...
