Positive Health Online

Abstract

CHAN and COLLEAGUES, 1. College of Nursing, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; 2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; 3. School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA conducted a randomized controlled trial to investigate an 8-week mindful meditation intervention program made for the COPD population and explore the use of breathing timing parameters as a possible physiological measure of meditation uptake.

Background

Living well with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) requires people to manage disease-related symptoms in order to participate in activities of daily living. Mindfulness practice is an intervention that has been shown to reduce symptoms of chronic disease and improve accurate symptom assessment, both of which could result in improved disease management and increased wellness for people with COPD.

Methodology

A randomized controlled trial was conducted to investigate an 8-week mindful meditation intervention program tailored for the COPD population and explore the use of breathing timing parameters as a possible physiological measure of meditation uptake.

Results

Results demonstrated that those randomized to the mindful meditation intervention group (N=19) had a significant increase in respiratory rate over time as compared to those randomized to the wait-list group (N=22) (P=0.045). It was also found that the mindful meditation intervention group demonstrated a significant decrease in level of mindfulness over time as compared to the wait-list group (P=0.023). When examining participants from the mindful meditation intervention who had completed six or more classes, it was found that respiratory rate did not significantly increase in comparison to the wait-list group. Furthermore, those who completed six or more classes (N=12) demonstrated significant improvement in emotional function in comparison to the wait-list group (P=0.032) even though their level of mindfulness did not improve.

Conclusion

This study identifies that there may be a complex relationship between breathing parameters, emotion, and mindfulness in the COPD population. The results describe good feasibility and acceptability for meditation interventions in the COPD population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01577329.

References

Chan RR1, Giardino N2, Larson JL3. A pilot study: mindfulness meditation intervention in COPD. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis.10:445-54. doi: 10.2147/COPD.S73864. eCollection 2015. Mar 2 2015.