Can ventilation-feedback training augment exercise tolerance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

Collins EG, Langbein WE, Fehr L, O'Connell S, Jelinek C, Hagarty E, Edwards L, Reda D, Tobin MJ, Laghi F

The objective of this study was to determine whether patients with COPD would achieve longer exercise duration if randomized to a combination of exercise training plus VF training than either form of training on its own. 64 participants were divided into 3 groups: VF plus exercise, exercise alone, and VF alone. Exercise duration was longer in VF plus exercise than in VF alone, but did not reach predetermined statistical significance when VF plus exercise was compared with exercise alone. After training, expiratory time was longer in VF plus exercise training, and it was not significantly changed in the other two groups.

The combination of VF plus exercise training decreases exercise-induced dynamic hyperinflation and increases exercise duration more than VF alone. An additive effect to exercise training from VF was not demonstrated by predetermined statistical criteria.

American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, 2008, 177(8), 844-52

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