The Effect of Telerehabilitation Exercises in Children With Congenital Heart Disease (CHD)

September 27, 2026 updated by: Gulsah Bargi, Izmir Democracy University

The Effect of Telerehabilitation-based Functional Inspiratory Muscle Training on Respiratory Function, Muscle Strength, Exercise Capacity, and Quality of Life in Children With Congenital Heart Disease

This study aims to investigate the effects of functional inspiratory muscle training on physical performance and quality of life in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a common condition in newborns. As a congenital disorder, CHD is the leading cause of infant mortality. Recent advances in medical treatment and surgical procedures have improved survival rates among children with CHD. However, despite these developments, children with CHD may still exhibit muscle weakness, physical inactivity, reduced performance in activities of daily living, and a decline in health-related quality of life. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of functional inspiratory muscle training on physical performance and quality of life in pediatric patients with CHD.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
32

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

8 years to 18 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Having been diagnosed with CHD,
  • Being between 8 and 18 years of age,
  • Being in stage I, II, or III according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification,
  • Having a stable clinical condition,
  • Volunteering to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Having a history of any orthopedic or neurological disease that could interfere with the tests and exercises to be performed,
  • Having a history of any mental or psychological disease that could interfere with the tests and exercises to be performed,
  • Having any infection that could interfere with the tests and exercises to be performed,
  • Having undergone cardiac surgery within the last 6 months,
  • Having a contraindication for the exercise test.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: İntervention group

The telerehabilitation program will last a total of 8 weeks and will consist of two parts: 4 weeks of inspiratory muscle training and 4 weeks of functional inspiratory muscle training. The training program will be held every day of the week, with 3 of those days conducted under the supervision of a physiotherapist.
Other: Inspiratory Muscle Training

Moderate-intensity basic inspiratory muscle training will be provided using a threshold pressure loading device (POWERBreathe) for the first four weeks, starting at 30% of MIP and gradually increasing to 50% depending on the participant's tolerance. The training will be conducted twice daily, 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening, for a total of 30 minutes. With the device, the patient will perform 5-10 deep breathing cycles, then remove the device and perform 3-5 calm breaths to control their breathing. At the end of each day, the physiotherapist will communicate with the patients to assess their progress in the exercise and record it in the exercise log.

Other: Functional Inspiratory Muscle Training

Following basic IMT, simultaneous exercises (wall plank, wall lateral bridge, wall bridge, shoulder flexion/abduction, elbow flexion, trunk rotation, squat-stand, standing leg raise, walking) will be performed for 4 weeks. Abdominal muscle activation will be taught at the beginning of the training, and functional exercises, paying attention to abdominal stabilization, will continue throughout the training sessions. Moderate intensity IMT will be applied, starting from 30% of the MIP and increasing up to 50% depending on the participant's tolerance. While using the device, the patient will take 5-10 deep breaths and simultaneously perform the functional exercises in sequence, each with 5-10 repetitions/sets (1-3 sets per day). Then, they will remove the device from their mouth and practice breath control by taking 3-5 calm breaths. Exercises that the patient cannot perform will be recorded.
No Intervention: Controlled group

Participants in this group will continue with their routine daily lives.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Inspiratory Muscle Strength
Time Frame: Baseline and after 8-week

Inspiratory muscle strength will be assessed with a spirometer. The highest value for inspiratory pressure will be recorded.
Baseline and after 8-week
Expiratory Muscle Strength
Time Frame: Baseline and after 8-week

Expiratory muscle strength will be assessed with a spirometer. The highest value for expiratory pressure will be recorded.
Baseline and after 8-week

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Quality of Life Score
Time Frame: Baseline and after 8-week

The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 3.0 Cardiac Module will be assessed using Turkish versions of the 8-12 and 13-18 year old child and parent forms. A minimum score of 0 and a maximum score of 100 can be obtained on the scale; a higher score indicates a higher quality of life.
Baseline and after 8-week
Exercise Capacity measurement
Time Frame: Baseline and after 8-week

Maximal exercise capacity will be assessed using the Incremental Shuttle Walk Test. The number of shuttles completed after the test will be recorded.
Baseline and after 8-week
Measurement of Functional Capacity
Time Frame: Baseline and after 8-week

Functional capacity will be assessed using the 1-minute sit-to-stand test, and the number of sit-to-stand repetitions performed in one minute will be recorded.
Baseline and after 8-week
Grip strength measurement
Time Frame: Baseline and after 8-week

Grip strength will be measured using a standard, adjustable, and portable hydraulic hand dynamometer.
Baseline and after 8-week
Measurement of Back and Leg Strength
Time Frame: Baseline and after 8-week

Back and leg strength will be measured using a Saehan standard platform back-leg-chest dynamometer. The best value recorded from the dynamometer after three trials will be noted in kilograms.
Baseline and after 8-week
Forced vital capacity (FVC)
Time Frame: Baseline and after 8-week

Lung function will be assessed with a spirometer. The highest value of the three measurements will be used and interpreted according to gender, age, weight and height.
Baseline and after 8-week
Forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1)
Time Frame: Baseline and after 8-week

Lung function will be assessed with a spirometer. The highest value of the three measurements will be used and interpreted according to gender, age, weight and height.
Baseline and after 8-week
FEV1/FVC
Time Frame: Baseline and after 8-week

Lung function will be assessed with a spirometer. The highest value of the three measurements will be used and interpreted according to gender, age, weight and height.
Baseline and after 8-week
Flow rate 25-75% of forced expiratory volume (FEF 25-75%)
Time Frame: Baseline and after 8-week

Lung function will be assessed with a spirometer. The highest value of the three measurements will be used and interpreted according to gender, age, weight and height.
Baseline and after 8-week
Peak flow rate (PEF)
Time Frame: Baseline and after 8-week

Lung function will be assessed with a spirometer. The highest value of the three measurements will be used and interpreted according to gender, age, weight and height.
Baseline and after 8-week

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Izmir Democracy University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Director: Gülşah Barğı, Assoc Prof, Izmir Democracy University
  • Principal Investigator: Berfin Kişin Sarıoğlu, MSc PT, Izmir Democracy University
  • Principal Investigator: Sema Savcı, Prof, Acibadem University
  • Principal Investigator: Mustafa Kır, Prof, Dokuz Eylul University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 21, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 27, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 2, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
October 2, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 27, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • Congenital Heart Disease

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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