Transcutaneous Electrical Diaphragmatic Stimulation and Inspiratory Muscle Training in Patients With COPD Exacerbated

April 28, 2021 updated by: Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre

Transcutaneous Electrical Diaphragmatic Stimulation and Inspiratory Muscle Training in Healthy Individuals and Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbated

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is characterized by chronic airflow limitation, a qualification of impairment of respiratory muscle function, including hyperinflation and muscle weakness. Thus, pulmonary rehabilitation is indicated for patients and is recommended for even the most severe cases. However some patients do not conclude conventional rehabilitation protocols, due to exercise intolerance, are then an electrical estimation and muscle training respiratory adjuvant treatments for patients. and little has been explored about the effects and methodologies of using transcutaneous electrical diaphragmatic stimulation (TEDS) in healthy subjects. The objective of this study on stage I is to evaluate the acute effect of transcutaneous electrical diaphragmatic stimulation on respiratory muscle strength, cardiac variability, thickness, resistance, mobility and diaphragmatic activation comparing different frequencies of electrical stimulation in healthy individuals. The objective of this study on stage II is to evaluate the effects of transcutaneous electrical diaphragmatic stimulation, compared to inspiratory muscle training on respiratory muscle strength, security of the technics, thickness and diaphragmatic function in healthy individuals.The objective of this study on stage III is to evaluate the effects of transcutaneous electrical diaphragmatic stimulation, compared to IMT on respiratory muscle strength, lung function, thickness and diaphragmatic function in patients with exacerbated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Hospital de Clinicas of Porto Alegre (CAEE: 80271517.2.0000.5327).

Study Overview

Detailed Description

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is characterized by chronic airflow limitation, a qualification of impairment of respiratory muscle function, including hyperinflation and muscle weakness. Thus, pulmonary rehabilitation is indicated for patients and is recommended for even the most severe cases. However some patients do not conclude conventional rehabilitation protocols, due to exercise intolerance, are then an electrical estimation and muscle training respiratory adjuvant treatments for patients. and little has been explored about the effects and methodologies of using TEDS in healthy subjects. The objective of this study on stage I is to evaluate the acute effect of transcutaneous electrical diaphragmatic stimulation on respiratory muscle strength, cardiac variability, thickness, resistance, mobility and diaphragmatic activation comparing different frequencies of electrical stimulation in healthy individuals.The objective of this study on stage II is to evaluate the effects of transcutaneous electrical diaphragmatic stimulation, compared to inspiratory muscle training on respiratory muscle strength, security of the technics, thickness and diaphragmatic function in healthy individuals.The objective of this study on stage III is to evaluate the effects of transcutaneous electrical diaphragmatic stimulation, compared to inspiratory muscle training on respiratory muscle strength, lung function, thickness and diaphragmatic function in patients with exacerbated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods: The Stage I is a cross-over Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) in the first stage of this research, which will be performed at the Exercise Research Laboratory (LAPEX) of the School of Physical Education, Physiotherapy and Dance of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, the Stage II and is a randomized crossover clinical trial, to be performed at the Exercise Physiology Laboratory (LAFIEX) of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA). Healthy individuals aged between 20 and 60 years, fully aware and cooperative, randomized into two groups will be included: one group that will perform TEDS and another that will perform IMT in a single session. TEDS will be applied with symmetrical biphasic pulsed current, frequency 30 Hertz (Hz), pulse width 0.5 ms, rise time of 1 second, sustain of 1s, descent of 2 s, maintaining respiratory rate of 15 rpm, intensity necessary to obtain muscle contraction visible, for 30 minutes or until muscle fatigue, daily. The IMT will be performed with the PowerBreath device with a charge of 50-60% of the PImax, for 30 breaths and Stage III will be an RCT, which will be performed at the Hospitalization Units of Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA). In the first stage only healthy individuals will be included, who will be randomized to TEDS, in the first day (group 1) the parameters will be with 30 hertz (Hz) frequency and the second day (group 2) will be with 80 Hz, with one-day interval between interventions. The TEDS will be applied with symmetrical biphasic pulsed current, pulse width 0.4 ms, rise time of 1 second (s), 1s lift, 2 s descent, maintaining respiratory rate of 15 breaths per minute, intensity required to obtain visible muscle contraction, for 20 minutes or until muscle fatigue. In this stage, heart rate variability, thickness and diaphragmatic mobility by ultrasonography, diaphragmatic activation by electromyography, inspiratory muscle endurance with powerbreath, and respiratory muscle strength by manovacuometry, before and at the end of treatment, the following variables will be measured. In the second stage patients with COPD (GOLD III and IV) hospitalized for exacerbation of the disease, who will be randomized into three groups: one group that will perform TEDS, another will perform IMT and a third group that will only perform conventional physiotherapy. The TEDS will be applied with symmetrical biphasic pulsed current, frequency 30 Hz, pulse width 0.4 ms, rise time of 1 second, sustain of 1s, decrease of 2 s, maintaining respiratory rate (RR) of 15 breaths per minute (rpm), intensity required to obtain visible muscle contraction for 20 minutes or even muscle fatigue daily. The IMT will be performed with the Power Breath device with load referring to 30-60% of PImax, during 30 breaths daily. Conventional physical therapy will be HCPA standard. In this stage, before and at the end of treatment, the following variables will be measured: respiratory muscle strength through manovacuometry, pulmonary function through spirometry, diaphragmatic thickness through echocardiography, diaphragmatic function through respiratory electroneuromyography, Body Mass-Index, Airflow Obstruction, Dyspnea and Exercise Capacity (BODE) Index with mass index (BMI), functional capacity through the six-minute walk test, dyspnoea by the Borg Scale and Medical Research Council (MRC) Scale, cardiovascular variables and time of hospitalization through the electronic medical record. The interventions will be carried out from the patient's hospitalization to the hospital discharge.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

60

Phase

  • 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 Locations

    • Rio Grande Do Sul
      • Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil
        • Recruiting
        • Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul
        • Contact:
          • Graciele Sbruzzi, Doctor

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 80 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Stage I: Healthy adults between 18 and 60 years old; Intense phrenic nerve.
  • Stage II: Healthy adults between 20 and 60 years old; Intense phrenic nerve.
  • Stage III: Adults between 40 and 80 years old; Smoking more than 10 pack-years; Clinical diagnosis of COPD, GOLD 3 and 4; Patients admitted for severe COPD exacerbation (appearance or worsening of dyspnea, appearance or worsening of cough and appearance or increase in sputum that may be purulent), two of which must be present to characterize exacerbation; Intense phrenic nerve.

Exclusion Criteria (all stages):

  • Unstable ventricular arrhythmia;
  • Unstable angina; Aortic stenosis;
  • Uncontrolled systemic arterial hypertension;
  • Epilepsy;
  • Undergoing hemodialysis;
  • Fever and / or infectious disease;
  • Neoplasms;
  • Pacemaker;
  • At the time of the intervention:
  • Oxygen saturation below 90%;
  • Obese patients;
  • Refuse to participate in the survey.

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: TREATMENT
  • Allocation: RANDOMIZED
  • Interventional Model: PARALLEL
  • Masking: DOUBLE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Transcutaneous electrical diaphragmatic stimulation (TEDS)
For transcutaneous electrical diaphragmatic stimulation, surface electrodes will be used that will be positioned at the transcutaneous motor points of the diaphragm.
  • Stage I: In the first day (group 1) the parameters will be with 30 Hz frequency and the second day (group 2) will be with 80 Hz, with one-day interval between interventions. The TEDS will be applied with symmetrical biphasic pulsed current, pulse width 0.4 ms, rise time of 1 second (s), 1s lift, 2 s descent, maintaining respiratory rate of 15 rpm, intensity required to obtain visible muscle contraction, for 20 minutes or until muscle fatigue.
  • Stage II and III:The TEDS will be applied with symmetrical biphasic pulsed current, the parameters will be with 30 Hz frequency, pulse width 0.4 ms, rise time of 1 second (s), 1s lift, 2 s descent, maintaining respiratory rate of 15 rpm, intensity required to obtain visible muscle contraction, for 20 minutes or until muscle fatigue.
Other Names:
  • Transcutaneous electrical diaphragmatic stimulation
- Stage III: It consists of ventilatory exercises, bronchial hygiene techniques, passive, active-assisted or active exercises for upper and lower limbs, and resistance exercises.
EXPERIMENTAL: Inspiratory Muscle training (IMT)
The training will start with a minimum load of 50% and will be progressed until reaching 60% of the PImax.
- Stage III: It consists of ventilatory exercises, bronchial hygiene techniques, passive, active-assisted or active exercises for upper and lower limbs, and resistance exercises.
- Stage II and III: The training will start with a minimum load of 50% and will be progressed until reaching 60% of the PImax. Inspiratory muscle training will start with a minimum load of 50% and progress to 60% of the MIP. The patients will perform daily training, being two sets of 30 breaths, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: Conventional physiotherapy
The protocol of physiotherapy by the physiotherapists of HCPA will be twice a day and consists of ventilatory exercises, bronchial hygiene techniques, passive, active-assisted or active exercises for upper and lower limbs, and resistance exercises.
- Stage III: It consists of ventilatory exercises, bronchial hygiene techniques, passive, active-assisted or active exercises for upper and lower limbs, and resistance exercises.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Respiratory muscle strength - maximum expiratory pressure (MEP)
Time Frame: One week
Performed through a manometer in step cmH2O, of the brand Globalmed model MV300. Maximum expiratory pressure.
One week
Respiratory muscle strength - maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP)
Time Frame: One week
Performed through a manometer in step cmH2O, of the brand Globalmed model MV300. Maximum inspiratory pressure.
One week
Pulmonary function - forced expiratory volume in the first second
Time Frame: One week
Pulmonary function through spirometry, that allows to measure forced expiratory volume in the first second. It's the maximum expired volume at the first second of an maximum expiration.
One week
Pulmonary function - forced vital capacity
Time Frame: One week
Pulmonary function through spirometry. Spirometry allows to measure forced vital capacity. It's the air volume expired, quickly, after an inspiration deep maximum.
One week
Diaphragm muscle thickness
Time Frame: One week
Performed through a Portable Ultrasound System (VIVID i®, GE) with a linear arrangement probe (60 mm, 7.5 Megahertz (MHz) - VIVID i®, GE).
One week
Diaphragm muscle mobility
Time Frame: One week
Performed through a Portable Ultrasound System (VIVID i®, GE) with a linear arrangement probe (60 mm, 7.5 MHz - VIVID i®, GE).
One week
Electromyography of the diaphragm muscle - Diaphragm Muscle Activation
Time Frame: One week
Performed through a Portable Electromyograph System (EMG System Brasil Ltda, São José dos Campos) with surface electrodes.
One week
Lower Limb Strength - Test Sit to Stand (STS)
Time Frame: One week
In the measurements, the subjects mill be asked to stand up from a sitting position and then to sit down 5 times as fast as possible. The STS time will be recorded using a stopwatch to the nearest 10th of a second. The timerequired will be accounted for to perform a 5-time-repeated test on a chair.
One week

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Body composition measure (BMI)
Time Frame: One week
Evaluate the weight of a person in relation to their height.
One week
Dyspnea - Modified Medical Research Council (MRC scale)
Time Frame: One week
Measure of the subjective sensation of dyspnea.
One week
Dyspnea - BORG scale
Time Frame: One week
Measure of the subjective sensation of dyspnea. This is a scale that asks you to rate the difficulty of your breathing. It starts at number0 where your breathing is causing you no difficulty at all and progresses through to number 10 where your breathing difficulty is maximal
One week
Exercise capacity - 6-min walk test (6MWT)
Time Frame: One week
Distance traveled on the 6MWT.
One week
Systolic blood pressure (SBP)
Time Frame: One week
Measures the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart beats. Will be measured during each session, using the monitors available on the floors of the HCPA.
One week
Diastolic blood pressure (DBP)
Time Frame: One week
Measures the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart rests between beats. Will be measured during each session, using the monitors available on the floors of the HCPA.
One week
Heart rate (HR)
Time Frame: One week
Is the speed of the heartbeat measured by the number of contractions (beats) of the heart per minute (bpm). Will be measured during each session, using the monitors available on the floors of the HCPA.
One week
Respiratory Rate (RR)
Time Frame: One week
Is the number of breaths you take per minute. Will be measured during each session, using the monitors available on the floors of the HCPA.
One week
Oxygen Saturation (SpO2)
Time Frame: One week
Is a measurement of how much oxygen the red blood cells in the body's arteries are carrying. Will be measured during each session, using the monitors available on the floors of the HCPA.
One week
Length of hospital stay
Time Frame: One week
Of the patient's electronic medical record.
One week

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Graciele Sbruzzi, Doctor, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

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 (ACTUAL)

February 16, 2019

Primary Completion (ANTICIPATED)

August 1, 2021

Study Completion (ANTICIPATED)

November 1, 2021

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 26, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 15, 2019

First Posted (ACTUAL)

February 18, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)

May 3, 2021

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 28, 2021

Last Verified

April 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

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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