IMT in Asthma: Activity, Coping, Self-Management (IMT in Asthma)

January 7, 2026 updated by: Cahidenur Koçak, Istanbul Esenyurt University

Reflections of Inspiratory Muscle Training on Patient Experiences in Asthma Rehabilitation

The aim of this study is to investigate asthma patients' experiences with an 8 week IMT and the perceived effects of this intervention on physical activity, coping strategies, and asthma self-management. A qualitative methodological design will be applied to understand the experiences of patients participating in the IMT program, how the program affected their daily activities, how they coped with symptoms and difficulties, and how they managed their condition.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The study will include patients diagnosed with asthma by a chest disease specialist and referred for pulmonary rehabilitation. Cases meeting the inclusion criteria will be questioned about the effects of their previous experience with COPD on their daily lives, their coping strategies, and their self-management processes. Therefore, it is determined as a basic criterion that participants have received IMT training for 8 weeks, 2 days a week via video conference and 1 day within the home program, for a total of 3 days a week. IMT should be performed in 7 sets, consisting of 2 minutes of work and 1 minute of rest, for a total of 21 minutes. Five main themes were identified as a result of data analysis. (a) Inspiratory Muscle Training and Participant Experiences (b) Experience of Exercising with Telerehabilitation (c) Changes in Physical Activity Levels (d) Self-Management Skills and (e) Coping Strategies.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

15

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

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Asthma

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Being between the ages of 18-65
  • Having been diagnosed with severe persistent, non-allergic asthma by a pulmonologist in accordance with the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guideline criteria,
  • Patients with type 2 inflammation markers. According to accepted standards; peripheral eosinophils <150/µL and/or negative skin prick test and/or total IgE <30 kU/L
  • Bronchodilator response (>12% or 200 mL improvement in FEV1% predicted following inhalation of 400 mg salbutamol)
  • Diagnosis-follow-up period: Patients diagnosed at least 6 months prior, under follow-up and treatment, and/or with controlled asthma
  • Having completed the pulmonary rehabilitation program
  • Completion of 8 weeks of inspiratory muscle training (IMT)
  • Patients who have read, understood, and signed the informed consent form

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Having recently had a respiratory tract infection recently (within the last month),
  • Having a smoking history of more than 10 pack-years or having a history of smoking within 6 months after quitting smoking
  • Having received oral corticosteroid treatment in the last 4 weeks,
  • Having a Body Mass Index >35,
  • Eosinophilic Granulomatosis Polyangiitis (EGPA) and Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA),
  • Vasculitis,
  • History of malignancy,
  • Pregnancy,
  • Previous lung surgery, use of long-term oxygen therapy
  • Having accompanying restrictive lung diseases (advanced kyphoscoliosis, ankylosing spondylitis) and neuromuscular diseases (myastania gravis, muscular dystrophies, myopathies) that will prevent healthy respiratory function testing and rehabilitation.
  • Cognitive dysfunction, mental retardation, dementia, or other conditions that make it difficult to follow the protocol,
  • Unwillingness to continue participating in the study,
  • Communication difficulties or intellectual deficiencies

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

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Pulmonary Rehabilitation Group (PRGr)

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Group (PRGr)

Participant selection for the study was conducted using a purposive sampling approach. All participants experienced inspiratory muscle training for a total of 3 days per week over 8 weeks, with 2 days per week via video conference and 1 day per week as part of a home program. All interviews will be conducted online via a video conference website and recorded using a digital voice recorder. The recorded data will be transcribed word for word in Turkish.
Other: other

Other: Telephone concept elicitation interview

All interview questions are designed to be quite open-ended in order to determine participants' preferences in an unbiased manner (as much as possible). Additional questions will only be used when necessary to ensure that all relevant concepts are covered. Participants will be asked questions about the effects of inspirational muscle training they have previously experienced on their daily lives, coping strategies, and self-management processes.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Patient-reported experiences of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) assessed by semi-structured in-depth interviews (study-specific interview guide)
Time Frame: Single assessment after completion of the 8-week IMT program (within 4 weeks after IMT completion)
Semi-structured, in-depth, audio-recorded interviews will be conducted using a study-specific interview guide containing open-ended questions to investigate the effect of an 8-week inspiratory muscle training (IMT) program on the experiences of adults with severe persistent asthma. Interviews will be conducted online and, when possible, in person or via telephone/video call. Interviews are expected to last approximately 45-60 minutes. Recordings will be transcribed verbatim in Turkish, supplemented with the researcher's field notes, and analyzed using thematic analysis.
Single assessment after completion of the 8-week IMT program (within 4 weeks after IMT completion)
Experience of exercising using telerehabilitation assessed by semi-structured in-depth interviews (study-specific interview guide)
Time Frame: Single assessment after completion of the 8-week IMT program (within 4 weeks after IMT completion)
Semi-structured, in-depth, audio-recorded interviews will be conducted using a study-specific interview guide with open-ended questions to explore participants' experiences of exercising with telerehabilitation, including the perceived role of telerehabilitation in the learning process, and perceived advantages, limitations, and challenges from the participant's perspective. Interviews will be conducted online and, when possible, in person or via telephone/video call. Interviews are expected to last approximately 45-60 minutes. Recordings will be transcribed verbatim in Turkish, supplemented with the researcher's field notes, and analyzed using thematic analysis.
Single assessment after completion of the 8-week IMT program (within 4 weeks after IMT completion)
Changes in physical activity in daily life assessed by semi-structured in-depth interviews (study-specific interview guide)
Time Frame: Single assessment after completion of the 8-week IMT program (within 4 weeks after IMT completion)
Semi-structured, in-depth, audio-recorded interviews will be conducted using a study-specific interview guide with open-ended questions to explore perceived changes in physical activity in daily life (e.g., walking, climbing stairs, housework) from the participant's perspective following the 8-week program. Interviews will be conducted online and, when possible, in person or via telephone/video call. Interviews are expected to last approximately 45-60 minutes. Recordings will be transcribed verbatim in Turkish, supplemented with the researcher's field notes, and analyzed using thematic analysis.
Single assessment after completion of the 8-week IMT program (within 4 weeks after IMT completion)
Self-management skills assessed by semi-structured in-depth interviews (study-specific interview guide)
Time Frame: Single assessment after completion of the 8-week IMT program (within 4 weeks after IMT completion)
Semi-structured, in-depth, audio-recorded interviews will be conducted using a study-specific interview guide with open-ended questions to explore participants' perceived self-management skills, including disease and trigger recognition, symptom monitoring, accountability/responsibility, and perceived control. Interviews will be conducted online and, when possible, in person or via telephone/video call. Interviews are expected to last approximately 45-60 minutes. Recordings will be transcribed verbatim in Turkish, supplemented with the researcher's field notes, and analyzed using thematic analysis.
Single assessment after completion of the 8-week IMT program (within 4 weeks after IMT completion)
Coping strategies assessed by semi-structured in-depth interviews (study-specific interview guide)
Time Frame: Single assessment after completion of the 8-week IMT program (within 4 weeks after IMT completion)
Semi-structured, in-depth, audio-recorded interviews will be conducted using a study-specific interview guide with open-ended questions to explore participants' perceived coping strategies, including breathing/respiratory rate control strategies and emotional and behavioral regulation during symptom attacks and when anxiety/panic symptoms are prominent. Interviews will be conducted online and, when possible, in person or via telephone/video call. Interviews are expected to last approximately 45-60 minutes. Recordings will be transcribed verbatim in Turkish, supplemented with the researcher's field notes, and analyzed using thematic analysis.
Single assessment after completion of the 8-week IMT program (within 4 weeks after IMT completion)

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Istanbul Esenyurt University

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)

January 5, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

January 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 19, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 9, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 20, 2025

First Posted (Estimated)

January 6, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

January 9, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 7, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • IMT_Asthma_1

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

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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