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NCT Number: NCT05506202

Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) for Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a burden to health care and economic systems globally, to manage this preventable and treatable disease, different pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions were shown to be effective.

Chronic and progressive dyspnea, cough and sputum production are the characteristic symptoms of COPD. The most commonly encountered symptom in patients with COPD is dyspnea, it is a subjective experience of breathing discomfort . It causes impact on patient's health status, sleep quality, anxiety and depression level. Therefore, skills transfer in self-managing major symptoms are crucial to prevent negative consequences, and as suggested by Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), managing symptoms and to prevent future risk of exacerbations is important for stable COPD cases.

Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) is a physio-therapeutic intervention directed toward patients' functional movement quality. The development of BBAT was based on the hypothesis of persons' lacking contact with and lacking awareness on their own body, with their inner life, external environment and in the relation to other persons. Thus, it leads to dysfunctional movement, pain and other body functions. BBAT focus on multi-perspective within a person including physical, physiological, psycho-social-cultural and existential perspectives. It directs patients to be "aware", guides patients to have mental contact with their body, monitors internal sensations and external environment, and thus, to enhance the self-regulated behavior and positive emotional state.

There are three key components in practicing BBAT, namely balance, free breathing and mental awareness. Evidence shown that the effect of BBAT is significant in improving physical and psycho-social well-being in patients with different physical and mental disorders. Now, there is absence of evidence in applying BBAT in managing cases with respiratory diseases, especially for those with prominent symptoms of dyspnea (for example COPD cases).

The objectives of this study are (1) to evaluate individual BBAT as an add-on treatment in patients with COPD, (2) to understand COPD patients' experience through participating in individual Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT).

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Key information

Conditions

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Chronic Disease Disease Attributes Dyspnea Lung Diseases Lung Diseases, Obstructive Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive Respiration Disorders Respiratory Tract Diseases Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory

Age range

18 year–100 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

North District Hospital

Hong Kong

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients diagnosed with COPD (ICD-9-CM 496.X) AND
  • Ability to stand independently without aids, AND
  • Subjectively experienced dyspnea, AND
  • Ability to listen, speak, read and understand Chinese.

Exclusion criteria

  • Patients with acute exacerbation of COPD within one-month, OR
  • Patients with medical disorders possibly causing dyspnea (for example asthma, heart failure, etc.), OR
  • Patients with major psychiatric or cognitive disorders, OR
  • Patients refusal

Treatment and study plan

Individual basic body awareness therapy

Other

Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) is a physiotherapeutic intervention directed toward patients' functional movement quality. The development of BBAT was based on the hypothesis of persons' lacking contact with and lacking awareness on their own body, with their inner life, external environment and in the relation to other persons. Thus, it leads to dysfunctional movement, pain and other body functions. BBAT focus on multi-perspective within a person including physical, physiological, psycho-social-cultural and existential perspectives. It directs patients to be "aware", guides patients to have mental contact with their body, monitors internal sensations and external environment, and thus, to enhance the self-regulated behavior and positive emotional state.

Respiratory physiotherapy interventions

Other

Comprehensive physical and psycho-social assessment and treatments are included. Both basic and advanced respiratory physiotherapy interventions, including respiratory muscles training, breathing techniques, bronchial hygiene maintenance, assisting in non-invasive ventilation therapy and oxygen therapy titration, are provided according to assessment findings.

Primary outcomes

  1. Modified Medical Research Council scale for breathlessness

    Time frame: 2 months

    mMRC is used to establish patients' baseline functional impairment due to dyspnea, scale from 0 to 4, with 0 indicates only get breathless with strenuous exercise, and 4 indicates too breathless to leave the house or I am breathless when dressing/undressing

  2. Dyspnoea-12 (Chinese version)

    Time frame: 2 months

    Dyspnoea-12 is used to measure patients' dyspnea severity, scale range, 0-36, with a high score indicating worse dyspnea

  3. St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (Chinese version)

    Time frame: 2 months

    St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire is used to measure patients' health-related quality of life, Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more limitations.

  4. COPD Self-Efficacy Scale (Chinese version)

    Time frame: 2 months

    COPD Self-Efficacy Scale contains 34 items, each item rated by Likert 5-level score ranges from 1 point (completely unconfident) to 5 points (completely confident).

  5. 6 minutes walking test

    Time frame: 2 months

    6 minutes walking test is used to assess patients' functional capacity, the outcome is measuring distance covered and counts in meters, with higher meters covered indicates a better functional capacity

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

North District Hospital

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Individual Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) as an add-on Treatment for Dyspnea Self-management in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - a Quantitative and Qualitative Study

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2023
Study completion
2023
First posted
Aug 18, 2022
Registry last updated
Jan 6, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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