Yogic Breathing Exercise for People With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Purpose
The aim of this study is to understand how well a 6-week virtual yogic breathing exercise program (YBEP) will improve breathing, speech, and emotional well-being in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Conditions
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- Myasthenia Gravis
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Between 18 Years and 90 Years
- Eligible Genders
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- confirmed ALS or myasthenia gravis diagnosis 2. age >18 yrs old; 3. ability to follow multistep commands, 4. on a stable dose of medications for >60 days, 5. FVC ≥20% predicted, 6. Score of either 2 or 3 on the ALSFRS-R "Speech" subscale, and 7. access to internet and a computer or smartphone that can perform videoconferencing.
Exclusion Criteria
- life expectancy is less than 6 months, 2. severe hearing or visual impairments that prevent online learning (breathing exercise), or 3. current participation in another clinical trial during the study period that can affect the outcomes of the study.
Study Design
- Phase
- N/A
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel Assignment
- Intervention Model Description
- Randomized controlled trial
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- Single (Outcomes Assessor)
- Masking Description
- Assessors are masked to participant group assignment.
Arm Groups
| Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
|---|---|---|
|
Experimental Yogic breathing exercise |
Participation in a 6 weekly virtual yogic breathing exercise training with 1-3 sessions per week. |
|
|
No Intervention Waitlist control |
Participation in usual daily activities |
|
Recruiting Locations
Birmingham, Alabama 35294
Hon K Yuen, PhD
More Details
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
Detailed Description
The study will employ a RCT to test the two hypotheses. The study will incorporate a 2 x 3 two-way factorial design with repeated measures at three time points. The two between-subject factor conditions will be participation in a yogic breathing exercise program (YBEP) versus a waitlist control condition that will be evaluated at baseline, immediately post-program, and at 3-month follow-up. Thirty adults with ALS will be recruited for this study. Hypothesis #1: Adults with ALS who participate in a YBEP will demonstrate improvement in breathing, speech function, and emotional well-being compared to waitlist controls at the conclusion of a 6-week YBEP. Hypothesis #2: The positive impact of the YBEP on the participants' improved breathing, speech function, and emotional well-being will be maintained at 3-month follow-up.