Effect of physical therapy in the diaphragm of the elderly on the function of the lungs

• Register: REBEC
• Last refreshed on: 29 April 2013
• Main ID: RBR-5dmpkr
• Date of registration: 10/05/2012
• Primary sponsor: Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba - Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
• Public title: Effect of physical therapy in the diaphragm of the elderly on the function of the lungs
• Scientific title: Study of the transcutaneous electrical diaphragmatic muscle stimulation.
• Date of first enrolment: 01/04/2011
• Target sample size: 21
• Recruitment status: recruitment completed
• URL: http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-5dmpkr/
• Study design: Parallel, two arms, single blinded trial, not randomized controlled clinical trial

Countries of recruitment

Brazil

Contacts

• Name: Eli Maria Forti
• Affiliation: Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba

• Name: Eli Maria Forti
• Affiliation: Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba

Key inclusion & exclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Male volunteers;
Aged between 67 and 79 years;
Not practicing physical exercises regularly.
Exclusion criteria: Elderly Smokers;
History of pulmonary disease, neuromuscular disorders and postural muscles that affect the respiratory or cardiovascular diseases.

Age minimum: 67Y
Age maximum: 79Y
Gender: M

Health Condition(s) or Problem(s) studied

Aging, Sarcopenia
C10.597.613.612.500
G07.700.320.124

Intervention(s)

Experimental Group (n = 14): Elderly men who received transcutaneous electrical diaphragmatic stimulation to the motor threshold intensity.

Parameters of stimulation:
depolarized current;
frequency of 30 Hz;
respiratory rate of 14 rpm;
rise time (ramp) of 0.7 s;
pulse width of 1.2 ms
stimulation motor threshold;
electrodes silicon carbon placed two in the parasternal region, next to the xiphoid process in the sense of muscle fibers, and the other two electrodes were fixed on the motor points of the diaphragm muscle, between the 6th and 7th intercostal space in axillary lines right anterior and left, parallel to the muscle fibers.

Placebo group (n = 07):
The volunteers received the same treatment, but as the sensory threshold intensity.

In both groups, respiratory muscle training was performed once a day for 30 minutes, five days per week for two weeks

Primary Outcome(s)

Increased diaphragmatic muscle strength, assessed by the manometer. The manometer is an analog device with operating range of 0 to ± 300 cmH2O, to check the measurements of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP). Expected to find measures considered technically satisfactory maximal inspiration, lasting at least 2 seconds without air leak and values close to each other (> 10%), computing the largest absolute value obtained.

Secondary Outcome(s)

Improvement in lung volume and capacity, as assessed by respirometry, where volunteers remain seated, holding the silicone mask involving the nasal and oral cavities, preventing the escape of air. Expected to find increased tidal volume, minute volume and vital capacity.

Secondary ID(s)

08/05

Source(s) of Monetary Support

Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba - Piracicaba, SP, Brazil

Secondary Sponsor(s)

Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba - Piracicaba, SP, Brazil