title: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Management of Dyspnea: A Pilot Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In patients with COPD, psychological interventions usually target generalized anxiety and depression rather than the sensation of breathlessness. The objectives of this pilot study were to develop and implement a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program specific to the perceptual experience of breathlessness, identify practical issues in the study protocol, and estimate beneficial effects of combining the CBT program with comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The CBT program for the sensation of breathlessness (Breathing: Recognize sensations, Explore thoughts and beliefs, Validate thoughts as useful or harmful, Evolve and change behavior [BREVE]) was developed as a sequential series of 8 modules enabling it to be embedded within an 8-week comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program. When appropriate, outcomes from the pilot group (comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program + BREVE) were compared with those from a retrospective control group (comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program only). Outcomes included feedback provided by pilot study subjects, sensation of breathlessness (volunteered and endorsed descriptors of breathlessness), 6-min walk distance (6MWD), and St George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score. Within-group analyses were undertaken for descriptors of breathlessness (the McNemar test), whereas between-group analyses (repeated-measures analysis of variance, effect-size comparison) were conducted for the 6MWD and SGRQ total score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pilot (n = 11) and control (n = 58) groups were not significantly different at baseline. Feedback indicated that the program structure and content were positively received. No significant changes were evident for the sensation of breathlessness or the SGRQ score (< 4 points). The 6MWD improved significantly in both groups, with the pilot group demonstrating greater gains compared with the control group (mean change of 57 m and effect size of 0.73 vs mean change of 27 m and effect size of 0.23; between groups, P = .03, effect size of 0.69).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CBT program for the perceptual experience of breathlessness was feasible and well accepted by subjects, although the protocol raised a number of methodological limitations warranting modification. A larger randomized controlled trial is needed to determine the effectiveness and longer-term outcomes.
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health and Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. marie.williams@unisa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Marie T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cafarella
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, Spatial Epidemiology and Evaluation Research Group, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Paquet
authors.affiliation: Southern Adelaide Health Service, Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Frith
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D019468:Disease Management; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016138:Walking
keywords: breathlessness; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; cognitive behavioral therapy; exercise capacity; psychological intervention