Effects of audio coaching and visual feedback on the stability of respiration during radiotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to compare the respiration-stabilizing abilities of audio coaching (AC) and AC with visual feedback (VF) with that of free breathing (FB).


METHODS
Ten healthy volunteers were told to breathe in FB, under AC and under AC + VF in random order. The standard deviation (SD) values of the respiratory cycle, the amplitude, the lowest points (exhalation), and the highest points (inhalation) of respiratory wave were used as indices of respiratory stability.


RESULTS
Compared with FB, the AC method significantly improved respiratory cycle stability (p = 0.001). The AC + VF method improved the stability of the respiratory cycle, the amplitude and the lowest point of respiratory wave (all p < 0.001). In analyses of each subject's data, compared with FB, the AC method significantly improved the respiratory cycle stability in five subjects, and the AC + VF method improved the stability of the respiratory cycle, the amplitude and the lowest point of respiratory wave in 4, 5, and 4 subjects, respectively. In two cases, coaching did not improve respiratory stability.


CONCLUSIONS
The AC + VF method had the most beneficial effects on respiratory stability. However, coaching is not necessarily effective in all cases. Therefore, the most suitable method should be chosen on an individual basis.
Department of Radiotherapy, Nagoya City West Medical Center, 1-1-1 Hirate-cho, Kita-ku, Nagoya, 462-8508, Japan. fbaba@bd5.so-net.ne.jp.|Department of Radiology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, 467-8601, Japan. fbaba@bd5.so-net.ne.jp.
Fumiya
F
Baba
Department of Radiological Technology, Japan Community Healthcare Organization Chukyo Hospital, 1-1-10 Sanjo, Minami-ku, Nagoya, 457-8510, Japan.
Satoshi
S
Tanaka
Department of Radiological Technology, Japan Community Healthcare Organization Chukyo Hospital, 1-1-10 Sanjo, Minami-ku, Nagoya, 457-8510, Japan.
Yoshinori
Y
Nonogaki
Department of Radiological Technology, Japan Community Healthcare Organization Chukyo Hospital, 1-1-10 Sanjo, Minami-ku, Nagoya, 457-8510, Japan.
Shinji
S
Hasegawa
Department of Radiological Technology, Japan Community Healthcare Organization Chukyo Hospital, 1-1-10 Sanjo, Minami-ku, Nagoya, 457-8510, Japan.
Minami
M
Nishihashi
Department of Radiology, Japan Community Healthcare Organization Chukyo Hospital, 1-1-10 Sanjo, Minami-ku, Nagoya, 457-8510, Japan.
Shiho
S
Ayakawa
Department of Radiotherapy, Nagoya City West Medical Center, 1-1-1 Hirate-cho, Kita-ku, Nagoya, 462-8508, Japan.
Maho
M
Yamada
Department of Radiology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, 467-8601, Japan.
Yuta
Y
Shibamoto
D056228:Feedback, Sensory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000071252:Mentoring; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D011878:Radiotherapy; D012119:Respiration
Audio coaching; Free breathing; Stability of respiration; Suitable method for each individual; Visual feedback