The comparison between pulmonary rehabilitation with music therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation alone on respiratory drive, cortisol level and asthma control in patients hospitalized with asthma exacerbation

Abstract

Introduction

Much emphasis is being placed on the role of music therapy as an easy-to-use, noninvasive and relatively cheap method of asthma treatment. The objective of this interventional double-blinded randomized controlled trial was to assess whether music therapy, as a complementary modality to pulmonary rehabilitation, can help to improve respiratory drive, asthma control and quality of life in patients with asthma exacerbation.

Methods

Hospitalized patients with asthma exacerbation enrolled in the study were randomly assigned to experimental (music therapy) or control (popular science program) group. Both groups during hospitalization received standard pharmacotherapy accompanied by respiratory physiotherapy. Respiratory drive, asthma control, quality of life and serum cortisol in all participants were assessed at the beginning and at the end of their hospitalizations.

Results

The experimental group consisted of 39 asthmatics and 34 subjects with asthma were assigned to the control group. During the hospitalization, the levels of the inspiratory occlusion pressure for the first 0.1 s of inspiration (P0.1) decreased (p = 0.004) and the maximum P0.1 increased (p = 0.041) only in the experimental group. The serum cortisol level decreased in both groups (p = 0.001). The changes in asthma control and quality of life did not reach significant levels in either subject group.

Conclusion

Passive music therapy and its effects on the mental state of patients seem to improve the efficiency of the respiratory system. The results of this experimental study demonstrate that a complementary music therapy has beneficial effects on the treatment of asthma exacerbations in adults.

Keywords:

• Asthma
• exacerbation
• pulmonary rehabilitation
• music therapy
• cortisol

Declaration of interest

The authors report no proprietary or commercial interest in any product mentioned or concept discussed in this article.

Ethics approval

The study was approved by the Jagiellonian University Ethics Committee (Date 28/04/2016, No.122.6120. 75.2016). The study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments.

Consent to participate

Written informed consent was granted before enrollment from all the participants.

Consent for publication

All authors are responsible for the content, have read and approved the manuscript and gave explicit consent to publish it.

Data availability

All study data will be available on request.

Additional information

Funding

Research was supported by Jagiellonian University research grant.