Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) for Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

NCT ID: NCT05506202

Last Updated: 2026-01-06

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 25 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2022-08-01
• Study Completion Date: 2023-07-31

Brief Summary

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a burden to health care and economic systems globally, to manage this preventable and treatable disease, different pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions were shown to be effective.

Chronic and progressive dyspnea, cough and sputum production are the characteristic symptoms of COPD. The most commonly encountered symptom in patients with COPD is dyspnea, it is a subjective experience of breathing discomfort . It causes impact on patient's health status, sleep quality, anxiety and depression level. Therefore, skills transfer in self-managing major symptoms are crucial to prevent negative consequences, and as suggested by Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), managing symptoms and to prevent future risk of exacerbations is important for stable COPD cases.

Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) is a physio-therapeutic intervention directed toward patients' functional movement quality. The development of BBAT was based on the hypothesis of persons' lacking contact with and lacking awareness on their own body, with their inner life, external environment and in the relation to other persons. Thus, it leads to dysfunctional movement, pain and other body functions. BBAT focus on multi-perspective within a person including physical, physiological, psycho-social-cultural and existential perspectives. It directs patients to be "aware", guides patients to have mental contact with their body, monitors internal sensations and external environment, and thus, to enhance the self-regulated behavior and positive emotional state.

There are three key components in practicing BBAT, namely balance, free breathing and mental awareness. Evidence shown that the effect of BBAT is significant in improving physical and psycho-social well-being in patients with different physical and mental disorders. Now, there is absence of evidence in applying BBAT in managing cases with respiratory diseases, especially for those with prominent symptoms of dyspnea (for example COPD cases).

The objectives of this study are (1) to evaluate individual BBAT as an add-on treatment in patients with COPD, (2) to understand COPD patients' experience through participating in individual Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT).

Conditions

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Intervention group

In intervention group, one extra physiotherapeutic intervention, Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT), will be provided before ending each visit (on top of basic and advanced respiratory physiotherapy interventions as control group). Each BBAT last for 30-45 minutes. Therapist will verbally guide patients to perform twelve simple and soft movements, including lying, sitting, standing, walking and relational movements in a quiet and secured environment. Therapist will allow patients to explore the movement and the experience. Therapist will also guide patients in shifting focus between balance, free breathing and mental awareness Following principles in BBAT, BBAT movements will be selected for patients as home exercises.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Individual basic body awareness therapy

Intervention Type: OTHER

Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) is a physiotherapeutic intervention directed toward patients' functional movement quality. The development of BBAT was based on the hypothesis of persons' lacking contact with and lacking awareness on their own body, with their inner life, external environment and in the relation to other persons. Thus, it leads to dysfunctional movement, pain and other body functions. BBAT focus on multi-perspective within a person including physical, physiological, psycho-social-cultural and existential perspectives. It directs patients to be "aware", guides patients to have mental contact with their body, monitors internal sensations and external environment, and thus, to enhance the self-regulated behavior and positive emotional state.

Respiratory physiotherapy interventions

Intervention Type: OTHER

Comprehensive physical and psycho-social assessment and treatments are included. Both basic and advanced respiratory physiotherapy interventions, including respiratory muscles training, breathing techniques, bronchial hygiene maintenance, assisting in non-invasive ventilation therapy and oxygen therapy titration, are provided according to assessment findings.

Control group

Both basic and advanced respiratory physiotherapy interventions, including respiratory muscles training, breathing techniques, bronchial hygiene maintenance, assisting in non-invasive ventilation therapy and oxygen therapy titration, are provided according to assessment findings. There is an eight-week training program for both groups, therapist will provide one home visit per week and continuously for eight weeks for each patient.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Respiratory physiotherapy interventions

Intervention Type: OTHER

Comprehensive physical and psycho-social assessment and treatments are included. Both basic and advanced respiratory physiotherapy interventions, including respiratory muscles training, breathing techniques, bronchial hygiene maintenance, assisting in non-invasive ventilation therapy and oxygen therapy titration, are provided according to assessment findings.

Interventions

Individual basic body awareness therapy

Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) is a physiotherapeutic intervention directed toward patients' functional movement quality. The development of BBAT was based on the hypothesis of persons' lacking contact with and lacking awareness on their own body, with their inner life, external environment and in the relation to other persons. Thus, it leads to dysfunctional movement, pain and other body functions. BBAT focus on multi-perspective within a person including physical, physiological, psycho-social-cultural and existential perspectives. It directs patients to be "aware", guides patients to have mental contact with their body, monitors internal sensations and external environment, and thus, to enhance the self-regulated behavior and positive emotional state.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Respiratory physiotherapy interventions

Comprehensive physical and psycho-social assessment and treatments are included. Both basic and advanced respiratory physiotherapy interventions, including respiratory muscles training, breathing techniques, bronchial hygiene maintenance, assisting in non-invasive ventilation therapy and oxygen therapy titration, are provided according to assessment findings.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients diagnosed with COPD (ICD-9-CM 496.X) AND
• Ability to stand independently without aids, AND
• Subjectively experienced dyspnea, AND
• Ability to listen, speak, read and understand Chinese.

Exclusion Criteria

• Patients with acute exacerbation of COPD within one-month, OR
• Patients with medical disorders possibly causing dyspnea (for example asthma, heart failure, etc.), OR
• Patients with major psychiatric or cognitive disorders, OR
• Patients refusal

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 100 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

North District Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Mo Kim Chung

Physiotherapist I

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

North District Hospital

Hong Kong, , Hong Kong

Countries

Hong Kong

Other Identifiers

2022.316

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id