Overview

Sensitivity of the Step Test to Detect Improvement in Dyspnea Following Bronchodilation in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Status:
Unknown status
Trial end date:
2014-07-01
Target enrollment:
0
Participant gender:
All
Summary
During the previous phases of the project (Phase I and II), two new field tests have been designed and validated for an integration in a primary care setting in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). These new field tests are 3-min paced-walk test (3MPWT) and 3-min paced step test (3MPST). If the validity and sensitivity of the TM3 could be highlighted, particularly by the reduction of dyspnea level following bronchodilatation, Phase II highlight that the 3MPST does not allow to detect this decrease of dyspnea after bronchodilatation. The use of too high step rates could explain these results through a hypothesis relative to neuromechanical coupling of dyspnea. The main objective of this trial is to follow the investigations on the sensitivity of 3MPST to detect the effects of pharmacological intervention on the exertional dyspnea in COPD patient. The hypothesis of this work is that the use of lower step rates cadences could allow to detect an improvement of exertional dyspnea following treatment-induced bronchodilatation, contrary to higher step rates.
Phase:
N/A
Accepts Healthy Volunteers?
No
Details
Lead Sponsor:
Laval University
Collaborator:
Université de Montréal
Treatments:
Albuterol
Ipratropium
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

- age higher than 50 years old

- smoking history ≥ 10 packs/year

- post-bronchodilator FEV1 between 30 and 80% of the predicted value and FEV1/FVC lesser
than 70% as assessed in previous pulmonary function test (corresponding to GOLD stages
II and III)

Exclusion Criteria:

- respiratory exacerbation within the preceding 6 weeks

- asthmatic condition

- significant O2 desaturation (SaO2 < 85%) at rest or during exercise

- presence of another pathology that could influence exercise tolerance or may prevent
the realization of the step test

- subject having a pacemaker