Lung Heart Rate Variability

Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine

Overview

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of heart-rate variability biofeedback training on lung cancer patients receiving definitive radiation therapy. The target population consists of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving 6 weeks of radiation therapy. The study will utilize the Physiolab GP8 heart rate variability and respiration system to collect data as well as several survey instruments to analyze quality of life measures. The goal is to show the HRV training can improve certain QOL measures like anxiety and sleep quality.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Conditions

Non Small Cell Lung Cancer

Interventions

Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback TrainingBEHAVIORAL

The study will utilize the Physiolab GP8 heart rate variability and respiration system on a laptop computer used solely for the study with the proper security passwords to protect participant information. The equipment consists of two electrocardiogram sensors (one per wrist) attached by sports wrist bands, a respiration monitoring belt placed around the upper abdomen, two galvanic skin conductance sensors attached to the fingertips, and a thermistor sensor attached to one of the finger tips. Participants will perform a series of monitored breathing exercises.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 70 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Participants must be older than 18 years of age * Both women and men of all ethnic background are eligible to participate in the study. * Must be diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer and receiving 6 weeks of radiation therapy. * Must be available and willing to participate in 4, approximately 1 hour HRV biofeedback treatment sessions. * Signed informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Participant is younger than 18 or older than 70 * Diagnosed with early stage NSCLC * Patients who are pregnant * Patients with cardiac arrhythmias * Patients with Pacemakers * Patients taking beta-blockers * Patients with any major mental illness, cognitive impairment * Incapable of giving informed consent

Locations (1)

Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

EORTC QLQ-C30 Questionnaire

Questionnaire developed to assess the quality of life of cancer patients. The QLQ-C30 is composed of both multi-item scales and single-item measures. These include five functional scales, three symptom scales, a global health status / QoL scale, and six single items. Each of the multi-item scales includes a different set of items - no item occurs in more than one scale. All of the scales and single-item measures range in score from 0 to 100. A high scale score represents a higher response level.Thus a high score for a functional scale represents a high / healthy level of functioning, a high score for the global health status / QoL represents a high QoL, but a high score for a symptom scale / item represents a high level of symptomatology / problems.

Time frame: 2 years

Secondary Outcomes

Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

Measure the quality and patterns of sleep in adults. It differentiates from "poor" and "good" sleep quality by measuring seven areas. The order of the PSQI items has been modified from the original order in order to fit the first 9 items (which are the only items that contribute to the total score). Item 10 does not contribute to the PSQI score. In scoring the PSQI, seven component scores are derived, each scored 0 (no difficulty) to 3 (severe difficulty). The component scores are summed to produce a global score (range 0 to 21). Higher scores indicate worse sleep quality.

Time frame: 2 years

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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