RCTs of progressive muscle/mental relaxation for asthma symptoms
| Design | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a) Sample size calculated | d) daily | Dropouts (DO) and withdrawals (WD) | |||||||
| N [age range] | b) true randomised | e) duration | Jadad score | Primary measures | |||||
| Source | ATS criteria | c)blind | f) follow up | Treatment | Control | Results | |||
| PEFR=peak expiratory flow rate, FEV1=forced expiratory volume in 1 second, FVC=forced vital capacity, Raw=airway resistance, NSD=no significant difference (between groups). | |||||||||
| Alexanderet al13 | 44 [10–15 yrs] | Two parallel stratified groups | 6×20 min sessions of Jacobsonian systematic relaxation training (n=20) | 6×20 min sitting quietly (n=16) | 2 DO from treatment group, 6 DO from control group | 2 | i) PEFR (best of three) | i) Treatment >control, p<0.01 | |
| No | a) no | d) no | |||||||
| b) yes | e) 3–6 days | ||||||||
| c) no | f) no | ii) Relaxation thermometer | ii) NSD | ||||||
| Erskine and Schonell14 | 12 [16–46 yrs] | Two paired parallel groups | Mental and muscular relaxation (plus home tapes) (n=6) | Muscular relaxation (no home tape) (n=6) | 2WD | 2 | i) FEV1 | i) NSD | |
| Yes | a) no | d) daily ×2 | ii) Self report inventories: daily and weekly | ii) NSD | |||||
| b) yes | e) 4 weekly sessions | ||||||||
| c) no | f) 6 weeks | ||||||||
| Hock et al15 | 20 [not stated] | Two parallel groups | Relaxation training for 40 min (n=10) | Assertive training for 40 min (n=10) | Not described | 1 | i) FEV1 | i) Relaxation >assertive, p<0.01 | |
| No | a) no | d) no | |||||||
| b) yes | e) 8 weekly | ||||||||
| c) single blind | f) 1 month | ||||||||
| Lehrer et al16 | 106 [18–65 yrs] | Three parallel groups | Progressive muscle relaxation 8×1 hour (n=38) | Listening to relaxing music 8×1 hour (n=38) | 34 DO | 2 | i) 4 lung function tests including FEV1/ FVC | i) NSD | |
| No | a) yes | d) daily | (13 relaxation, 12 music, 9 control) | ||||||
| b) yes | e) 8 sessions | ||||||||
| c) no | f) no | Waiting list control (n=30) | ii) Self report | ii) NSD | |||||
| Only 37 completed lung function tests | |||||||||
| Loew et al17 | 18 [children and adolescents] | Crossover with 3 groups | Functional relaxation | Placebo relaxation method (n=18) | Not described | 1 | i) Lung function tests including Raw | i) NSD | |
| a) no | d) daily | (FR) (n=18) | |||||||
| No | b) yes | e) 3 days | Salbutamol (n=18) | ||||||
| c) single blind | f) no | ||||||||