Cognitive behavioral theorists have suggested that breathing retraining may be used as a safety behavior. Safety behaviors are acts aimed at preventing or minimizing feared catastrophe and may maintain pathologic anxiety by hindering resolution of maladaptive cognitive processes. An opposing position is that breathing retraining is an effective coping aid. This study examined the safety behavior and coping aid hypotheses as they apply to breathing retraining. Individuals high in fear of respiratory sensations were randomly assigned to a psychoeducation control condition (EDU; = 27) or a psychoeducation plus breathing retraining condition (EDU+BR; = 30). As compared to psychoeducation alone, the addition of breathing retraining neither limited improvement of cognitive processes (e.g., anxiety sensitivity) nor added to the gains observed on measures of coping (e.g., perceived control). The findings are evaluated in light of the available literature regarding breathing retraining and the safety behavior and coping aid hypotheses.
Background: There has been a resurgence of research into the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics for neuropsychiatric disorders. Classic psychedelics, such as psilocybin, exert complex effects on higher cognitive functions such as perception and awareness, but their impact on motor function remains unexplored. Moreover, there is a theoretical rationale for using psychedelics to promote motor retraining in certain neuropsychiatric conditions associated with motor dysfunction.
Objective: We examined the feasibility and clinical outcomes of implementing a brief intervention for treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in persons with serious mental illness receiving services at a large, urban community mental health agency. The Brief, Relaxation, Education and Trauma Healing (BREATHE) program is a standardized, three-session intervention that targets PTSD symptoms through teaching breathing retraining and personalized psychoeducation about trauma and PTSD.
Method: A total of 60 clinicians were trained in the BREATHE intervention throughout the agency, which was offered to 233 clients who screened positive for probable PTSD.
Objectives: To investigate the benefits of virtual reality (VR) first-aid training in acquiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills.
Methods: A total of 100 non-medical professional volunteers from Nanchang were selected in March 2021 using the convenience sampling method. They were randomly divided into two groups: the VR training group (VR group) and the traditional simulation scenario training group (traditional group).
Background: Diaphragm dysfunction is prevalent among individuals with asthma due to lung hyperinflation and hyperventilation in asthma paroxysm. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of the manual diaphragm release technique (MDRT) on diaphragm function in individuals with asthma.
Methods: Adults with diagnosed stable asthma (n = 24), will be recruited from the General Hospital of Kifissia "Agioi Anargyroi" in Athens, Greece.
Patients with prior COVID-19 infections often develop chronic post-COVID symptoms, such as fatigue and dyspnea. Some patients have residual pulmonary disorders with abnormal pulmonary function tests and/or chest radiographs to explain their dyspnea. However, other patients appear to have dyspnea that is out of proportion to any measurable change in lung function.
