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According to a new study, device-guided breathing could improve physiological symptoms in people with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The findings will be presented today at the annual meeting of the American Physiological Society (APS) at Experimental Biology 2019 in Orlando, Florida.
PTSD is a mental health problem that can occur after a person has experienced a traumatic or life-threatening event, including a military fight, natural disasters, and physical or badual abuse. Flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety badociated with PTSD may result in rapid breathing episodes, muscle tension, and short-term increases in heart rate and blood pressure. The physical manifestations of PTSD may increase the long-term risks of hypertension and heart disease.
Researchers at Emory University in Atlanta have studied the use of device-guided breathing to regulate sympathetic nerve activity – a nervous system response regulating minor changes in the cardiovascular system – and the control of blood pressure in veterans with PTSD. The research team confirmed the diagnosis and severity of PTSD in each volunteer using the PTSD Clinician Administered Scale (CAPS). The volunteers were then divided into two groups – moderate or severe – according to the results of their CAPS. Within each group, participants were randomly badigned to the respiratory system (RESPeRATETM) or simulacra (false) device.
RESPeRATE produces musical tones to guide the user to a slower breathing rate than normal from about five to six breaths per minute. The device measures inhalation and expiration rates with the help of a sensor band carried around the abdomen. The simulated device works the same way, but guides the user to breathe 14 breaths per minute, which is in a normal range.
The researchers found that heart rate and sympathetic muscle nerve activity (NMHS) decreased substantially in the severe PTSA group using the respiratory tract compared with the moderate group using the 39. ;apparatus. Volunteers with moderate PTSD who used RESPeRATE also showed improvement in these factors, but the positive changes were not as significant as those with more severe PTSD.
"A non-pharmacological intervention [such as device-guided breathing] could be beneficial in the treatment of PTSD, especially in severe cases. Further work is needed to determine if [device-guided breathing] could reduce the risk of future hypertension in this population, "wrote Monica Vemulapalli, lead author of the study.If machine-guided breathing could lead to sustained reduction in NASM, it could potentially reduce the risk of hypertension.
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