Skip to main content
 

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Editor's Commentary
    • Coming Next Month
    • Archives
    • Top 10 Papers in 2020
  • Authors
    • Author Guidelines
    • Submit a Manuscript
  • Reviewers
    • Reviewer Information
    • Create Reviewer Account
    • Appreciation of Reviewers
  • CRCE
    • Through the Journal
    • JournalCasts
    • AARC University
    • PowerPoint Template
  • Open Forum
    • Call for Abstracts 2021
    • 2020 Abstracts
    • Previous Open Forums
  • Podcast
    • English
    • Español
    • Portugûes
    • 国语

User menu

  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in

Search

  • Advanced search
American Association for Respiratory Care
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
American Association for Respiratory Care

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Editor's Commentary
    • Coming Next Month
    • Archives
    • Top 10 Papers in 2020
  • Authors
    • Author Guidelines
    • Submit a Manuscript
  • Reviewers
    • Reviewer Information
    • Create Reviewer Account
    • Appreciation of Reviewers
  • CRCE
    • Through the Journal
    • JournalCasts
    • AARC University
    • PowerPoint Template
  • Open Forum
    • Call for Abstracts 2021
    • 2020 Abstracts
    • Previous Open Forums
  • Podcast
    • English
    • Español
    • Portugûes
    • 国语
  • Follow aarc on Twitter
  • Visit aarc on Facebook
Meeting ReportRespiratory Potpourri

Harmonica Playing Improves Outcomes in Patients With COPD

Mary Kay Hart, Elizabeth Stewardson, Aayla Jamil, Kristen Tecson and Mark Millard
Respiratory Care October 2018, 63 (Suppl 10) 3024192;
Mary Kay Hart
Martha Foster Lung Center /Heart & Lung Transplant/Pulmonary Research, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, Dallas, Texas, United States
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Elizabeth Stewardson
Cevetko Center Arts and Music Therapy, Baylor Scott & White, Dallas, Texas, United States
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Aayla Jamil
Martha Foster Lung Center /Heart & Lung Transplant/Pulmonary Research, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, Dallas, Texas, United States
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Kristen Tecson
Martha Foster Lung Center /Heart & Lung Transplant/Pulmonary Research, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, Dallas, Texas, United States
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Mark Millard
Martha Foster Lung Center /Heart & Lung Transplant/Pulmonary Research, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, Dallas, Texas, United States
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
Loading

Abstract

Background: Primary interventions in COPD include smoking cessation, appropriate inhaler therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). PR requires a multidisciplinary approach of exercise and education, with instruction in breathing retraining exercises such as pursed-lip and diaphragmatic breathing. Pursed lip breathing may reduce alveolar collapse during exhalation and diaphragmatic breathing may work to improve inspiratory pressures, even at the higher lung volumes seen in COPD. Harmonica playing requires the practice of a similar expiratory maneuver as taught in pursed lip breathing (PLB); diaphragmatic breathing generates adequate force to create musical tones. The purpose of this study was to determine if patients with COPD would benefit from a 12-week program of harmonica playing with improved respiratory muscle strength, ambulation and quality of life.

Methods: COPD patients who had completed our formal pulmonary rehabilitation program (PR) at least 6 months prior were eligible for this trial. After obtaining informed consent, patients attended 12 weeks of harmonica training for two hours, one day per week and were instructed to practice at home for at least 30 min a day, 5 days a week. Participants completed spirometry testing, maximum inspired and expired pressure (PImax, PEmax) testing and 6-min walk test pre- and post- program in addition to recording pre- and post-program St. George Respiratory Questionnaires. We performed paired t-tests and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Tests, as appropriate.

Results: Of the 14 participants upon entry, 11 completed this trial. 3 subjects were male. The average age was 72.5 y. All had been smokers previously with a median 40 (quartile 1 = 30, quartile 3 = 40) pack-year history. Maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax) and maximal expiratory pressure (PEmax) increased by an average of 15. 36 ± 12.04 (P=0.0017) and 14.36 ± 13.76 (P=0.0061), respectively. Additionally, the distance walked in 6 min (6MWD) increased by nearly 60 m (60.55 ± 78.18, P= 0.0280). Median distance improved by 48 m. Full study outcomes are provided in Table 1. SGRQ improved slightly, but not statistically so.

Conclusions: In this small pilot trial, we found that a 12-week harmonica program significantly improved PImax, PEmax and 6MWD in a group of post-PR COPD patients. Larger scale harmonica studies are warranted to evaluate this program's adjunctive potential benefit to formal pulmonary rehabilitation.

View this table:
  • View inline
  • View popup
Table 1.Study Outcomes (n=11) Mean standard deviaiton; median [quartile 1, quartile 3]

Footnotes

  • Commercial Relationships: Mary Hart - AZ, BI, GSK, etc. pharma - clinical research, Monaghan Medical - Speaker; CHEST Chair-Interprofessional Team Network, committees, NLHEP - BOD, CHEST and EPA grants - Asthma and COPD, Clinical Research Group Committee Mark Millard-AZ, BI, GSK, Circassia, Genentech speaker and clinical research, Clinical Research Group Committee

  • Copyright © 2018 by Daedalus Enterprises
Previous
Back to top

In this issue

Respiratory Care
Vol. 63, Issue Suppl 10
1 Oct 2018
  • Table of Contents
  • Index by author
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Association for Respiratory Care.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Harmonica Playing Improves Outcomes in Patients With COPD
(Your Name) has sent you a message from American Association for Respiratory Care
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Association for Respiratory Care web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Citation Tools
Harmonica Playing Improves Outcomes in Patients With COPD
Mary Kay Hart, Elizabeth Stewardson, Aayla Jamil, Kristen Tecson, Mark Millard
Respiratory Care Oct 2018, 63 (Suppl 10) 3024192;

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero

Share
Harmonica Playing Improves Outcomes in Patients With COPD
Mary Kay Hart, Elizabeth Stewardson, Aayla Jamil, Kristen Tecson, Mark Millard
Respiratory Care Oct 2018, 63 (Suppl 10) 3024192;
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • References

Related Articles

Cited By...

Info For

  • Subscribers
  • Institutions
  • Advertisers

About Us

  • About Us
  • Editorial Board
  • Reprints/Permissions

AARC

  • Membership
  • Meetings
  • Clinical Practice Guidelines

More

  • Contact Us
  • RSS
American Association for Respiratory Care

Print ISSN: 0020-1324        Online ISSN: 1943-3654

© Daedalus Enterprises, Inc.

Powered by HighWire