“When I am breathless now, I don’t have the fear that’s linked to it.” A case series on the potential of EMDR to break the dyspnea-anxiety cycle in COPD
Description
Background
Expectations can enhance the intensity and the neural processing of breathlessness. Previous breathlessness episodes may have a psychotraumatic effect and may influence perception of subsequent episodes. In post-traumatic stress disorder, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is the therapy of choice.
Aims and Objectives
We explored the hypothesis that EMDR in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and previous severe breathlessness episodes improves breathlessness mastery by decreasing the anxiety component. Methods Since there is no previous research on this subject, we undertook a qualitative case series to explore it. We included four patients with COPD GOLD 4/D and refractory breathlessness who wished to undergo EMDR for traumatic breathlessness episodes. Amongst others, we used the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire (CRQ) before and after EMDR, and semistructured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews.
Results
All patients had between 3 and 5 EMDR sessions. On CRQ, subset mastery, 3 patients had a large improvement and 1 patient a moderate improvement. On subset emotional functioning, 3 patients showed a large clinically relevant improvement and 1 patient showed no change. All patients made a distinction between ‘regular’ breathlessness and breathlessness intertwined with anxiety. They all stated that the anxiety component of their breathlessness diminished or disappeared. When asked whether they would recommend EMDR for other COPD patients, all four subjects answered positively.
Conclusions
There is ground for a randomized controlled clinical trial to test the effect of EMDR on breathlessness mastery in a subset of COPD patients with previous severe breathlessness episodes and high levels of anxiety.
Expectations can enhance the intensity and the neural processing of breathlessness. Previous breathlessness episodes may have a psychotraumatic effect and may influence perception of subsequent episodes. In post-traumatic stress disorder, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is the therapy of choice.
Aims and Objectives
We explored the hypothesis that EMDR in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and previous severe breathlessness episodes improves breathlessness mastery by decreasing the anxiety component. Methods Since there is no previous research on this subject, we undertook a qualitative case series to explore it. We included four patients with COPD GOLD 4/D and refractory breathlessness who wished to undergo EMDR for traumatic breathlessness episodes. Amongst others, we used the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire (CRQ) before and after EMDR, and semistructured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews.
Results
All patients had between 3 and 5 EMDR sessions. On CRQ, subset mastery, 3 patients had a large improvement and 1 patient a moderate improvement. On subset emotional functioning, 3 patients showed a large clinically relevant improvement and 1 patient showed no change. All patients made a distinction between ‘regular’ breathlessness and breathlessness intertwined with anxiety. They all stated that the anxiety component of their breathlessness diminished or disappeared. When asked whether they would recommend EMDR for other COPD patients, all four subjects answered positively.
Conclusions
There is ground for a randomized controlled clinical trial to test the effect of EMDR on breathlessness mastery in a subset of COPD patients with previous severe breathlessness episodes and high levels of anxiety.
Format
Other
Language
English
Original Work Citation
Mooren, K., Smit, K., Engles, Y., Janssen, D., & Godschalx, J. (2022, May). “When I am breathless now, I don’t have the fear that’s linked to it.” A case series on the potential of EMDR to break the dyspnea-anxiety cycle in COPD. (Research Square, Under Review at BMC Pulmonary Medicine). doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-1607925/v1
Citation
““When I am breathless now, I don’t have the fear that’s linked to it.” A case series on the potential of EMDR to break the dyspnea-anxiety cycle in COPD,” Francine Shapiro Library, accessed May 17, 2024, https://francineshapirolibrary.omeka.net/items/show/27382.