Abstract
We investigated the effect of administration of L-menthol by olfactory stimulation on sensory and affective dimension of dyspnea during inspiratory resistive loaded breathing in COPD patients.
Olfactory stimulation by L-menthol (OSM) was administered by using an L-menthol-scented patch. The placebo patch had a strawberry odor (OSP). Patients breathed through a Hans–Rudolph valve with the inspiratory resistance of 20 or 30 cmH2O/L/s in Sham, OSM and OSP. Dyspnea was measured using Multidimensional Dyspnea Profile.
28 COPD patients were analyzed. OSM significantly reduces dyspnea during inspiratory resistive loaded breathing compared to Sham and OSP. Repeated ANOVA reveals that significant difference in unpleasantness was found among conditions. Post hoc analysis showed that unpleasantness in OSM was significantly lower than that in sham and OSP. One-way repeated ANOVA revealed that the fear induced by inspiratory resistive loaded breathing in OSM significantly differed from that in the sham and OSP. On the sensory dimension of dyspnea, repeated ANOVA revealed that there was significant difference in physical breathing effort, air hunger and mental breathing effort induced by inspiratory resistive loading among conditions. Post hoc analysis showed that physical breathing effort, air hunger and mental breathing effort in OSM was significantly lower than those in OSP as well as sham. We demonstrated that the administration of L-menthol by olfactory stimulation is an effective treatment on breathlessness in patients with COPD.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2019; 54: Suppl. 63, PA1224.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2019
