Asthma severity, psychophysiological indicators of arousal, and immune function in asthma patients undergoing biofeedback-assisted relaxation

Asthma is characterized by airway hyper-responsiveness, inflammation, and r eversible obstruction. Respiratory tract infection, allergies, air pollutio n, and psychosocial factors impact the severity and frequency of asthma sym ptoms. Pharmacotherapy and self-care are the major components in the manage ment of asthma, but behavioral interventions also have the potential to aff ect asthma morbidity. We conducted a small, randomized controlled study, ex amining the effects of biofeedback-assisted relaxation in 16 nonsmokers wit h nonsteroid-dependent mild asthma. Data were collected on asthma symptoms, pulmonary function, indicators of arousal, and cellular immune factors. Th e trained group evidenced a decrease in forehead muscle tension in comparis on to the controls, but no changes in peripheral skin temperature. Decrease s in asthma severity and bronchodilator medication usage for the experiment al group were observed. Pulmonary function testing revealed a significant d ifference between groups in FEV1/FVC at posttest, with the E group having a higher ratio than the controls. The cellular immune data showed no signifi cant group differences in total white blood cell or lymphocyte counts, but decreases over rime were observed Significant differences were observed in the numbers of neutrophils and basophils in the trained group compared to c ontrols, which supports the concept of decreased inflammation. Results of d elayed-type hypersensitivity skin testing suggested enhanced function, but they were not conclusive. These findings, though limited by size of populat ion, suggest a positive effect of biofeedback-assisted relaxation in young nonsteroid-dependent asthmatics. The mechanisms underlying linkages between psychological, behavioral, and immune responses in asthma require further study.