BACKGROUND: Pulmonary rehabilitation is a key element in the treatment of COPD. Music has been shown to have a positive effect on parameters related to a decrease in exercise tolerance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of listening to ambient music on perceived exertion during a pulmonary rehabilitation session for COPD subjects. METHODS: COPD subjects randomly performed a session of pulmonary rehabilitation with or without ambient music. Perceived exertion (Borg scales), anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety Subscale), dyspnea (visual analog scale), and cardiorespiratory parameters were compared at the end of both sessions. RESULTS: Forty-one subjects were analyzed. The characteristics of the COPD subjects were as follows: age, 70.5 ؎ 8.4 y; body mass index, 22.7 ؎ 3.9 kg/m 2 ; and FEV 1 , 38.6 ؎ 12.5 % predicted. Perceived exertion was not modified by ambient music, but anxiety was improved (P ؍ .02). Dyspnea, fatigue and cardiorespiratory parameters were not influenced by music during a typical session of the pulmonary rehabilitation program. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that perceived exertion during one pulmonary rehabilitation session was not influenced by ambient music. However, a positive effect on anxiety was observed. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT01833260.)
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