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Can biased symptom perception explain false-alarm choking sensations?
S Rietveld1, W Everaerd, I Vanbeest
1Faculty of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Psychological Medicine
|March 17, 1999
Summary
Unexplained breathlessness in asthma may stem from biased symptom perception, not just airway obstruction. Objective lung function tests can help confirm excessive breathlessness in children and adolescents.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Respiratory Medicine
- Psychosomatic Medicine
Background:
- Breathlessness in asthma is often disproportionate to objective measures of airway obstruction.
- A hypothesis suggests unrealistic breathlessness arises from misinterpreting bodily sensations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if biased symptom perception contributes to breathlessness in pediatric asthma.
- To explore the relationship between general symptoms, anxiety, and breathlessness in asthma.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-four children and adolescents with asthma (9-18 years) were randomized into three groups: exercise, itching stimulus, or combined.
- Pre- and post-intervention measures included lung function, breathlessness, general symptoms, itching, anxiety, and worry.
Main Results:
- Lung function changes were minimal and not significantly different across groups.
- Breathlessness significantly increased post-exercise, especially when combined with itching.
- Breathlessness correlated with general symptoms and worry, but not lung function or asthma severity.
Conclusions:
- Biased symptom perception, influenced by situational cues and ambiguous sensations, can explain disproportionate breathlessness in asthma.
- Objective lung function testing is recommended to confirm excessive breathlessness in pediatric asthma patients.