Exercise-induced Laryngeal Obstruction: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Treatment Trial.

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Laryngology
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO) is a frequent cause of exertional breathing difficulties in adolescents and young adults.
• EILO is characterized by paradoxical inspiratory adduction of laryngeal structures during high-intensity exercise.
• Current EILO treatments lack robust evidence from randomized controlled trials, necessitating further research for guideline development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide evidence-based information on commonly applied treatment schemes for EILO.
• To assess the efficacy of different non-invasive and surgical interventions for EILO.
• To address differential treatment effects in predefined EILO subtypes.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled trial comparing four non-invasive treatments: information/breathing advice (IBA), IBA + inspiratory muscle training, IBA + speech therapy, and IBA + inspiratory muscle training + speech therapy.
• Patients not responding to non-invasive treatments may be randomized into surgical arms: standard surgery, minimally invasive laser supraglottoplasty, or no surgery.
• Outcomes measured include laryngeal adduction during peak exercise using a validated scoring system before and after interventions.

Main Results:

• This section is to be filled once the study is completed and results are available.

Conclusions:

• This section is to be filled once the study is completed and conclusions are drawn.