Influence of music with a fast tempo on the 6 minute walking test in COPD patients

Caty, Gilles [UCL] Fizaine, Stéphane [UCL] Reychler, Gregory [UCL] Liistro, Giuseppe [UCL]

(eng) Introduction and aim.– The 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) evaluates the exercise tolerance and the functional capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Encouraging the patients during the test influences the walking distance. Moreover the music improves dyspnea in some conditions [1–2]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of music with a fast tempo [3] on the distance walked during the 6MWT in COPD patients. Method.– Eleven COPD patients (FEV1 = 39.1 ± 7.6% of predicted values) performed randomly the same day a walking test in two different conditions: without music (WM) and with a fast music (FM). The 6MWD, the cardio-respiratory parameters and the dyspnea were measured. Results.– No difference was observed on the walking distance depending on the conditions (WM:350 m – FM:366 m, P = 0.101). Cardio-respiratory parameters and dyspnea were not influenced by the music. Discussion and conclusion.– In this preliminary study, music with a fast tempo did not modify the results of the 6MWT.