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Cognitive Load and Inhaler Technique in COPD
Sponsor: Spitalul Clinic de Boli Infecțioase și Pneumoftiziologie Dr. Victor Babeș Timișoara
Summary
This study evaluates whether cognitive load affects inhaler technique in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). During a single study visit, participants will complete assessments of cognitive function, mobility, and respiratory status. Dual-task mobility will be assessed using the Timed Up and Go test performed alone and while completing a cognitive task. Inhaler technique will then be evaluated in two conditions: usual inhaler use without an additional task and inhaler use while maintaining a short sequence of digits in working memory. Inhaler technique will be scored using a standardized five-step device-specific checklist, and inhaler use time will also be recorded. The study will examine whether inhaler technique worsens under cognitive load and whether this deterioration is associated with dual-task mobility performance, cognitive function, respiratory symptoms, and functional capacity. No inhaler training or correction will be provided between the two inhaler conditions. All assessments are performed during a single visit.
Official title: Cognitive Load-Induced Inhaler Errors in COPD: Linking Dual-Task Mobility to Treatment Self-Management
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 100 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
100
Start Date
2026-08-21
Completion Date
2027-11-30
Last Updated
2026-08-25
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Working-Memory Cognitive Load During Inhaler Use
Participants are presented with a standardized five-digit sequence before inhaler use and are instructed to retain the sequence in working memory while completing their usual inhaler technique. The sequence is presented once at approximately one digit per second. Participants do not verbalize the digits during inhaler use. Immediately after completing the inhaler maneuver, they reproduce the sequence in reverse order. Inhaler technique is simultaneously assessed using a standardized five-item device-specific checklist, and inhaler-use time is recorded.
Single-Task Inhaler Use
Participants use their usual maintenance inhaler without a concurrent cognitive task. They are instructed to use the inhaler as they normally do at home. Inhaler technique is assessed using the same standardized five-item device-specific checklist, and inhaler-use time is recorded. No inhaler-technique training, correction, or feedback is provided before completion of both study conditions.
Locations (1)
"Dr. Victor Babeș" Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases and Pneumophthisiology, Timișoara
Timișoara, Timiș County, Romania