Guided motor imagery and deep breathing exercises on radiation therapy-induced fatigue in head and neck cancer patients
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of guided motor imagery and deep breathing exercises on radiation therapy-induced fatigue in head and neck cancer patients with those of conventional physiotherapy interventions. AIMS: To evaluate the impact of guided motor imagery and deep breathing exercises on fatigue caused by radiation therapy in patients with head and neck cancer. SETTING: Participants experiencing radiation therapy-induced fatigue were recruited from a tertiary care hospital in South India. DESIGN: The study was conducted as a single-blinded randomized controlled trial. METHODOLOGY: A total of forty-two patients participated in the study. They were randomized using the opaque sealed envelope method and assessed by a blinded evaluator. Group A (n = 21) received guided motor imagery, deep breathing exercises, and conventional physiotherapy, while Group B (n = 21) received only conventional physiotherapy. The interventions were administered three times a week over a period of three weeks. The Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS) was evaluated on both the first and last days of treatment. RESULTS: An independent sample 't' test was used for between-group analysis, revealing a post-test P value of <0.05 for the physical, affective, and cognitive subscales, as well as the total score of the Cancer Fatigue Scale. CONCLUSION: Combining guided motor imagery and deep breathing exercises with conventional physiotherapy led to statistically significant improvements in reducing fatigue induced by radiation therapy in patients with head and neck cancer.
Source: Indian Journal of Cancer
Authors: Simmy Thomas, Purusotham Chippala
Institution: Nitte University
Language: English
Topic: Cancer survivorship and care
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4413108494