Abstract Introduction Music listening during pulmonary rehabilitation has been proposed as a non-pharmacological adjunct to enhance engagement for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the self-selected music preferences of individuals with COPD undertaking pulmonary rehabilitation and the influence of cadence on rehabilitation outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to characterize the music preferences of individuals with COPD for self-selected music listening during a pulmonary rehabilitation program and examine the relationship between music cadence (beats per minute) and clinical outcomes. Methods Participants with COPD were enrolled in an 8-week pulmonary rehabilitation program, consisting of bi-weekly supervised exercise sessions and were randomized to either self-selected music listening (intervention group) or usual care (control group). Those in the intervention group self-selected their preferred options for music listening during an interview with a registered music therapist; individual playlists were made available via a portable mp3 player for use during exercise sessions. The genre and beats per minute for each song/tune were identified using online tools. The clinical effects of self-selected music listening were evaluated using functional exercise capacity (6-minute walk test 6MWT), Modified Borg Scale and Rating of Perceived Exertion following a 6MWT, the Multidimensional Dyspnea Profile (MDP with measures of sensory quality and emotional response) and the Multidimensional Fatigue Index (with five fatigue domains: general, physical, activity, motivation and mental). Results A total of 14 participants with COPD from the intervention group contributed a total of 397 songs/tunes from their playlists. Pop and rock were the most frequently selected genres, collectively comprising over 66% of all songs/tunes. No significant association was evident between genre and gender, although older age (70 years or older) was significantly associated with a preference for pop music, while younger participants (aged less than 70 years) were more likely to select a broad range of genres. Higher average beats per minute correlated with reduced breathlessness (Modified Borg Scale post-6MWT r=-0.630), reduced MDP emotional response to dyspnea (r=-0.628) and lower levels of general fatigue (r=-0.823). Conclusions Individuals with COPD who used self-selected music listening during pulmonary rehabilitation showed a preference for pop and rock genre, with faster-paced cadence linked to favourable changes in dyspnea and fatigue-related outcomes. These findings support a potential role for incorporating personalized, cadence-aware music into pulmonary rehabilitation to optimize patient engagement with possible clinical benefit. This abstract is funded by: Physiotherapy Research Foundation; La Trobe Sports, Exercise and Medicine
Lee et al. (Fri,) studied this question.