Slow Breathing Reduces Biomarkers of Stress in Response to a Virtual Reality Active Shooter Training Drill

Q: What are the key findings of this study?

Slow breathing significantly prevented the elevation of salivary alpha-amylase concentrations at 5 and 30 minutes post-virtual reality active shooter training compared to normal breathing control.

Q: What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: RCT. Population: Healthy adults exposed to acute stress (n=79). Intervention: Slow breathing vs. Normal breathing (historical control). Primary outcome: Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) concentrations 5 and 30 minutes post-VR-ASD (p=<0.001).

Courtney C. Dillard; M. Hunter Martaindale; Stacy D. Hunter; Matthew J. McAllister

doi:10.3390/healthcare11162351

August 21, 2023HealthcareOpen Access

Slow Breathing Reduces Biomarkers of Stress in Response to a Virtual Reality Active Shooter Training Drill

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Share

Key result

Slow breathing suppresses post-drill salivary alpha-amylase surges compared to normal breathing.

P<0.001
n=79

Figures

Why the study?

Tactical occupations are trained to use slow breathing during intense stress, but evidence supporting its effects on stress markers during a virtual reality active shooter drill was lacking.

Does slow breathing reduce biomarkers of stress in healthy adults responding to a virtual reality active shooter training drill?

Study Design

Type

RCT (n=79)

Blinding

Single-blinded

Randomization

Randomized to intervention arms; control group data sourced retrospectively from a previous study

Multicenter

No

Structured PICO

Does slow breathing reduce biomarkers of stress in healthy adults responding to a virtual reality active shooter training drill?

P

Population

79 healthy university students, aged 18-39 without cardiovascular or metabolic diseases, were evaluated for acute stress biomarkers following a virtual reality active shooter training drill.

I

Intervention

Slow breathing method 1 (4s inhale, 2s pause, 4s exhale, 2s pause) or slow breathing method 2 (4s inhale, 2s exhale) performed for 5 minutes both pre- and post-virtual reality active shooter training drill.

C

Comparator

Normal breathing (control group derived from a previous study participating in the same drill).

O

Outcome

Biomarkers of stress including salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and secretory immunoglobulin-A (SIgA) collected 5 and 30 minutes post-drill.surrogate

Main Result

p-value: p=<0.001

Acute slow breathing exercises can attenuate physiological sympathetic nervous system responses during intense psychological stress.

Limitations

Lack of heart rate and SAI data for the control condition
Salivary stress and anxiety measures were not collected immediately before and after the breathing interventions
Subjects were university students, not trained law enforcement officers accustomed to high-stress scenarios
Demographic data for height and weight were missing for the historical control group
Study lacked HR and SAI data for comparison to the control condition.
Salivary stress, HR, and anxiety measures were not collected both before and after each breathing intervention.
Subjects were not trained law enforcement officers.
Control group lacked demographic data for height and weight.

Ask about this paper

Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.

Implication

Acute slow breathing blunts sympathetic activation in high-stress VR training; extends small RCT biomarker data but leaves open PTSD outcome trials.

Abstract

Tactical occupations regularly encounter life-threatening situations while on duty. Although these occupations are often trained to utilize slow breathing (SB) during intense stress, there is no evidence supporting the effects on markers of stress in response to a virtual reality active shooter training drill (VR-ASD). The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of acute SB on biomarkers of stress in response to a VR-ASD. Seventy-nine (n = 79) subjects performed either slow breathing method 1 (SB1), slow breathing method 2 (SB2), or normal breathing (control) for five minutes, both pre- and post-VR-ASD. Saliva samples were analyzed for stress markers, including α-amylase (sAA) and secretory immunoglobulin-A (SIgA). Both methods of SB resulted in significantly lower sAA concentrations at 5 (p < 0.001) and 30 min post-VR-ASD (SB1: p = 0.008; SB2: p < 0.001) compared to the control. In the control condition, the sAA concentrations were significantly elevated 5 min post-VR-ASD (p < 0.001) but did not change across time in SB1 or SB2 (p > 0.05). Thus, both SB1 and SB2 reduced the sAA response and resulted in lower concentrations post-VR-ASD. This study was pre-registered as a clinical trial (“Impact of Breathing Interventions on Stress Markers”; NCT05825846).

Discussion

No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.

Cite This Study

Dillard et al. (2023) conducted an RCT in Healthy adults exposed to acute stress (n=79). Slow breathing vs. Normal breathing (historical control) was evaluated on Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) concentrations 5 and 30 minutes post-VR-ASD (p=<0.001). Slow breathing significantly prevented the elevation of salivary alpha-amylase concentrations at 5 and 30 minutes post-virtual reality active shooter training compared to normal breathing control.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a30ac68912b1f0ec6bcb3e3 https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11162351

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Share

Slow Breathing Reduces Biomarkers of Stress in Response to a Virtual Reality Active Shooter Training Drill

Figures

Study Design

Structured PICO

Main Result

Limitations

Ask about this paper

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Slow Breathing Reduces Biomarkers of Stress in Response to a Virtual Reality Active Shooter Training Drill

Figures

Study Design

Structured PICO

Main Result

Limitations

Ask about this paper

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Keep reading

Keep reading