Autogenic Drainage Versus Mechanical Percussion in Children With Cystic Fibrosis

NCT07729787 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: REC/RCR & AHS/25/0318
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 32
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the effects of autogenic drainage and mechanical percussion on lung function, dyspnea, and quality of life in children with cystic fibrosis. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does autogenic drainage improve lung function more effectively than mechanical percussion in children with cystic fibrosis?
• Does autogenic drainage reduce dyspnea (breathlessness) more effectively than mechanical percussion?
• Does autogenic drainage improve health-related quality of life more effectively than mechanical percussion? Researchers will compare autogenic drainage with mechanical percussion to determine which airway clearance technique provides greater benefits for children with cystic fibrosis. Participants will:
• Be randomly assigned to receive either autogenic drainage or mechanical percussion therapy.
• Participate in supervised treatment sessions five times per week for six weeks.
• Undergo assessments of lung function using spirometry (FEV₁ and FVC), dyspnea using the Modified Borg Dyspnea Scale, and quality of life using the Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised (CFQ-R) before and after the intervention period. The findings of this study may help identify the most effective airway clearance technique for improving respiratory health and quality of life in children with cystic fibrosis.

Conditions

Cystic Fibrosis (CF)

Keywords

Cystic Fibrosis; Autogenic Drainage; Mechanical Percussion; Airway Clearance Techniques; Chest Physiotherapy; Pulmonary Function; Spirometry; Dyspnea

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second (FEV₁)

  Change in Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV₁) measured using spirometry and reported in liters (L). Higher values indicate improved pulmonary function.

  Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 6).

• Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)

  Change in Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) measured using spirometry and reported in liters (L). Higher values indicate improved pulmonary function.

  Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 6).

• Dyspnea

  Change in dyspnea severity measured using the Modified Borg Dyspnea Scale (0-10). Lower scores indicate reduced dyspnea and clinical improvement.

  Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 6).

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised (CFQ-R) Total Score

  Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 6).

Study Arms (2)

Autogenic Drainage Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants assigned to this arm will receive therapist-guided autogenic drainage, an airway clearance technique that uses controlled breathing at different lung volumes to mobilize secretions from peripheral to central airways. Treatment sessions will be administered five times per week for six weeks, with each session lasting approximately 10 minutes under physiotherapist supervision.

Procedure: Autogenic Drainage

Mechanical Percussion Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants assigned to this arm will receive mechanical chest percussion therapy using a high-frequency percussion device to facilitate airway secretion clearance. Treatment sessions will be administered five times per week for six weeks, with each session lasting approximately 10 minutes under physiotherapist supervision.

Device: Mechanical Percussion

Interventions

Autogenic Drainage PROCEDURE

Autogenic drainage is a breathing-based airway clearance technique designed to mobilize and remove bronchial secretions. Participants will receive therapist-guided autogenic drainage sessions consisting of controlled breathing at low, medium, and high lung volumes to facilitate mucus movement from peripheral to central airways. Treatment sessions will be conducted under physiotherapist supervision for approximately 10 minutes per session, five times per week, for six weeks.

Also known as: Airway Clearance Technique AD

Autogenic Drainage Group

Mechanical Percussion DEVICE

Mechanical percussion is an airway clearance intervention that utilizes a mechanical percussion device to generate rhythmic vibrations over the chest wall to loosen and mobilize pulmonary secretions. Participants will receive supervised mechanical percussion therapy for approximately 10 minutes per session, five times per week, for six weeks. Treatment will be delivered according to standardized clinical procedures, with device settings adjusted to participant tolerance and clinical response.

Also known as: Mechanical Chest Percussion Chest Percussion Therapy High-Frequency Percussion Therapy

Mechanical Percussion Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Years - 12 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Confirmed diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF) through a sweat test or genetic testing.
• Age between 6 and 12 years.
• Clinically stable condition (no acute pulmonary exacerbation within the last 4 weeks).

You may not qualify if:

• History of thoracic surgery.
• Active hemoptysis.
• Severe physical or cognitive disabilities limiting participation in the intervention or assessments.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Riphah International University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Nishter Hospital Multan

Multan Khurd, Punjab Province, 59300, Pakistan

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Cystic Fibrosis; Dyspnea

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pancreatic Diseases; Digestive System Diseases; Lung Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Genetic Diseases, Inborn; Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Respiration Disorders; Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Humera Ayub, MS-CPPT

  Riphah International University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Imran Amjad, PhD

CONTACT

03324390125; imran.amjad@riphah.edu.pk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: The study uses a single-blind design in which outcome assessors are blinded to participant group allocation. Outcome assessments, including spirometry, dyspnea evaluation, and quality-of-life measurements, are performed by assessors who are not involved in treatment delivery. Participants and treating physiotherapists are not blinded because of the nature of the interventions.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to one of two parallel intervention groups: Autogenic Drainage (AD) or Mechanical Percussion (MP). Each group will receive its assigned intervention five times per week for six weeks. Outcomes including lung function (FEV₁ and FVC), dyspnea, and quality of life will be assessed at baseline and after completion of the intervention period. Participants will remain in their assigned group throughout the study, and no crossover between interventions will occur.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 21, 2026
• First Posted: July 28, 2026
• Study Start: June 14, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): November 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): November 30, 2026
• Last Updated: July 28, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)