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Cited by 53Respiratory and Cough-Related ResearchAsthma and respiratory diseasesPsychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments

Investigating the Claims of Konstantin Buteyko, M.D., Ph.D.: The Relationship of Breath Holding Time to End Tidal CO 2 and Other Proposed Measures of Dysfunctional Breathing

Courtney, Rosalba, Cohen, Marc·2008·The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
DOI 10.1089/acm.2007.7204
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Abstract

Objectives Konstantin Buteyko, M.D., Ph.D., claimed that breath holding time (BHT) can be used to detect chronic hyperventilation and that BHT predicts alveolar CO(2) (Pa(CO(2))) according to his patented mathematical formula. The Buteyko Breathing Technique (BBT) is believed to correct chronic hyperventilation as evidenced by increased BHT. In this study, we test Buteyko's claims and explore the relationship between BHT and end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO(2)) as well as measures of dysfunctional breathing (DB) including the Nijmegen questionnaire, the Self Evaluation of Breathing Questionnaire, and thoracic dominant breathing pattern. Subjects Eighty-three (83) adults healthy or suspected of having dysfunctional breathing, 29 with abnormal spirometry readings, 54 with normal spirometry. Outcome measures BHT, performed according to BBT protocols, was measured along with ETCO(2) and other measures of DB including the Nijmegen questionnaire, and manual assessment of respiratory motion, a palpatory technique for measuring thoraco-abdominal balance during breathing. Correlations between measures of DB were made in the whole sample and also in subgroups with normal or abnormal spirometry. DB measures were compared in normal and abnormal spirometry groups. Results The results revealed a negative correlation between BHT and ETCO(2) (r= -0.241, p Conclusions Although BHT does not predict resting ETCO(2), it does correlate with breathing pattern in subjects with abnormal spirometry. It…

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  • Patients with both elevated Nijmegen questionnaire scores and abnormal breathing patterns as assessed by MARM may benefit from breathing retraining to produce more efficient breathing patterns.

    “Patients with both elevated Nijmegen questionnaire scores and abnormal breathing patterns as assessed by MARM may benefit from breathing retraining to produce more efficient breathing patterns [34].”

    From Dysfunctional breathing: a review of the literature and proposal for classification (2016) · cites this paper as [34]

  • Objective assessment tools lack sufficient evidence (BH and BPAT) or are perceived to be too complex for general use (Manual Assessment of Respiratory Motion).

    “Objective assessment tools lack sufficient evidence (BH 31 and BPAT 14 ) or are perceived to be too complex for general use (Manual Assessment of Respiratory Motion 32 ).”

    From Physiotherapy assessment of breathing pattern disorder: a qualitative evaluation (2023) · cites this paper as [31]

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Authors
Courtney, R., & Cohen, M.
Affiliations
  • Private practice, Avalon, New South Wales, Australia.
  • RMIT University (AU)
ORCID
Venue
The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2008-03
Volume
14
Issue
2
Pages
115-123
ISSN
  • 1075-5535 (ISSN-L)
  • 1557-7708
DOI
10.1089/acm.2007.7204
OpenAlex
W2048776004
Cited by
53
References
4
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 2 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 1
FWCI
1.53
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RMIT Research Repository (RMIT University Library) (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Respiratory and Cough-Related Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Asthma and respiratory diseases
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
Keywords
Buteyko breathing technique, breath holding time, end-tidal carbon dioxide, dysfunctional breathing, Nijmegen questionnaire, breathing therapy, dyspnea
MeSH terms
Adult, Breath Tests, Breathing Exercises, Carbon Monoxide, Dyspnea, Female, Humans, Male, Reference Values, Respiration, Sensitivity and Specificity, Spirometry, Tidal Volume, Reproducibility of Results

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