Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of study participants
| Awareness group (n=25) |
Non-awareness group (n=19) |
p | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, year | Mean | SD | Mean | SD | |
| 61.4 | 12.6 | 65.3 | 10.6 | 0.277 | |
| Sex | n | % | n | % | |
| Male | 8 | 32 | 8 | 42 | 0.119 |
| Female | 17 | 68 | 11 | 58 | |
| Relationship with the patient | n | % | n | % | |
| Mother | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10.5 | |
| Hasband | 7 | 28 | 8 | 42.1 | |
| Wife | 15 | 60 | 8 | 42.1 | |
| Son | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Daughter | 2 | 8 | 1 | 5.3 | |
| Resonant frequency | Mean | SD | Mean | SD | |
| 6.5 | 0.7 | 6 | 0.7 | 0.869 | |
| n | % | n | % | ||
| 5 | 4 | 16 | 2 | 10.5 | |
| 5.5 | 7 | 28 | 2 | 10.5 | |
| 6 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 5.3 | |
| 6.5 | 10 | 40 | 4 | 21 | |
| 7 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 52.6 | |
| Home self-care group (randomized allocation in the previous study) |
n | % | n | % | |
| 13 | 52 | 11 | 57.8 | 0.705 | |
| NRS assessing expectations of treatment | Mean | SD | Mean | SD | |
| Before HRV-BF | 6.4 | 1.9 | 6.3 | 1.8 | 0.6 |
| After HRV-BF | 8.6 | 1.4 | 6.8 | 2.2 | 0.004 |
| J-ZBI | Mean | SD | Mean | SD | |
| 39.6 | 16.1 | 32.3 | 12.4 | 0.095 | |
| SF-12 (day 0) | Mean | SD | Mean | SD | |
| PCS | 35.2 | 14.4 | 39.7 | 20.3 | 0.116 |
| MCS | 35.6 | 10.8 | 34.5 | 13.4 | 0.458 |
| RCS | 21.2 | 17.2 | 29.1 | 12.3 | 0.01 |
| low-frequency power (day 0, resonant breathing) | Mean | SD | Mean | SD | |
| Before | 254.1 | 179.8 | 283.8 | 202.2 | 0.574 |
| During | 744.4 | 518.2 | 725.4 | 518.2 | 0.715 |
| After | 401.9 | 335 | 423.2 | 382.6 | 0.59 |
QOL quality of life, NRS numerical rating scale, HRV heart rate variability, BF: biofeedback, J-ZBI Japanese version of the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview, SF-12 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey, PCS physical component summary, MCS mental component summary, RCS role/social component summary