Abstract
Fourteen children who had severe asthma and were also undergoing institutional therapy were the subjects of a study of the immediate effects on respiratory function by autogenic training using recording tape. When there was no airway obstruction (%FEV1.0≥80%) there was no significant change, whereas in case of moderate airway obstruction (40%≤%FEV1.0<80%), there was a significant improvement of 8% on average. Now that optimal improvement of the degree of airway obstruction and diurnal changes have become an integral part of asthma management, it is thought that autogenic training can be helpful for treating some asthmatic children. Further studies of various aspects of autogenic training, for example the long-term effects, will be necessary in order for it to be widely adopted as a clinically useful method.
