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The European Respiratory Journal Jun 2019Assessing respiratory mechanics and muscle function is critical for both clinical practice and research purposes. Several methodological developments over the past two... (Review)
Review
Assessing respiratory mechanics and muscle function is critical for both clinical practice and research purposes. Several methodological developments over the past two decades have enhanced our understanding of respiratory muscle function and responses to interventions across the spectrum of health and disease. They are especially useful in diagnosing, phenotyping and assessing treatment efficacy in patients with respiratory symptoms and neuromuscular diseases. Considerable research has been undertaken over the past 17 years, since the publication of the previous American Thoracic Society (ATS)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) statement on respiratory muscle testing in 2002. Key advances have been made in the field of mechanics of breathing, respiratory muscle neurophysiology (electromyography, electroencephalography and transcranial magnetic stimulation) and on respiratory muscle imaging (ultrasound, optoelectronic plethysmography and structured light plethysmography). Accordingly, this ERS task force reviewed the field of respiratory muscle testing in health and disease, with particular reference to data obtained since the previous ATS/ERS statement. It summarises the most recent scientific and methodological developments regarding respiratory mechanics and respiratory muscle assessment by addressing the validity, precision, reproducibility, prognostic value and responsiveness to interventions of various methods. A particular emphasis is placed on assessment during exercise, which is a useful condition to stress the respiratory system.
Topics: Electromyography; Europe; Exercise; Humans; Muscle Strength; Respiratory Function Tests; Respiratory Mechanics; Respiratory Muscles; Rest; Societies, Medical; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
PubMed: 30956204
DOI: 10.1183/13993003.01214-2018 -
Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation... Feb 2023To evaluate the effects of a home-based respiratory muscle training programme (inspiratory [IMT] or inspiratory/expiratory muscles [RMT]) supervised by... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of a home-based respiratory muscle training programme (inspiratory [IMT] or inspiratory/expiratory muscles [RMT]) supervised by telerehabilitation on quality of life and exercise tolerance in individuals with long-term post-COVID-19 symptoms. The secondary objective was to evaluate the effects of these programmes on respiratory muscle function, physical and lung function, and psychological state.
METHODS
88 individuals with long-term symptoms of fatigue and dyspnoea after COVID-19 diagnosis were randomly (1:1 ratio) assigned to IMT, IMT, RMT or RMT groups for an 8-week intervention (40min/day, 6 times/week). Primary outcomes were quality of life (EuroQol-5D questionnaire) and exercise tolerance (Ruffier test). Secondary outcomes were respiratory muscle function (inspiratory/expiratory muscle strength; inspiratory muscle endurance), physical function (lower and upper limb strength [1-min Sit-to-Stand and handgrip force]), lung function (forced spirometry), and psychological status (anxiety/depression levels and post-traumatic stress disorder). All outcomes were measured pre-, intermediate- (4 week), and post-intervention.
RESULTS
At post-intervention, there was a statistically significant and large (d>0.90) improvement in quality of life, but not in exercise tolerance, in the RMT group compared with the RMT group. Both of the real training groups produced a statistically significant and large increase in inspiratory muscle strength and endurance (d≥0.80) and in lower limb muscle strength (d≥0.77) compared with the 2 sham groups. Expiratory muscle strength and peak expiratory flow showed a statistically significant and large (d≥0.87) increase in the RMT group compared with the other 3 groups.
CONCLUSION
Only an 8-week supervised home-based RMT programme was effective in improving quality of life, but not exercise tolerance, in individuals with long-term post-COVID-19 symptoms. In addition, IMT and RMT programmes were effective in improving respiratory muscle function and lower limb muscle strength, but had no impact on lung function and psychological status.
Topics: Humans; Quality of Life; COVID-19 Testing; Hand Strength; COVID-19; Breathing Exercises; Respiratory Muscles; Muscle Strength
PubMed: 36191860
DOI: 10.1016/j.rehab.2022.101709 -
Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation... Apr 2023The last systematic review about respiratory muscle training (RMT) in people with asthma was published almost 10 years ago. Since then, several works have been published. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
The last systematic review about respiratory muscle training (RMT) in people with asthma was published almost 10 years ago. Since then, several works have been published.
OBJECTIVE
To review the effect of RMT in people with asthma.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review of research included up to September 2021 in PubMed/MEDLINE, PEDro, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, LILACS, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and ClinicalTrials.gov. We included randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies assessing the effect of RMT on respiratory muscle function, rescue medication, asthma-related symptoms, lung function, exercise capacity, healthcare use, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and adverse effects in people with asthma. Risk of bias and methodological quality were assessed with the Cochrane Risk of Bias assessment tool and the PEDro scale. Meta-analysis was performed whenever possible; otherwise a qualitative approach was followed.
RESULTS
Eleven studies (270 participants) were included, 10 with only adults and were included in the meta-analysis. Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) had beneficial effects on maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax: mean difference [MD] 21.95 cmHO [95% confidence interval [CI] 15.05; 28.85]), with no changes in maximal expiratory pressure (MD 14.97 cmHO [95%CI -5.65; 35.59]), lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 sec: MD 0.06 [95%CI -0.14; 0.26] L; force vital capacity: MD 0.39 [95%CI -0.24; 1.02] L) and exercise capacity (standard mean difference [SMD] 1.73 [95%CI -0.61; 4.08]). Subgroup analysis revealed that IMT load >50% PImax and duration >6 weeks were beneficial for exercise capacity. The qualitative analysis suggested that IMT may have benefits on respiratory muscle endurance, rescue medication and exertional dyspnoea, with no adverse effects.
CONCLUSIONS
This systematic review and meta-analysis showed a significant increase in PImax after IMT in adults with asthma and reinforced the relevance of the dose-response principle of training. More evidence is needed to clarify the effect of IMT in respiratory muscle endurance, rescue medication, exercise capacity, healthcare use and HRQoL.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42020221939; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=221939.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Quality of Life; Breathing Exercises; Asthma; Respiratory Muscles
PubMed: 35843501
DOI: 10.1016/j.rehab.2022.101691 -
Intensive Care Medicine Apr 2020Respiratory muscle ultrasound is used to evaluate the anatomy and function of the respiratory muscle pump. It is a safe, repeatable, accurate, and non-invasive bedside... (Review)
Review
Respiratory muscle ultrasound is used to evaluate the anatomy and function of the respiratory muscle pump. It is a safe, repeatable, accurate, and non-invasive bedside technique that can be successfully applied in different settings, including general intensive care and the emergency department. Mastery of this technique allows the intensivist to rapidly diagnose and assess respiratory muscle dysfunction in critically ill patients and in patients with unexplained dyspnea. Furthermore, it can be used to assess patient-ventilator interaction and weaning failure in critically ill patients. This paper provides an overview of the basic and advanced principles underlying respiratory muscle ultrasound with an emphasis on the diaphragm. We review different ultrasound techniques useful for monitoring of the respiratory muscle pump and possible therapeutic consequences. Ideally, respiratory muscle ultrasound is used in conjunction with other components of critical care ultrasound to obtain a comprehensive evaluation of the critically ill patient. We propose the ABCDE-ultrasound approach, a systematic ultrasound evaluation of the heart, lungs and respiratory muscle pump, in patients with weaning failure.
Topics: Critical Care; Critical Illness; Diaphragm; Humans; Intensive Care Units; Respiratory Muscles; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 31938825
DOI: 10.1007/s00134-019-05892-8 -
The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging 2021The condition of muscle fiber atrophy and weakness that occurs in respiratory muscles along with systemic skeletal muscle with age is known as respiratory sarcopenia....
The condition of muscle fiber atrophy and weakness that occurs in respiratory muscles along with systemic skeletal muscle with age is known as respiratory sarcopenia. The Japanese Working Group of Respiratory Sarcopenia of the Japanese Association of Rehabilitation Nutrition narratively reviews these areas, and proposes the concept and diagnostic criteria. We have defined respiratory sarcopenia as "whole-body sarcopenia and low respiratory muscle mass followed by low respiratory muscle strength and/or low respiratory function." Respiratory sarcopenia can be caused by various factors such as aging, decreased activity, undernutrition, disease, cachexia, and iatrogenic causes. We have also created an algorithm for diagnosing respiratory sarcopenia. Respiratory function decreases with age in healthy older people, along with low respiratory muscle mass and strength. We have created a new term, "Presbypnea," meaning a decline in respiratory function with aging. Minor functional respiratory disability due to aging, such as that indicated by a modified Medical Research Council level 1 (troubled by shortness of breath when hurrying or walking straight up hill), is an indicator of presbypnea. We also define sarcopenic respiratory disability as "a disability with deteriorated respiratory function that results from respiratory sarcopenia." Sarcopenic respiratory disability is diagnosed if respiratory sarcopenia is present with functional disability. Cases of respiratory sarcopenia without functional disability are diagnosed as "at risk of sarcopenic respiratory disability." Functional disability is defined as a modified Medical Research Council grade of 2 or more. Rehabilitation nutrition, treatment that combines rehabilitation and nutritional management, may be adequate to prevent and treat respiratory sarcopenia and sarcopenic respiratory disability.
Topics: Aging; Female; Frailty; Humans; Male; Muscle Strength; Respiratory Muscles; Sarcopenia
PubMed: 33786569
DOI: 10.1007/s12603-021-1587-5 -
European Respiratory Review : An... Jun 2023Weaning is a critical stage of an intensive care unit (ICU) stay, in which the respiratory muscles play a major role. Weakness of the respiratory muscles, which is...
Weaning is a critical stage of an intensive care unit (ICU) stay, in which the respiratory muscles play a major role. Weakness of the respiratory muscles, which is associated with significant morbidity in the ICU, is not limited to atrophy and subsequent dysfunction of the diaphragm; the extradiaphragmatic inspiratory and expiratory muscles also play important parts. In addition to the well-established deleterious effect of mechanical ventilation on the respiratory muscles, other risk factors such as sepsis may be involved. Weakness of the respiratory muscles can be suspected visually in a patient with paradoxical movement of the abdominal compartment. Measurement of maximal inspiratory pressure is the simplest way to assess respiratory muscle function, but it does not specifically take the diaphragm into account. A cut-off value of -30 cmHO could identify patients at risk for prolonged ventilatory weaning; however, ultrasound may be better for assessing respiratory muscle function in the ICU. Although diaphragm dysfunction has been associated with weaning failure, this diagnosis should not discourage clinicians from performing spontaneous breathing trials and considering extubation. Recent therapeutic developments aimed at preserving or restoring respiratory muscle function are promising.
Topics: Humans; Noninvasive Ventilation; Respiration, Artificial; Ventilator Weaning; Respiration; Respiratory Muscles; Muscle Weakness; Respiratory Insufficiency
PubMed: 37019456
DOI: 10.1183/16000617.0205-2022 -
Journal of Osteopathic Medicine Sep 2021Cardiac surgery with median sternotomy causes iatrogenic damage to the function of the diaphragm muscle that is both temporary and permanent. Myocardial infarction... (Review)
Review
Cardiac surgery with median sternotomy causes iatrogenic damage to the function of the diaphragm muscle that is both temporary and permanent. Myocardial infarction itself causes diaphragmatic genetic alterations, which lead the muscle to nonphysiological adaptation. The respiratory muscle area plays several roles in maintaining both physical and mental health, as well as in maximizing recovery after a cardiac event. The evaluation of the diaphragm is a fundamental step in the therapeutic process, including the use of instruments such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed axial tomography (CT). This article reviews the neurophysiological relationships of the diaphragm muscle and the symptoms of diaphragmatic contractile dysfunction. The authors discuss a scientific basis for the use of a new noninstrumental diaphragmatic test in the hope of stimulating research.
Topics: Diaphragm; Humans; Phrenic Nerve; Respiratory Muscles; Respiratory Paralysis; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 34523291
DOI: 10.1515/jom-2021-0101 -
International Journal of Environmental... Nov 2022Patients affected by COVID-19 may develop an impaired lung function, with reduced lung capacities and volumes, respiratory muscle weakness, changes in radiographic and... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial
BACKGROUND
Patients affected by COVID-19 may develop an impaired lung function, with reduced lung capacities and volumes, respiratory muscle weakness, changes in radiographic and tomographic findings, limitations in exercising, decreased functional capacity, depression, anxiety and reduced quality of life. Thus, we aimed to analyze the effects of a pulmonary and functional rehabilitation program on the functional capacity, lung function and respiratory muscle strength in patients who were affected by COVID-19 syndrome.
METHODS
This is a pilot clinical trial, composed of post-COVID-19 patients with mild, moderate or severe involvement, in which, they underwent a pulmonary and functional rehabilitation program. Patients were evaluated for functional capacity by the 6 min walk test, pulmonary function by spirometry, respiratory muscle strength by manovacuometry, handgrip strength by dynamometry, quality of life by the COPD Assessment Test and functional status by the PCFS. After the initial assessments, the patients performed the rehabilitation protocol in 16 sessions (inspiratory muscle training, aerobic exercise and peripheral muscle strength) and, at the end, they were evaluated again.
RESULTS
A total of 29 patients completed the program (12.7 ± 2.7 sessions). The functional capacity increased in meters walked from 326.3 ± 140.6 to 445.4 ± 151.1 ( < 0.001), with an increase in the predicted value from 59.7% to 82.6% ( < 0.001). The lung function increased in liters from 2.9 ± 0.8 to 3.2 ± 0.8 ( = 0.004) for forced vital capacity and from 2.5 ± 0.7 to 2.7 ± 0.7 ( = 0.001) for forced expiratory volume in the first second. The respiratory muscle strength increased in cmHO from 101.4 ± 46.3 to 115.8 ± 38.3 ( = 0.117) for inspiratory pressure and from 85.8 ± 32.8 to 106.7 ± 36.8 ( < 0.001) for expiratory pressure.
CONCLUSIONS
The pulmonary and functional rehabilitation program provided an improvement in the functional capacity, pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength in post-COVID-19 patients, restoring their quality of life.
Topics: Humans; Breathing Exercises; COVID-19; Hand Strength; Lung; Muscle Strength; Quality of Life; Respiratory Muscles; Pilot Projects
PubMed: 36429613
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192214899 -
Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation... Sep 2022Previous reviews relating to the effects of respiratory muscle training (RMT) after stroke tend to focus on only one type of training (inspiratory or expiratory muscles)... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Previous reviews relating to the effects of respiratory muscle training (RMT) after stroke tend to focus on only one type of training (inspiratory or expiratory muscles) and most based the results on poor-quality studies (PEDro score ≤4).
OBJECTIVES
With this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to determine the effects of RMT (inspiratory or expiratory muscle training, or mixed) on exercise tolerance, respiratory muscle function and pulmonary function and also the effects depending on the type of training performed at short- and medium-term in post-stroke.
METHODS
Databases searched were MEDLINE, PEDro, CINAHL, EMBASE and Web of Science up to the end of April 2020. The quality and risk of bias for each included study was examined by the PEDro scale (including only high-quality studies) and Cochrane Risk of Bias tool.
RESULTS
Nine studies (463 patients) were included. The meta-analysis showed a significant increase in exercise tolerance [4 studies; n = 111; standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.65 (95% confidence interval 0.27-1.04)]; inspiratory muscle strength [9 studies; n = 344; SMD = 0.65 (0.17-1.13)]; inspiratory muscle endurance [3 studies; n = 81; SMD = 1.19 (0.71-1.66)]; diaphragm thickness [3 studies; n = 79; SMD = 0.9 (0.43-1.37)]; and peak expiratory flow [3 studies; n = 84; SMD = 0.55 (0.03-1.08)] in the short-term. There were no benefits on expiratory muscle strength and pulmonary function variables (forced expiratory volume in 1 s) in the short-term.
CONCLUSIONS
The meta-analysis provided moderate-quality evidence that RMT improves exercise tolerance, diaphragm thickness and pulmonary function (i.e., peak expiratory flow) and low-quality evidence for the effects on inspiratory muscle strength and endurance in stroke survivors in the short-term. None of these effects are retained in the medium-term. Combined inspiratory and expiratory muscle training seems to promote greater respiratory changes than inspiratory muscle training alone.
Topics: Breathing Exercises; Exercise Tolerance; Forced Expiratory Volume; Humans; Muscle Strength; Respiratory Muscles; Stroke
PubMed: 34687960
DOI: 10.1016/j.rehab.2021.101596 -
Journal of Physiotherapy Jul 2015Does inspiratory muscle training improve inspiratory muscle strength in adults receiving mechanical ventilation? Does it improve the duration or success of weaning? Does... (Review)
Review
QUESTION
Does inspiratory muscle training improve inspiratory muscle strength in adults receiving mechanical ventilation? Does it improve the duration or success of weaning? Does it affect length of stay, reintubation, tracheostomy, survival, or the need for post-extubation non-invasive ventilation? Is it tolerable and does it cause adverse events?
DESIGN
Systematic review of randomised trials.
PARTICIPANTS
Adults receiving mechanical ventilation.
INTERVENTION
Inspiratory muscle training versus sham or no inspiratory muscle training.
OUTCOME MEASURES
Data were extracted regarding: inspiratory muscle strength and endurance; the rapid shallow breathing index; weaning success and duration; duration of mechanical ventilation; reintubation; tracheostomy; length of stay; use of non-invasive ventilation after extubation; survival; readmission; tolerability and adverse events.
RESULTS
Ten studies involving 394 participants were included. Heterogeneity within some meta-analyses was high. Random-effects meta-analyses showed that the training significantly improved maximal inspiratory pressure (MD 7 cmH2O, 95% CI 5 to 9), the rapid shallow breathing index (MD 15 breaths/min/l, 95% CI 8 to 23) and weaning success (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.76). Although only assessed in individual studies, significant benefits were also reported for the time spent on non-invasive ventilation after weaning (MD 16 hours, 95% CI 13 to 18), length of stay in the intensive care unit (MD 4.5 days, 95% CI 3.6 to 5.4) and length of stay in hospital (MD 4.4 days, 95% CI 3.4 to 5.5). Weaning duration decreased in the subgroup of patients with known weaning difficulty. The other outcomes weren't significantly affected or weren't measured.
CONCLUSION
Inspiratory muscle training for selected patients in the intensive care unit facilitates weaning, with potential reductions in length of stay and the duration of non-invasive ventilatory support after extubation. The heterogeneity among the results suggests that the effects of inspiratory muscle training may vary; this perhaps depends on factors such as the components of usual care or the patient's characteristics.
Topics: Humans; Inhalation; Intensive Care Units; Physical Therapy Modalities; Respiration, Artificial; Respiratory Muscles; Ventilator Weaning
PubMed: 26092389
DOI: 10.1016/j.jphys.2015.05.016