Influence of Thoracoabdominal Movement on Pulmonary Function in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: Comparison with Healthy Subjects

Abstract

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) may develop pulmonary dysfunction, but the pathogenesis remains unclear. We investigated a correlation between thoracoab dominal movements and pulmonary function in seven patients with PD and 14 healthy controls. We measured vital capacity (VC) and forced vital capacity (FVC) using an autospirometer, and measured chest and abdominal movements using a respiraory in ductance plethysmography by fixing transducers on the rib cage and umbilicus. Pa tients with PD had significantly decreased % VC (90.3 ± 17.1 vs 105.8 ± 13.9%), chest movement (271.3 ± 79.6 vs. 375.2 ± 126.7% VT) and abdominal movement (217.6 ± 93.5 vs. 247.4 ± 100.2% VT) with 100% VT being an average volume of chest and abdomen at rest during measurement of VC. Patients with PD also had sig nificantly decreased % FVC (74.4 ± 20.6 vs. 97.6 ± 14.1%), chest movement (246.2 ± 115.2 vs. 344.5 ± 126.4% VT) and abdominal movement (160.3 ± 105.6 vs 207.6 ± 104.7% VT) with 100% VT being an average volume of chest and abdomen at rest during forced maximal inspiration.

Based on the results, we conclude that a reduction of % VC in patients with PD correlated with chest movements, while a reduction of % FVC correlated with ab dominal movement in patients with PD.

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