Sleep-disordered breathing in unilateral diaphragm paralysis or severe weakness

TY - JOUR

T1 - Sleep-disordered breathing in unilateral diaphragm paralysis or severe weakness

AU - Steier, J

AU - Jolley, C J

AU - Seymour, J

AU - Kaul, S

AU - Luo, Y M

AU - Rafferty, G F

AU - Hart, N

AU - Polkey, M I

AU - Moxham, J

PY - 2008/12

Y1 - 2008/12

N2 - Few data exist concerning sleep in patients with hemidiaphragm paralysis or weakness. Traditionally, such patients are considered to sustain normal ventilation in sleep. In the present study, diaphragm strength was measured in order to identify patients with unilateral paralysis or severe weakness. Patients underwent polysomnography with additional recordings of the transoesophageal electromyogram (EMG) of the diaphragm and surface EMG of extra-diaphragmatic respiratory muscles. These data were compared with 11 normal, healthy subjects matched for sex, age and body mass index (BMI). In total, 11 patients (six males, mean+/-sd age 56.5+/-10.0 yrs, BMI 28.7+/-2.8 kg x m(-2)) with hemidiaphragm paralysis or severe weakness (unilateral twitch transdiaphragmatic pressure 3.3+/-1.7 cmH(2)O (0.33+/-0.17 kPa) were studied. They had a mean+/-sd respiratory disturbance index of 8.1+/-10.1 events x h(-1) during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and 26.0+/-17.8 events x h(-1) during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (control groups 0.4+/-0.4 and 0.7+/-0.9 events x h(-1), respectively). The diaphragm EMG, as a percentage of maximum, was double that of the control group in NREM sleep (15.3+/-5.3 versus 8.9+/-4.9% max, respectively) and increased in REM sleep (20.0+/-6.9% max), while normal subjects sustained the same level of activation (6.2+/-3.1% max). Patients with unilateral diaphragm dysfunction are at risk of developing sleep-disordered breathing during rapid eye movement sleep. The diaphragm electromyogram, reflecting neural respiratory drive, is doubled in patients compared with normal subjects, and increases further in rapid eye movement sleep.

AB - Few data exist concerning sleep in patients with hemidiaphragm paralysis or weakness. Traditionally, such patients are considered to sustain normal ventilation in sleep. In the present study, diaphragm strength was measured in order to identify patients with unilateral paralysis or severe weakness. Patients underwent polysomnography with additional recordings of the transoesophageal electromyogram (EMG) of the diaphragm and surface EMG of extra-diaphragmatic respiratory muscles. These data were compared with 11 normal, healthy subjects matched for sex, age and body mass index (BMI). In total, 11 patients (six males, mean+/-sd age 56.5+/-10.0 yrs, BMI 28.7+/-2.8 kg x m(-2)) with hemidiaphragm paralysis or severe weakness (unilateral twitch transdiaphragmatic pressure 3.3+/-1.7 cmH(2)O (0.33+/-0.17 kPa) were studied. They had a mean+/-sd respiratory disturbance index of 8.1+/-10.1 events x h(-1) during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and 26.0+/-17.8 events x h(-1) during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (control groups 0.4+/-0.4 and 0.7+/-0.9 events x h(-1), respectively). The diaphragm EMG, as a percentage of maximum, was double that of the control group in NREM sleep (15.3+/-5.3 versus 8.9+/-4.9% max, respectively) and increased in REM sleep (20.0+/-6.9% max), while normal subjects sustained the same level of activation (6.2+/-3.1% max). Patients with unilateral diaphragm dysfunction are at risk of developing sleep-disordered breathing during rapid eye movement sleep. The diaphragm electromyogram, reflecting neural respiratory drive, is doubled in patients compared with normal subjects, and increases further in rapid eye movement sleep.

KW - Adult

KW - Aged

KW - Diaphragm

KW - Electromyography

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Lung

KW - Male

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Paralysis

KW - Polysomnography

KW - Quality of Life

KW - Questionnaires

KW - Respiratory Paralysis

KW - Sleep Apnea Syndromes

U2 - 10.1183/09031936.00018808

DO - 10.1183/09031936.00018808

M3 - Article

C2 - 18684853

SN - 1399-3003

VL - 32

SP - 1479

EP - 1487

JO - The European respiratory journal

JF - The European respiratory journal

IS - 6

ER -