Medical hypnosis mitigates laboratory dyspnoea in healthy humans: a randomised, controlled experimental trial.

QUESTION: Dyspnoea persisting despite treatments of underlying causes requires symptomatic approaches. Medical hypnosis could provide relief without the untoward effects of pharmacological approaches. We addressed this question through experimentally induced dyspnoea in healthy humans (inspiratory threshold loading (excessive inspiratory effort) and carbon dioxide stimulation (air hunger)). MATERIAL AND METHODS: 20 volunteers (10 women, aged 21-40 years) were studied on four separate days. The order of the visits was randomised in two steps: firstly, the "inspiratory threshold loading first" versus "carbon dioxide first" group (n=10 in each group); secondly, the "medical hypnosis first" versus "visual distraction first" subgroup (n=5 in each subgroup). Each visit comprised three 5-min periods (reference, intervention, washout) during which participants used visual analogue scales (VAS) to rate the sensory and affective dimensions of dyspnoea, and after which they completed the Multidimensional Dyspnea Profile. RESULTS: Medical hypnosis reduced both dimensions of dyspnoea significantly more than visual distraction (inspiratory threshold loading: sensory reduction after 5 min 34% of full VAS versus 8% (p=0.0042), affective reduction 17.6% versus 2.4% (p=0.044); carbon dioxide: sensory reduction after 5 min 36.9% versus 3% (p=0.0015), affective reduction 29.1% versus 8.7% (p=0.0023)). The Multidimensional Dyspnea Profile showed more marked sensory effects during inspiratory threshold loading and more marked affective effects during carbon dioxide stimulation. ANSWER TO THE QUESTION: Medical hypnosis was more effective than visual distraction at attenuating the sensory and affective dimensions of experimentally induced dyspnoea. This provides a strong rationale for clinical studies of hypnosis in persistent dyspnoea patients.

Sensory interventions to relieve dyspnoea in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients.

BACKGROUND: In critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation, dyspnoea is frequent, severe and associated with an increased risk of neuropsychological sequelae. We evaluated the efficacy of sensory interventions targeting the brain rather than the respiratory system to relieve dyspnoea in mechanically ventilated patients. METHODS: Patients receiving mechanical ventilation for ≥48 h and reporting dyspnoea (unidimensional dyspnoea visual analogue scale (Dyspnoea-VAS)) first underwent increased pressure support and then, in random order, auditory stimulation (relaxing music versus pink noise) and air flux stimulation (facial versus lower limb). Treatment responses were assessed using Dyspnoea-VAS, the Multidimensional Dyspnea Profile and measures of the neural drive to breathe (airway occlusion pressure (P 0.1) and electromyography of inspiratory muscles). RESULTS: We included 46 patients (tracheotomy or intubation n=37; noninvasive ventilation n=9). Increasing pressure support decreased Dyspnoea-VAS by median 40 mm (p<0.001). Exposure to music decreased Dyspnoea-VAS compared with exposure to pink noise by median 40 mm (p<0.001). Exposure to facial air flux decreased Dyspnoea-VAS compared with limb air flux by median 30 mm (p<0.001). Increasing pressure support, but not music exposure and facial air flux, reduced P 0.1 by median 3.3 cmH2O (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In mechanically ventilated patients, sensory interventions can modulate the processing of respiratory signals by the brain irrespective of the intensity of the neural drive to breathe. It should therefore be possible to alleviate dyspnoea without resorting to pharmacological interventions or having to infringe the constraints of mechanical ventilation lung protection strategies by increasing ventilatory support.

Increasing Sweep Gas Flow Reduces Respiratory Drive and Dyspnea in Nonintubated Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Patients: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Data on assessment and management of dyspnea in patients on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for cardiogenic shock are lacking. The hypothesis was that increasing sweep gas flow through the venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenator may decrease dyspnea in nonintubated venoarterial ECMO patients exhibiting clinically significant dyspnea, with a parallel reduction in respiratory drive. METHODS: Nonintubated, spontaneously breathing, supine patients on venoarterial ECMO for cardiogenic shock who presented with a dyspnea visual analog scale (VAS) score of greater than or equal to 40/100 mm were included. Sweep gas flow was increased up to +6 l/min by three steps of +2 l/min each. Dyspnea was assessed with the dyspnea-VAS and the Multidimensional Dyspnea Profile. The respiratory drive was assessed by the electromyographic activity of the alae nasi and parasternal muscles. RESULTS: A total of 21 patients were included in the study. Upon inclusion, median dyspnea-VAS was 50 (interquartile range, 45 to 60) mm, and sweep gas flow was 1.0 l/min (0.5 to 2.0). An increase in sweep gas flow significantly decreased dyspnea-VAS (50 [45 to 60] at baseline vs. 20 [10 to 30] at 6 l/min; P < 0.001). The decrease in dyspnea was greater for the sensory component of dyspnea (-50% [-43 to -75]) than for the affective and emotional components (-17% [-0 to -25] and -12% [-0 to -17]; P < 0.001). An increase in sweep gas flow significantly decreased electromyographic activity of the alae nasi and parasternal muscles (-23% [-36 to -10] and -20 [-41 to -0]; P < 0.001). There was a significant correlation between the sweep gas flow and the dyspnea-VAS (r = -0.91; 95% CI, -0.94 to -0.87), between the respiratory drive and the sensory component of dyspnea (r = 0.29; 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.44) between the respiratory drive and the affective component of dyspnea (r = 0.29; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.54) and between the sweep gas flow and the alae nasi and parasternal (r = -0.31; 95% CI, -0.44 to -0.22; and r = -0.25; 95% CI, -0.44 to -0.16). CONCLUSIONS: In critically ill patients with venoarterial ECMO, an increase in sweep gas flow through the oxygenation membrane decreases dyspnea, possibly mediated by a decrease in respiratory drive.

Direct current stimulation as a non-invasive therapeutic alternative for treating autonomic or non-autonomic neurological disorders affecting breathing.

Direct current stimulation (DCS) is a non-invasive approach to stimulate the nervous system that is now considered a powerful tool for treating neurological diseases such as those affecting cognitive or locomotor functions. DCS, as applied clinically today, is an approach built on early uses in antiquity and knowledge gained over time. Its current use makes use of specific devices and takes into account knowledge of the mechanisms by which this approach modulates functioning of the nervous system at the cellular level. Over the last 20 years, although there are few studies, it has been shown that DCS can also modulate the breathing autonomic function. In this narrative review, after briefly providing the historical perspective and describing the principles and the main cellular and molecular effects, we summarize the currently available data regarding the modulation of ventilation, and propose that DCS could be used to treat autonomic or non-autonomic neurological disorders affecting breathing.

Interventions Relieving Dyspnea in Intubated Patients Show Responsiveness of the Mechanical Ventilation-Respiratory Distress Observation Scale.

Rationale: Breathing difficulties are highly stressful. In critically ill patients, they are associated with an increased risk of posttraumatic manifestations. Dyspnea, the corresponding symptom, cannot be directly assessed in noncommunicative patients. This difficulty can be circumvented using observation scales such as the mechanical ventilation-respiratory distress observation scale (MV-RDOS). Objective: To investigate the performance and responsiveness of the MV-RDOS to infer dyspnea in noncommunicative intubated patients. Methods: Communicative and noncommunicative patients exhibiting breathing difficulties under mechanical ventilation were prospectively included and assessed using a dyspnea visual analog scale, MV-RDOS, EMG activity of alae nasi and parasternal intercostals, and EEG signatures of respiratory-related cortical activation (preinspiratory potentials). Inspiratory-muscle EMG and preinspiratory cortical activities are surrogates of dyspnea. Assessments were conducted at baseline, after adjustment of ventilator settings, and, in some cases, after morphine administration. Measurements and Main Results: Fifty patients (age, 67 [(interquartile interval [IQR]), 61-76] yr; Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, 52 [IQR, 35-62]) were included, 25 of whom were noncommunicative. Relief occurred in 25 (50%) patients after ventilator adjustments and in 21 additional patients after morphine administration. In noncommunicative patients, MV-RDOS score decreased from 5.5 (IQR, 4.2-6.6) at baseline to 4.2 (IQR, 2.1-4.7; P < 0.001) after ventilator adjustments and 2.5 (IQR, 2.1-4.2; P = 0.024) after morphine administration. MV-RDOS and alae nasi/parasternal EMG activities were positively correlated (ρ = 0.41 and 0.37, respectively). MV-RDOS scores were higher in patients with EEG preinspiratory potentials (4.9 [IQR, 4.2-6.3] vs. 4.0 [IQR, 2.1-4.9]; P = 0.002). Conclusions: The MV-RDOS seems able to detect and monitor respiratory symptoms reasonably well in noncommunicative intubated patients. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02801838).

Poor Correlation between Diaphragm Thickening Fraction and Transdiaphragmatic Pressure in Mechanically Ventilated Patients and Healthy Subjects.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between the diaphragm thickening fraction and the transdiaphragmatic pressure, the reference method to evaluate the diaphragm function, has not been clearly established. This study investigated the global and intraindividual relationship between the thickening fraction of the diaphragm and the transdiaphragmatic pressure. The authors hypothesized that the diaphragm thickening fraction would be positively and significantly correlated to the transdiaphragmatic pressure, in both healthy participants and ventilated patients. METHODS: Fourteen healthy individuals and 25 mechanically ventilated patients (enrolled in two previous physiologic investigations) participated in the current study. The zone of apposition of the right hemidiaphragm was imaged simultaneously to transdiaphragmatic pressure recording within different breathing conditions, i.e., external inspiratory threshold loading in healthy individuals and various pressure support settings in patients. A blinded offline breath-by-breath analysis synchronously computed the changes in transdiaphragmatic pressure, the diaphragm pressure-time product, and diaphragm thickening fraction. Global and intraindividual relationships between variables were assessed. RESULTS: In healthy subjects, both changes in transdiaphragmatic pressure and diaphragm pressure-time product were moderately correlated to diaphragm thickening fraction (repeated measures correlation = 0.40, P < 0.0001; and repeated measures correlation = 0.38, P < 0.0001, respectively). In mechanically ventilated patients, changes in transdiaphragmatic pressure and thickening fraction were weakly correlated (repeated measures correlation = 0.11, P = 0.008), while diaphragm pressure-time product and thickening fraction were not (repeated measures correlation = 0.04, P = 0.396). Individually, changes in transdiaphragmatic pressure and thickening fraction were significantly correlated in 8 of 14 healthy subjects (ρ = 0.30 to 0.85, all P < 0.05) and in 2 of 25 mechanically ventilated patients (ρ = 0.47 to 0.64, all P < 0.05). Diaphragm pressure-time product and thickening fraction correlated in 8 of 14 healthy subjects (ρ = 0.41 to 0.82, all P < 0.02) and in 2 of 25 mechanically ventilated patients (ρ = 0.63 to 0.66, all P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, diaphragm function as assessed with transdiaphragmatic pressure was weakly related to diaphragm thickening fraction. The diaphragm thickening fraction should not be used in healthy subjects or ventilated patients when changes in diaphragm function are evaluated.

Respiratory distress observation scales to predict weaning outcome.

BACKGROUND: Whether dyspnea is present before starting a spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) and whether it may affect the outcome of the SBT is unknown. Mechanical Ventilation-Respiratory Distress Observation Scale (MV-RDOS) has been proposed as a reliable surrogate of dyspnea in non-communicative intubated patients. In the present study, we sought (1) to describe the evolution of the MV-RDOS during a SBT and (2) to investigate whether MV-RDOS can predict the outcome of the SBT. METHODS: Prospective, single-center study in a twenty-two bed ICU in a tertiary center. Patients intubated since more 48 h who had failed a first SBT were eligible if they meet classical readiness to wean criteria. The MV-RDOS was assessed before, at 2-min, 15-min and 30-min (end) of the SBT. The presence of clinically important dyspnea was inferred by a MV-RDOS value ≥ 2.6. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients (age 63 [51-70], SAPS II 66 [51-76]; med [IQR]) were included. Thirty-three (57%) patients failed the SBT, whose 18 (55%) failed before 15-min. Twenty-five (43%) patients successfully passed the SBT. A MV-RDOS ≥ 2.6 was present in ten (17%) patients before to start the SBT. All these ten patients subsequently failed the SBT. A MV-RDOS ≥ 2.6 at 2-min predicted a SBT failure with a 51% sensibility and a 88% specificity (AUC 0.741 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.616-0.866, p = 0.002). Best cut-off value at 2-min was 4.3 and predicted SBT failure with a 27% sensibility and a 96% specificity. CONCLUSION: Despite patients met classical readiness to wean criteria, respiratory distress assessed with the MV-RDOS was frequent at the beginning of SBT. Measuring MV-RDOS before to initiate a SBT could avoid undue procedure and reduce patient's exposure to unnecessary mechanical ventilation weaning failure and distress.

Ultrafast ultrasound coupled with cervical magnetic stimulation for non-invasive and non-volitional assessment of diaphragm contractility.

KEY POINTS: Twitch transdiaphragmatic pressure elicited by cervical magnetic stimulation of the phrenic nerves is a fully non-volitional method for assessing diaphragm contractility in humans, yet it requires invasive procedures such as oesophageal and gastric catheter balloons.  Ultrafast ultrasound enables a very high frame rate allowing the capture of transient events, such as muscle contraction elicited by nerve stimulation (twitch). Whether indices derived from ultrafast ultrasound can be used as an alternative to the invasive measurement of twitch transdiaphragmatic pressure is unknown.  Our findings demonstrate that maximal diaphragm tissue velocity assessed using ultrafast ultrasound following cervical magnetic stimulation is reliable, sensitive to change in cervical magnetic stimulation intensity, and correlates to twitch transdiaphragmatic pressure.  This approach provides a novel fully non-invasive and non-volitional tool for the assessment of diaphragm contractility in humans. ABSTRACT: Measuring twitch transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi,tw ) elicited by cervical magnetic stimulation (CMS) is considered as a reference method for the standardized evaluation of diaphragm function. Yet, the measurement of Pdi requires invasive oesophageal and gastric catheter-balloons. Ultrafast ultrasound is a non-invasive imaging technique enabling frame rates high enough to capture transient events such as evoked muscle contractions. This study investigated relationships between indices derived from ultrafast ultrasound and Pdi,tw , and how these indices might be used to estimate Pdi,tw . CMS was performed in 13 healthy volunteers from 30% to 100% of maximal stimulator intensity in units of 10% in a randomized order. Pdi,tw was measured and the right hemidiaphragm was imaged using a custom ultrafast ultrasound sequence with 1 kHz framerate. Maximal diaphragm axial velocity (Vdi ,max ) and diaphragm thickening fraction (TFdi,tw ) were computed. Intra-session reliability was assessed. Repeated-measures correlation (R) and Spearman correlation coefficients (ρ) were used to assess relationships between variables. Intra-session reliability was strong for Pdi,tw and Vdi,max and moderate for TFdi,tw . Vdi,max correlated with Pdi,tw in all subjects (0.64 < ρ < 1.00, R = 0.75; all P < 0.05). TFdi,tw correlated with Pdi,tw in eight subjects only (0.85 < ρ < 0.93, R = 0.69; all P < 0.05). Coupling ultrafast ultrasound and CMS shows promise for the non-invasive and fully non-volitional assessment of diaphragm contractility. This approach opens up the prospect of both diagnosis and follow-up of diaphragm contractility in clinical populations.

Postural preinspiratory cortical activity, genioglossus activity and fluid shift in awake obstructive sleep apnoea patients.

NEW FINDING: What is the central question of this study? Transition to supine posture induces an inspiratory load associated with cortical activation in awake healthy subjects. Some obstructive sleep apnoea patients exhibit this cortical activity in the sitting position contributing to the arousal-dependent compensation of their upper airway abnormalities. Does a transition to the supine posture in awake obstructive sleep apnoea patients increase this cortical activity? What is the main finding and its importance? The transition to supine posture induces a reduction in the cortical activity despite evidence of an increase in genioglossus activity, suggesting that genioglossus activation is not driven by cortical activity. ABSTRACT: The anatomy and mechanical properties of the upper airway (UA) depend on posture. Lying in a supine position causes cephalad fluid shift to the neck, thus narrowing the UA and predisposing the individual to obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Increased UA dilator muscle activity during wakefulness prevents the UA collapse but the underlying mechanism has not yet been elucidated. In the sitting position during wakefulness, some OSA patients exhibit preinspiratory cortical activity (preinspiratory potential, PIP) probably related to UA abnormalities. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in the preinspiratory cortical activity and UA dilator muscle in OSA patients during postural challenge. An electroencephalogram was used to detect PIP, and the genioglossus electromyographic activity and ventilation were analysed in 17 awake, male OSA patients while they were sitting, just after lying down, and then in response to leg positive pressure to enhance cephalad fluid shift. The prevalence of PIP decreased from 53% (sitting) to 12% (supine) (P = 0.002) in association with increased genioglossus activity (tonic from median (25th, 75th centiles) 2.3 (1.8, 2.8)% to 3.6 (1.7, 5.0)% of voluntary deglutition, P = 0.019; phasic from 2.3 (1.9, 2.8)% to 3.7 (2.0, 6.1)%, P = 0.024), and with increased transcutaneous carbon dioxide pressure (from 43.0 (42.4, 44.2) to 44.6 (43.5, 45.2) mmHg). No change was observed during leg-positive-pressure application. Moving from the sitting position to the supine position reduces respiratory-related premotor cortical activity in awake OSA patients. The concomitant increase in genioglossus activity, therefore, is not driven by cortical respiratory activity.

Ultrasound shear wave elastography for assessing diaphragm function in mechanically ventilated patients: a breath-by-breath analysis.

BACKGROUND: Diaphragm dysfunction is highly prevalent in mechanically ventilated patients. Recent work showed that changes in diaphragm shear modulus (ΔSMdi) assessed using ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) are strongly related to changes in Pdi (ΔPdi) in healthy subjects. The aims of this study were to investigate the relationship between ΔSMdi and ΔPdi in mechanically ventilated patients, and whether ΔSMdi is responsive to change in respiratory load when varying the ventilator settings. METHODS: A prospective, monocentric study was conducted in a 15-bed ICU. Patients were included if they met the readiness-to-wean criteria. Pdi was continuously monitored using a double-balloon feeding catheter orally introduced. The zone of apposition of the right hemidiaphragm was imaged using a linear transducer (SL10-2, Aixplorer, Supersonic Imagine, France). Ultrasound recordings were performed under various pressure support settings and during a spontaneous breathing trial (SBT). A breath-by-breath analysis was performed, allowing the direct comparison between ΔPdi and ΔSMdi. Pearson's correlation coefficients (r) were used to investigate within-individual relationships between variables, and repeated measure correlations (R) were used for determining overall relationships between variables. Linear mixed models were used to compare breathing indices across the conditions of ventilation. RESULTS: Thirty patients were included and 930 respiratory cycles were analyzed. Twenty-five were considered for the analysis. A significant correlation was found between ΔPdi and ΔSMdi (R = 0.45, 95% CIs [0.35 0.54], p < 0.001). Individual correlation displays a significant correlation in 8 patients out of 25 (r = 0.55-0.86, all p < 0.05, versus r = - 0.43-0.52, all p > 0.06). Changing the condition of ventilation similarly affected ΔPdi and ΔSMdi. Patients in which ΔPdi-ΔSMdi correlation was non-significant had a faster respiratory rate as compared to that of patient with a significant ΔPdi-ΔSMdi relationship (median (Q1-Q3), 25 (18-33) vs. 21 (15-26) breaths.min-1, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that ultrasound SWE may be a promising surrogate to Pdi in mechanically ventilated patients. Respiratory rate appears to negatively impact SMdi measurement. Technological developments are needed to generalize this method in tachypneic patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03832231 .

Decreased respiratory-related postural perturbations at the cervical level under cognitive load.

PURPOSE: In healthy humans, postural and respiratory dynamics are intimately linked and a breathing-related postural perturbation is evident in joint kinematics. A cognitive dual-task paradigm that is known to induce both postural and ventilatory disturbances can be used to modulate this multijoint posturo-ventilatory (PV) interaction, particularly in the cervical spine, which supports the head. The objective of this study was to assess this modulation. METHODS: With the use of optoelectronic sensors, the breathing profile, articular joint motions of the cervical spine, hip, knees and ankles, and centre of pressure (CoP) displacement were measured in 20 healthy subjects (37 years old [29; 49], 10 females) during natural breathing (NB), a cognitive dual task (COG), and eyes-closed and increased-tidal-volume conditions. The PV interaction in the CoP and joint motions were evaluated by calculating the respiratory emergence (REm). RESULTS: Only the COG condition induced a decrease in the cervical REm (NB: 17.2% [7.8; 37.2]; COG: 4.2% [1.8; 10.0] p = 0.0020) concurrent with no changes in the cervical motion. The CoP REm (NB: 6.2% [3.8; 10.3]; COG: 12.9% [5.8; 20.7] p = 0.0696) and breathing frequency (NB: 16.6 min-1 [13.3; 18.7]; COG: 18.6 min-1 [16.3; 19.4] p = 0.0731) tended to increase, while the CoP (p = 0.0072) and lower joint motion displacements (p < 0.05) increased. CONCLUSION: This study shows stable cervical spine motion during a cognitive dual task, as well as increased postural perturbations globally and in other joints. The concurrent reduction in the PV interaction at the cervical spine suggests that this "stabilization strategy" is centrally controlled and is achieved by a reduction in the breathing-related postural perturbations at this level. Whether this strategy is a goal for maintaining balance remains to be studied.

Respiratory Monitoring Based on Tracheal Sounds: Continuous Time-Frequency Processing of the Phonospirogram Combined with Phonocardiogram-Derived Respiration.

Patients with central respiratory paralysis can benefit from diaphragm pacing to restore respiratory function. However, it would be important to develop a continuous respiratory monitoring method to alert on apnea occurrence, in order to improve the efficiency and safety of the pacing system. In this study, we present a preliminary validation of an acoustic apnea detection method on healthy subjects data. Thirteen healthy participants performed one session of two 2-min recordings, including a voluntary respiratory pause. The recordings were post-processed by combining temporal and frequency detection domains, and a new method was proposed-Phonocardiogram-Derived Respiration (PDR). The detection results were compared to synchronized pneumotachograph, electrocardiogram (ECG), and abdominal strap (plethysmograph) signals. The proposed method reached an apnea detection rate of 92.3%, with 99.36% specificity, 85.27% sensitivity, and 91.49% accuracy. PDR method showed a good correlation of 0.77 with ECG-Derived Respiration (EDR). The comparison of R-R intervals and S-S intervals also indicated a good correlation of 0.89. The performance of this respiratory detection algorithm meets the minimal requirements to make it usable in a real situation. Noises from the participant by speaking or from the environment had little influence on the detection result, as well as body position. The high correlation between PDR and EDR indicates the feasibility of monitoring respiration with PDR.

Human diaphragm atrophy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is not predicted by routine respiratory measures.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients show progressive respiratory muscle weakness leading to death from respiratory failure. However, there are no data on diaphragm histological changes in ALS patients and how they correlate with routine respiratory measurements.We collected 39 diaphragm biopsies concomitantly with laparoscopic insertion of intradiaphragmatic electrodes during a randomised controlled trial evaluating early diaphragm pacing in ALS (https://clinicaltrials.gov; NCT01583088). Myofibre type, size and distribution were evaluated by immunofluorescence microscopy and correlated with spirometry, respiratory muscle strength and phrenic nerve conduction parameters. The relationship between these variables and diaphragm atrophy was assessed using multivariate regression models.All patients exhibited significant slow- and fast-twitch diaphragmatic atrophy. Vital capacity (VC), maximal inspiratory pressure, sniff nasal inspiratory pressure (SNIP) and twitch transdiaphragmatic pressure did not correlate with the severity of diaphragm atrophy. Inspiratory capacity (IC) correlated modestly with slow-twitch myofibre atrophy. Supine fall in VC correlated weakly with fast-twitch myofibre atrophy. Multivariate analysis showed that IC, SNIP and functional residual capacity were independent predictors of slow-twitch diaphragmatic atrophy, but not fast-twitch atrophy.Routine respiratory tests are poor predictors of diaphragm structural changes. Improved detection of diaphragm atrophy is essential for clinical practice and for management of trials specifically targeting diaphragm muscle function.

Postural respiratory-related cortical activation and rostral fluid shift in awake healthy humans.

NEW FINDINGS: What is the central question of this study? Moving to supine induces upper airway modifications and a fluid shift to the neck, which represent inspiratory load that predisposes to upper airway collapse. Is there cortical participation in the response to the load induced by transition to a supine posture in awake healthy subjects? What is the main finding and its importance? Moving to supine induces transient cortical activation in awake healthy subjects, with greater fluid shift, supporting possible cortical participation in the response to upper airway load induced by transition to a supine posture. Our findings open new perspectives in the understanding of the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnoea. ABSTRACT: Moving from sitting upright to lying supine causes anatomical modifications and a fluid shift to the neck, which represent inspiratory loads that predispose to upper airway collapse. The pre-inspiratory potential (PIP) corresponds to the cortical activity observed during inspiratory load. In the sitting position during wakefulness, some obstructive sleep apnoea patients exhibit PIP, probably in relationship to upper airway abnormalities. The aim of this study was to investigate whether moving to the supine position induces respiratory-related cortical activation (PIP) in awake healthy subjects. The ECG was analysed to detect PIP, and EMG activity of the genioglossus muscle and ventilation were measured in the sitting position, immediately after moving to the supine position, and during application of leg positive pressure in the supine position to promote fluid shift, which was measured by bioelectrical impedance. Twenty-four subjects were included. From sitting to lying, PIP prevalence increased from 1/24 to 11/24 (P = 0.002), and ventilation decreased with no change in genioglossus activity. The fluid shift from sitting to supine was higher in the subjects exhibiting PIP while supine compared with the subjects without PIP [median (25th; 75th centiles) 440 (430; 520) versus 320 (275; 385) ml, P = 0.018], without any other differences. From before to during leg positive pressure, PIP disappeared (P = 0.006). These results indicate that moving from sitting to lying induces transient respiratory-related cortical activity in awake healthy subjects with greater fluid shift, supporting possible cortical participation in the response to upper airway loading induced by moving from sitting upright to lying supine. This study offers new perspectives in the understanding of obstructive sleep apnoea pathogenesis.

Neurophysiological Evidence for a Cortical Contribution to the Wakefulness-Related Drive to Breathe Explaining Hypocapnia-Resistant Ventilation in Humans.

Spontaneous ventilation in mammals is driven by automatic brainstem networks that generate the respiratory rhythm and increase ventilation in the presence of increased carbon dioxide production. Hypocapnia decreases the drive to breathe and induces apnea. In humans, this occurs during sleep but not during wakefulness. We hypothesized that hypocapnic breathing would be associated with respiratory-related cortical activity similar to that observed during volitional breathing, inspiratory constraints, or in patients with defective automatic breathing (preinspiratory potentials). Nineteen healthy subjects were studied under passive (mechanical ventilation, n = 10) or active (voluntary hyperventilation, n = 9) profound hypocapnia. Ventilatory and electroencephalographic recordings were performed during voluntary sniff maneuvers, normocapnic breathing, hypocapnia, and after return to normocapnia. EEG recordings were analyzed with respect to the ventilatory flow signal to detect preinspiratory potentials in frontocentral electrodes and to construct time-frequency maps. After passive hyperventilation, hypocapnia was associated with apnea in 3 cases and ventilation persisted in 7 cases (3 and 6 after active hyperventilation, respectively). No respiratory-related EEG activity was observed in subjects with hypocapnia-related apneas. In contrast, preinspiratory potentials were present at vertex recording sites in 12 of the remaining 13 subjects (p < 0.001). This was corroborated by time-frequency maps. This study provides direct evidence of a cortical substrate to hypocapnic breathing in awake humans and fuels the notion of corticosubcortical cooperation to preserve human ventilation in a variety of situations. Of note, maintaining ventilatory activity at low carbon dioxide levels is among the prerequisites to speech production insofar as speech often induces hypocapnia. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Human ventilatory activity persists, during wakefulness, even when hypocapnia makes it unnecessary. This peculiarity of human breathing control is important to speech and speech-breathing insofar as speech induces hypocapnia. This study evidences a specific respiratory-related cortical activity. This suggests that human hypocapnic breathing is driven, at least in part, by cortical mechanisms similar to those involved in volitional breathing, in breathing against mechanical constraints or with weak inspiratory muscle, and in patients with defective medullary breathing pattern generators. This fuels the notion that the human ventilatory drive during wakefulness often results from a corticosubcortical cooperation, and opens new avenues to study certain ventilatory and speech disorders.

Does trans-spinal direct current stimulation alter phrenic motoneurons and respiratory neuromechanical outputs in humans? A double-blind, sham-controlled, randomized, crossover study.

Although compelling evidence has demonstrated considerable neuroplasticity in the respiratory control system, few studies have explored the possibility of altering descending projections to phrenic motoneurons (PMNs) using noninvasive stimulation protocols. The present study was designed to investigate the immediate and long-lasting effects of a single session of transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS), a promising technique for modulating spinal cord functions, on descending ventilatory commands in healthy humans. Using a double-blind, controlled, randomized, crossover approach, we examined the effects of anodal, cathodal, and sham tsDCS delivered to the C3-C5 level on (1) diaphragm motor-evoked potentials (DiMEPs) elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation and (2) spontaneous ventilation, as measured by respiratory inductance plethysmography. Both anodal and cathodal tsDCS induced a progressive increase in DiMEP amplitude during stimulation that persisted for at least 15 min after current offset. Interestingly, cathodal, but not anodal, tsDCS induced a persistent increase in tidal volume. In addition, (1) short-interval intracortical inhibition, (2) nonlinear complexity of the tidal volume signal (related to medullary ventilatory command), (3) autonomic function, and (4) compound muscle action potentials evoked by cervical magnetic stimulation were unaffected by tsDCS. This suggests that tsDCS-induced aftereffects did not occur at brainstem or cortical levels and were likely not attributable to direct polarization of cranial nerves or ventral roots. Instead, we argue that tsDCS could induce sustained changes in PMN output. Increased tidal volume after cathodal tsDCS opens up the perspective of harnessing respiratory neuroplasticity as a therapeutic tool for the management of several respiratory disorders.

Neurophysiological basis of respiratory discomfort improvement by mandibular advancement in awake OSA patients.

Patients with obstructive sleep apneas (OSA) do not complain from dyspnea during resting breathing. Placement of a mandibular advancement device (MAD) can lead to a sense of improved respiratory comfort ("pseudo-relief") ascribed to a habituation phenomenon. To substantiate this conjecture, we hypothesized that, in non-dyspneic awake OSA patients, respiratory-related electroencephalographic figures, abnormally present during awake resting breathing, would disappear or change in parallel with MAD-associated pseudo-relief. In 20 patients, we compared natural breathing and breathing with MAD on: breathing discomfort (transitional visual analog scale, VAS-2); upper airway mechanics, assessed in terms of pressure peak/time to peak (TTP) ratio respiratory-related electroencephalography (EEG) signatures, including slow event-related preinspiratory potentials; and a between-state discrimination based on continuous connectivity evaluation. MAD improved breathing and upper airway mechanics. The 8 patients in whom the EEG between-state discrimination was considered effective exhibited higher Peak/TTP improvement and transitional VAS ratings while wearing MAD than the 12 patients where it was not. These results support the notion of habituation to abnormal respiratory-related afferents in OSA patients and fuel the causative nature of the relationship between dyspnea, respiratory-related motor cortical activity and impaired upper airway mechanics in this setting.