Exploring the acoustic and prosodic features of a lung-function-sensitive repeated-word speech articulation test.

Introduction: Speech breathing is a term usually used to refer to the manner in which expired air and lung mechanics are utilized for the production of the airflow necessary for phonation. Neurologically, speech breathing overrides the normal rhythms of alveolar ventilation. Speech breathing is generated using the diaphragm, glottis, and tongue. The glottis is the opening between the vocal folds in the larynx; it is the primary valve between the lungs and the mouth, and by varying its degree of opening, the sound can be varied. The use of voice as an indicator of health has been widely reported. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the most common long-term respiratory disease. The main symptoms of COPD are increasing breathlessness, a persistent chesty cough with phlegm, frequent chest infections, and persistent wheezing. There is no cure for COPD, and it is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The principal cause of COPD is tobacco smoking, and estimates indicate that COPD will become the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2030. The long-term aim of this research program is to understand how speech generation, breathing, and lung function are linked in people with chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD. Methods: This pilot study was designed to test an articulatory speech task that uses a single word ("helicopter"), repeated multiple times, to challenge speech-generated breathing and breathlessness. Specifically, a single-word articulation task was used to challenge respiratory system endurance in people with healthy lungs by asking participants to rapidly repeat the word "helicopter" for three 20-s runs interspersed with two 20-s rest periods of silent relaxed breathing. Acoustic and prosodic features were then extracted from the audio recordings of each adult participant. Results and discussion: The pause ratio increased from the first run to the third, representing an increasing demand for breath. These data show that the repeated articulation task challenges speech articulation in a quantifiable manner, which may prove useful in defining respiratory ill-health.

Epirubicin chemotherapy in women with breast cancer: Alternating arms for intravenous administration to reduce chemical phlebitis.

OBJECTIVE: To establish whether using alternating arms for peripheral intravenous epirubicin administration affects the severity or duration of epirubicin-induced phlebitis. METHODS: An observational study of women with breast cancer (n = 237) in a UK Cancer Centre. Data were analysed after receiving three treatment cycles according to the arm used for epirubicin administration: same, alternating or mixed arm (two consecutive cycles in one arm and one in the alternate arm). Phlebitis severity was graded by clinical staff after each treatment; participants also self-reported symptoms during treatment and for up to 6 months after. RESULTS: The alternating arm group experienced significantly less severe symptoms than the other arm use groups, 6% (4 of 64) compared with 34% (p < 0.001, odds ratio: 0.13 (95% CI: 0.043-0.38) alternating arm compared with same arm group). The alternating arm group reported less pain (p = 0.013), lower overall impact (p = 0.009), lower effect on function (p = 0.032) and shorter duration of symptoms (p = 0.001) than the other arm use groups. CONCLUSION: Using alternating arms for peripheral administration of epirubicin significantly reduces the severity and duration of chemical phlebitis and is recommended to improve patient experience and reduce the need for central venous access devices.

Static and Dynamic Lung Volumes in Swimmers and Their Ventilatory Response to Maximal Exercise.

PURPOSE: While the static and dynamic lung volumes of active swimmers is often greater than the predicted volume of similarly active non-swimmers, little is known if their ventilatory response to exercise is also different. METHODS: Three groups of anthropometrically matched male adults were recruited, daily active swimmers (n = 15), daily active in fields sport (Rugby and Football) (n = 15), and recreationally active (n = 15). Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) was measured before and after exercise to volitional exhaustion. RESULTS: Swimmers had significantly larger FVC (6.2 ± 0.6 l, 109 ± 9% pred) than the other groups (5.6 ± 0.5 l, 106 ± 13% pred, 5.5 ± 0.8, 99% pred, the sportsmen and recreational groups, respectively). FEV1 and MVV were not different. While at peak exercise, all groups reached their ventilatory reserve (around 20%), the swimmers had a greater minute ventilation rate than the recreational group (146 ± 19 vs 120 ± 87 l/min), delivering this volume by breathing deeper and slower. CONCLUSIONS: The swimmers utilised their larger static volumes (FVC) differently during exercise by meeting their ventilation volume through long and deep breaths.

Breathing pattern and breathlessness in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: An observational study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by progressive decline in lung function and increasing dyspnoea. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship among IPF, pulmonary function, resting tidal breathing patterns and level of breathlessness. METHODS: Thirty-one participants with IPF and 17 matched healthy controls underwent lung function testing, followed by a 2-min period of resting tidal breathing. The IPF cohort was stratified according to disease severity, based on their forced vital capacity and diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide. RESULTS: In comparison to the healthy controls, the IPF cohort showed a higher tidal volume, VT , of 0.22 L (P = 0.026) and a raised minute ventilation in the severest IPF group, while no differences in the timing of inspiration or expiration were observed. In the IPF cohort, the ratio of VT to forced vital capacity was around 15% higher. These changes corresponded with an increase in the self-reported sensation of breathlessness. CONCLUSION: Those with IPF increased their depth of breathing with worsening disease severity, with IPF-induced changes in pulmonary function and breathlessness associated with an altered tidal breathing pattern.

Tidal breathing in preterm infants receiving and weaning from continuous positive airway pressure.

OBJECTIVE: To compare tidal breathing on different continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices and pressures and to serially measure tidal breathing during weaning off CPAP using electromagnetic inductive plethysmography. STUDY DESIGN: Using electromagnetic inductive plethysmography, tidal breathing was measured in 29 preterm infants receiving CPAP, gestational age 28 ± 2 weeks. Variable-flow nasal CPAP (nCPAP), bubble CPAP (bCPAP) at pressures of 5, 7, and 9 cmH2O, nasal bi-level positive airway pressure (nBiPAP) system at pressures of 5, 7/5, and 9/5 cmH2O, and unsupported breathing were studied. Twenty-one infants had weekly tidal breathing measurements on and off nCPAP. RESULTS: Minute volume (MV/kg) was similar between all devices (0.30-0.33 L/kg/min). On bCPAP, weight corrected tidal volume (VT/kg) was the least, changing little with increasing pressures. On nCPAP and nBiPAP, VT/kg increased with increasing pressure and the respiratory rate (fR) decreased. The delivered pressure varied slightly from the set pressure being most dissimilar on nBiPAP and similar on bCPAP. Compared with unsupported breathing, all devices decreased VT/kg, MV/kg, and phase angle, but did not alter fR. Serial tidal breathing measurements showed decreasing difference for VT/kg over time on and off nCPAP. CONCLUSIONS: At different pressure settings, on all CPAP devices the measured MV/kg was similar either through increasing VT/kg and decreasing fR (nCPAP and nBiPAP) or maintaining both (bCPAP). Serial tidal breathing measurements may aid weaning from CPAP.

Effect of resistive load on the inspiratory work and power of breathing during exertion.

The resistive work of breathing against an external load during inspiration (WR(I)) was measured at the mouth, during sub-maximal exercise in healthy participants. This measure (which excludes the elastic work component) allows the relationship between resistive work and power, ventilation and exercise modality to be explored. A total of 45 adult participants with healthy lung function took part in a series of exercise protocols, in which the relationship between WR(I), power of breathing, PR(I) and minute ventilation, [Formula: see text] were assessed during rest, while treadmill walking or ergometer cycling, over a range of exercise intensities (up to 150 Watts) and ventilation rates (up to 48 L min(-1)) with applied constant resistive loads of 0.75 and 1.5 kPa.L.sec(-1). Resting WR(I) was 0.12 JL(-1) and PR(I) was 0.9 W. At each resistive load, independent of the breathing pattern or exercise mode, the WR(I) increased in a linear fashion at 20 mJ per litre of [Formula: see text], while PR(I) increased exponentially. With increasing resistive load the work and power at any given [Formula: see text] increased exponentially. Calculation of the power to work ratio during loaded breathing suggests that loads above 1.5 kPa.L.sec(-1) make the work of resistive breathing become inhibitive at even a moderate [Formula: see text] (>30 L sec(-1)). The relationship between work done and power generated while breathing against resistive loads is independent of the exercise mode (cycling or walking) and that ventilation is limited by the work required to breathe, rather than an inability to maintain or generate power.