title: The breathing patterns of identical twins.
abstract: The resting breathing patterns of healthy adult identical twins were compared to see if there was any possible genetic component in the determination of this pattern. From breath-by-breath analysis of airflow, measured with a pneumotachometer (9 pairs of twins), the pattern of breathing was quantified in terms of individual respiratory variables; inspiratory time (TI), expiratory time (TE), total breath duration (TTOT), VT/TI, TI/TTOT, and by taking TI, TE and VT all together (TRIAD). Also, the airflow shape was quantified by harmonic analysis (ASTER). A second study was performed under more strictly defined conditions of rest and where the respiratory variables were estimated with respiratory inductance plethysmography to eliminate the possible effect of a facemask (5 pairs of twins). In each study, for each variable, the differences within twin-pairs were compared to the differences within random-pairs from the same subject population. In both studies, there were highly significant similarities within twin-pairs in the pattern of breathing, being best demonstrated when the entire 'shape' of the pneumotachogram (ASTER) or the spirogram (TRIAD) was considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, London, UK.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Shea
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Benchetrit
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pham Dinh
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D012119:Respiration; D013147:Spirometry; D014427:Twins; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic