title: A prospective study of quality of life in ALS patients treated with noninvasive ventilation.
abstract: Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation prolongs survival in ALS but its effect on quality of life is unknown. The authors prospectively studied quality of life using the SF-36 questionnaire in a cohort of 16 ventilated patients with ALS. Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation improved scores in the "Vitality" domain by as much as 25%, for periods of up to 15 months, despite disease progression. Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation did not cause reduced quality of life, as any fall in scores in the ventilated group were comparable to those seen in a control group. In conclusion, noninvasive positive pressure ventilation enhances quality of life when used to treat sleep-disordered breathing in patients with ALS.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Muscle Laboratory, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Guy's, King's, and St. Thomas' School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom. rebecca.lyall@kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lyall
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Donaldson
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Newsom-Davis
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Polkey
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Leigh
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moxham
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012016:Reference Values; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires