title: Spirometric measurements and physical efficiency in children and adolescents with hearing and visual impairments.
abstract: The objective of the study was to investigate whether a sensory impairment has an effect on functional capabilities of the respiratory system and whether possible deviations from reference ranges of selected parameters might indicate a decrease of physical efficiency. Vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory flow of 25-75% (FEF25-75), maximum voluntary volume (MVV), and maximum oxygen uptake VO2 max were measured in 86 deaf and 102 blind children and adolescents, and in a matched group of hearing controls. We found a significant influence of deafness on PEF (P<0.01), FEF25-75 (P<0.05), and MVV (P<0.05). As compared with the control subjects, mean VC was significantly lower in blind adolescents (P<0.05). Our results seem to suggest that both sensory defects during childhood and adolescence affect functional capabilities of the respiratory system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Academy of Physical Education, Katowice, Poland. olazebrowska@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zebrowska
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gawlik
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zwierzchowska
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001766:Blindness / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003638:Deafness / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008176:Lung Volume Measurements; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate / Q000502:physiology; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013147:Spirometry; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology