title: [The pulmonary function and respiratory muscle power in multiple systemic atrophy and Parkinson's disease].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the characteristics of pulmonary function and respiratory muscle performance in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) and Parkinson's disease (PD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength were evaluated in 16 MSA patients and 20 PD patients. Another 17 age and sex-matched healthy volunteers were recruited as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (DLCO) was significantly decreased in MSA group compared with PD group [(62.86 ± 15.66)% vs (76.67 ± 18.98)%, respectively, P < 0.05]. Maximal inspiration pressure (MIP) and maximal expiration pressure (MEP) were (39.08 ± 22.99)% and (49.59 ± 22.97)% in MSA group, (39.83 ± 24.83)% and (49.26 ± 22.86)% in PD group. Both MIP and MEP in MSA and PD groups were significantly reduced compared with controls [(57.44 ± 19.90)%, P < 0.05; (77.10 ± 21.46)%, P < 0.001].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that respiratory dysfunction is involved in MSA and PD. The reduction of respiratory muscle strength is remarkable. The insufficiency of pulmonary diffusion function is more severe in MSA than in PD. More attention should be paid to the compromised respiratory function in neurodegenerative disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Nanjing Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210006, China. Email: zhangyingdong@yahoo.com.cn.
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying-dong
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Li-hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jian-ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019578:Multiple System Atrophy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D053580:Muscle Strength; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012132:Respiratory Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*