title: Abnormal pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength findings in Chinese patients with Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy--comparison with normal elderly.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There have been limited comparative data regarding the investigations on pulmonary and respiratory muscle function in the patients with different parkinsonism disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) versus normal elderly. The present study is aiming to characterize the performance of pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength in PD and MSA, and to investigate the association with severity of motor symptoms and disease duration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength tests were performed in 30 patients with PD, 27 with MSA as well as in 20 age-, sex-, height-, weight-matched normal elderly controls. All the patients underwent United Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) or united multiple system atrophy rating scale (UMSARS) separately as diagnosed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity decreased, residual volume and ratio of residual volume to total lung capacity increased in both PD and MSA groups compared to controls (p<0.05). Diffusing capacity was decreased in the MSA group, compared with PD and normal elderly control groups (p<0.05). Respiratory muscle strength was lower in both PD and MSA groups than in controls (p<0.05). The values representing spirometry function and respiratory muscle strength were found to have a negative linear correlation with mean score of UPDRS-III in PD and mean score of UMSARS-I in MSA. Respiratory muscle strength showed a negative linear correlation with the mean score of UMSARS-II and disease duration in MSA patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that respiratory dysfunction is involved in PD and MSA. Respiratory muscle strength is remarkably reduced, and some of the parameters correlate with disease duration and illness severity. The compromised respiratory function in neurodegenerative disorders should be the focus of further researches.
authors.affiliation: Department of rehabilitation medicine, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing medical university, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of rehabilitation medicine, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing medical university, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Wei-bo
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Department of neurology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of neurology, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing medical university, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of neurology, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing medical university, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of respiratory, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing medical university, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Li-hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of respiratory, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing medical university, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of neurology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing medical university, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Ying-dong
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D002681:China; D003710:Demography; D004058:Diffusion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D019578:Multiple System Atrophy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation / Q000502:physiology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012132:Respiratory Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013147:Spirometry