title: Measuring breathing patterns and respiratory movements with the respiratory movement measuring instrument.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The respiratory movement measuring instrument (RMMI) is a laser-based non-invasive technique to measure breathing patterns and respiratory movements (RMs). Little knowledge is known about the ability of the RMMI to measure breathing patterns and the correlation between RMs and breathing volumes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  One aim was to investigate whether the RMMI could discriminate between normal versus abdominal versus high costal breathing patterns in different body positions. A second aim was to determine the correlation between RMs and breathing volumes in different body positions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty adult, healthy subjects (10 women) were included in the study. The RMMI was used to study the above-mentioned breathing patterns in supine, sitting and standing positions. A subgroup of 12 subjects (6 women) simultaneously performed measurements of breathing volumes while RMs were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The RMMI was able to discriminate between different breathing patterns in different body positions (P<0·001). The upper thoracic contribution to RMs in the sitting position was 47% for natural breathing, 32% for abdominal breathing and 64% for high costal breathing; similar results were found in the supine and standing positions. A strong correlation was observed between RMs as measured by the RMMI and different breathing volumes in all three body positions (Spearman's rho 0·86-1·00).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The RMMI can be used to measure and analyse different breathing patterns in different body positions, and the correlation between measured RMs and breathing volumes is strong.
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Research Dalarna, Falun, Sweden.|Department of Medical Sciences, Respiratory, Allergy and Sleep Research, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.|Department of Neuroscience, Physiotherapy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hagman
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, Respiratory, Allergy and Sleep Research, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Christer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Janson
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, Clinical Physiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Andrei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malinovschi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, Clinical Physiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hedenström
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, Respiratory, Allergy and Sleep Research, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.|Department of Neuroscience, Physiotherapy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Margareta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Emtner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016683:Supine Position; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: body positions; breathing volumes; correlation; laser distance sensors; non-invasive technique