title: Respiratory motor training and neuromuscular plasticity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A pilot study.
abstract: The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility of a full-scale investigation of the neurophysiological mechanisms of COPD-induced respiratory neuromuscular control deficits. Characterization of respiratory single- and multi-muscle activation patterns using surface electromyography (sEMG) were assessed along with functional measures at baseline and following 21±2 (mean±SD) sessions of respiratory motor training (RMT) performed during a one-month period in four patients with GOLD stage II or III COPD. Pre-training, the individuals with COPD showed significantly increased (p<0.05) overall respiratory muscle activity and disorganized multi-muscle activation patterns in association with lowered spirometrical measures and decreased fast- and slow-twitch fiber activity as compared to healthy controls (N=4). Following RMT, functional and respiratory sEMG activation outcomes during quite breathing and forced expiratory efforts were improved suggesting that functional improvements, induced by task-specific RMT, are evidence respiratory neuromuscular networks re-organization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery and Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA. Electronic address: alexander.ovechkin@louisville.edu.
authors.forename: Alexander V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Ovechkin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery and Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA; Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Dimitry G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Sayenko
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine: Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Disorders, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
authors.forename: Elena N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Ovechkina
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery and Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
authors.forename: Sevda C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Aslan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery and Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pitts
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine: Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Disorders, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA; Department of Medicine: Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Rodney J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Folz
mesh_terms: D001945:Breathing Exercises; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000502:physiology; D018656:Muscle Fibers, Fast-Twitch / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011312:Pressure; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D012119:Respiration; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012132:Respiratory Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013147:Spirometry; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; EMG; Electromyography; Respiratory motor function; Respiratory muscles; Respiratory training