Diaphragm

The objective of this observational study is to compare parameters of diaphragmatic mechanics, respiratory muscle function, and thoracoabdominal kinematics among women with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and a history of abdominoplasty, women with a history of abdominoplasty alone, and women with GERD alone, seeking to understand whether the association between these conditions is linked to greater impairment of respiratory function and thoracoabdominal dynamics. The main question the study aims to answer is: Do women with GERD and a history of abdominoplasty exhibit greater impairment of diaphragmatic mechanics compared to those with a history of abdominoplasty alone and those with GERD alone? Researchers will compare three groups of participants: women with GERD and a history of abdominoplasty, women with a history of abdominoplasty alone, and women with GERD alone to determine whether the coexistence of GERD and abdominoplasty is associated with greater alterations in diaphragmatic mobility and thickness, respiratory muscle strength and endurance, thoracoabdominal kinematics, abdominal core and sternocleidomastoid muscle thickness, and body composition, as well as worse GERD-related symptoms and quality of life. Participants will undergo an initial clinical assessment, including medical history, anthropometric measurements, and body composition analysis via bioimpedance. They will also complete questionnaires regarding GERD symptoms, quality of life, and physical activity levels. Subsequently, assessments will be performed, including ultrasound of the diaphragm, abdominal muscles, and sternocleidomastoid muscle; spirometry; evaluation of thoracoabdominal kinematics; measurement of respiratory muscle strength via manovacuometry; and a respiratory muscle endurance test. When necessary for the diagnostic confirmation of GERD, 24-hour ambulatory esophageal impedance-pH monitoring will be performed. Upon completion of the assessments, the results obtained will be compared across the three groups to identify potential differences related to the association between GERD and abdominoplasty.

The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the predictive value of the inspiratory regional diaphragmatic synchrony index (RDSI-insp) during PSV-SBT for first-attempt weaning failure. Secondary objectives include: (1) assessing the correlation between RDSI-insp and conventional respiratory mechanics and diaphragmatic ultrasound parameters such as RSBI, MIP/NIF, VC, CPF, P0.1, DE, and DTF; (2) comparing differences in RDSI and DPSI between successful and failed weaning groups during inspiration, end-inspiration, and expiration; (3) exploring the association of anterior diaphragmatic dyssynchrony index, posterior/crural dyssynchrony index, and regional time-to-peak dispersion with weaning outcomes; and (4) evaluating the feasibility, analyzable image rate, and repeatability of diaphragmatic speckle-tracking and RDSI calculation in patients undergoing PSV-SBT.

This study proposes the End-expiratory Diaphragmatic Residual Contraction (EDRC) index to quantify residual diaphragmatic activity at end-expiration during Pressure Support Ventilation (PSV) mode. The study aims to validate the relationship between EDRC and dynamic intrinsic PEEP (PEEPi), triggering load, patient-ventilator asynchrony, and PEEP responsiveness through a brief, standardized PEEP titration trial conducted within a clinically safe range. This will provide a basis for subsequent individualized PEEP setting guided by EDRC.

Currently, measurement of transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi) using oesophageal and gastric balloons is the gold standard for the assessment of diaphragmatic effort. This technique is relatively invasive and its interpretation may be complex. The diaphragmatic longitudinal strain (LSdi) and strain rate (LSRdi) might provide additional information in the assessment of diaphragmatic effort and movement during SBT, allowing early detection of diaphragmatic dysfunction. Patients will be monitored during a 30-120 minutes SBT consisting of no assistance on the ventilator using CPAP with a pressure level of 0 cmH2O. Parameters to evaluate diaphragm function will include diaphragmatic strain (LSdi and LSRdi), diaphragmatic thickening fraction (TFdi), and airway occlusion pressure (ΔP0.1 and ΔPocc). These parameters will be measured immediately before ('baseline') the SBT, as well as 2 minutes ('early' assessment), 15 ('intermediate' assessment) and 30 minutes ('late' assessment) after the beginning of the SBT.

This study aims to evaluate how well tracheotomized patients can cough before and after their tracheostomy tube is removed. Cough strength is measured using two different tools-Peak Flow and Lorio. Researchers want to find out if the cough measurement taken before removing the tube can help predict how effective the patient's cough will be afterward. The study will also explore factors that might influence cough strength and compare the usefulness of the two tools. Additionally, it will assess how patients feel about using these devices and the role of diaphragm ultrasound in predicting cough effectiveness.

This is a cross-sectional obsessional study. This study explores how different sitting conditions affect two important muscles-the diaphragm and the sternocleidomastoid (SCM)-work during breathing exercises. The diaphragm is the main muscle for breathing, while the SCM helps when taking deeper breaths. Understanding how these muscles interact while sitting under various conditions can help improve breathing training techniques. The study's objectives are (1) to investigate the relationship between diaphragm thickness fraction with 4 different sitting conditions during loaded inspiration among healthy adults and (2) To investigate the relationship between SCM activity with 4 different sitting conditions during loaded inspiration among healthy adults. This research will conduct healthy adults, who will be instructed to breathe against resistance provided by the IMT while sitting on four different conditions: a regular chair, a soft pad with feet on the ground, a soft pad with feet on two additional soft pads, and a single soft pad with both feet on one pad. By using ultrasound to measure how thick the diaphragm gets and surface electromyography (sEMG) to track SCM activity, the data will be gathered on how these muscles function under different conditions. The goal is to find out if sitting on unstable surfaces, like soft pads, can enhance diaphragm use compared to a stable chair. These surfaces may change how effectively the diaphragm and SCM work together. This research could lead to better recommendations for inspiratory muscle training (IMT), which helps strengthen these muscles, especially for people with breathing difficulties. By identifying how posture influences muscle recruitment during breathing exercises, hoping to contribute valuable insights that can improve rehabilitation programs for individuals with respiratory conditions.

The increase in the elderly population worldwide necessitates further research on age-related physiological changes and health problems related to these changes in geriatric individuals. One of these problems, sarcopenia, is a syndrome characterized by a decrease in muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance due to aging (Cruz-Jentoft et al., 2019). Sarcopenia affects not only the extremity muscles but also the respiratory muscles, significantly reducing the individual's functional capacity and quality of life (Shafiee et al., 2017). Sarcopenia is a progressive and widespread loss of skeletal muscles, characterized by a decrease in muscle strength, muscle mass, and physical performance. Although it is usually seen in older individuals, it can also occur in people with certain diseases or who lead a sedentary lifestyle. The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) has developed a guideline for the diagnosis of sarcopenia and determination of its severity (Cruz-Jentoft et al., 2019). In line with this guideline, the EWGSOP considers sarcopenia in three basic stages: pre-sarcopenia, sarcopenia, and severe sarcopenia (Cruz-Jentoft et al., 2010). Pre-sarcopenia is the stage in which muscle mass is low but muscle strength or physical performance is not yet affected. Sarcopenia is the stage in which low muscle mass is accompanied by decreased muscle strength or low physical performance. Severe sarcopenia is defined as the most advanced stage in which all these criteria are met (Cruz-Jentoft et al., 2010). Respiratory muscle sarcopenia is defined as muscle fiber atrophy and weakness in the respiratory muscles. The Japanese Respiratory Sarcopenia Study Group defines this condition as whole-body sarcopenia with low respiratory muscle mass, decreased respiratory muscle strength, and/or respiratory dysfunction (Nagano et al., 2021). Kera et al. (2019) evaluated respiratory muscle sarcopenia according to the peak expiratory flow rate value. However, whole-body sarcopenia and respiratory muscle strength are considered important parameters in the definition and diagnosis of respiratory muscle sarcopenia. It is reported that the rate of respiratory muscle sarcopenia is higher in the presence of sarcopenia (Nagano et al., 2021). Sarcopenic respiratory failure is diagnosed in the presence of sarcopenia accompanied by functional disability, while individuals without functional disability but at risk for respiratory muscle sarcopenia are considered "at risk of sarcopenic respiratory failure" (Nagano et al., 2021). Sarcopenia is thought to be associated with insulin resistance and oxidative stress, leading to decreased muscle strength and muscle mass, as well as muscle atrophy (Ding et al., 2019). Respiratory muscles may also be affected in a similar way. Thus, weakening of respiratory muscles may lead to decreased respiratory function and decreased quality of life. In the current literature, studies examining the effects of aging on respiratory muscles are limited. Therefore, determining the potential effects of aging on respiratory muscles and evaluating respiratory muscle sarcopenia in this context may provide an important contribution to the development of new approaches and the literature.

Transcutaneous electrical phrenic nerve stimulation (TEPNS) and transcutaneous electrical diaphragm stimulation (TEDS) are modalities that use surface electrodes placed on the patients' skin to generate action potentials and contractions of the muscle fibers of the diaphragm. The primary objective will be to evaluate the efficacy of TEPNS and TEDS in healthy adult individuals. Secondary objectives will be to assess the feasibility, safety, and level of discomfort reported by the individual resulting from the application of TEPNS and TEDS.

Background of the study: Increased work of breathing, potentially leading to respiratory insufficiency, resulting in the need of (non-) invasive respiratory support is the most common observed problem in the neonatal - and pediatric intensive care unit (NICU/PICU). The diaphragm is the main respiratory muscle. Currently there is not an established technique accessible to observe the (clinical) function of the diaphragm and its role in respiratory insufficiency. New non-invasive modalities are promising, such as transcutaneous diaphragm electromyography (dEMG) and diaphragm ultrasound (dUS). Objective of the study: Our objective is to assess the association between transcutaneous diaphragm electromyography (dEMG) and diaphragm ultrasound (dUS) in the PICU population. Study design: Single center pilot study Study population: The study population consists of children between 0-12 months, admitted to the PICU of the Leiden University Medical Center, with invasive respiratory support. Primary study parameters/outcome of the study: Primary endpoint is to evaluate the association between dEMG and dUS measurements in the PICU population.

This study aims to investigate the differences in muscle recruitment of the diaphragm (assessed using ultrasound), the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) and trunk muscles (both measured via surface electromyography (sEMG)), during loaded breathing training performed on both stable and unstable surfaces. The goal is to understand the interaction between the inspiratory and trunk muscles during Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) across these two surface conditions.