A population based study of respiratory function in motor neuron disease patients living in Tayside and North East Fife, Scotland

摘要

Respiratory failure is a major cause of morbidity and the principal cause of death in motor neuron disease; non-invasive ventilation is increasingly used worldwide to palliate the respiratory symptoms. This observational study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of respiratory insufficiency within the motor neuron disease population of Tayside and North East Fife, Scotland. Twenty-six patients were identified, their diagnosis confirmed according to agreed criteria and subjected to the Revised Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale, the Epworth Sleepiness questionnaire; spirometry, sniff nasal inspiratory pressure and nocturnal pulse oximetry measurements.