Motor neurone disease (MND) causes the body's muscles to weaken. Breathing muscle weakness means that most people affected by MND will eventually lose the ability to take a deep breath and cough strongly. Breathing and coughing difficulties are extremely distressing for people living with MND, and therapies that improve breathing capacity and related symptoms are needed.
Our research team has previously shown that breathing exercises using a hand-held device to help people take a bigger breath (lung volume recruitment) can produce important changes in lung capacity. Separately, our collaborators in the United States have found that exercises using a different hand-held device (expiratory muscle strength training) can improve expiratory muscle strength in people with MND.
This research project will evaluate whether combining these two therapies together has added benefit. We will test whether five weeks of combined respiratory training is feasible and acceptable to people living with MND and their carers, and whether it improves breathing and cough strength, symptoms and quality of life in people affected by MND.
Do you have or know someone with motor neurone disease?
Researchers from IBAS and the University of Melbourne are studying whether a new type of breathing exercise helps to improve cough, swallow and breathing in people with early-stage MND.
This 10-week study is seeking people with MND who are not using a breathing machine, and involves:
- 5 weeks of no exercises + 5 weeks of exercises, performed at home 5 days a week for 5 -weeks
- three in-home assessments
- weekly 15-minute telehealth appointment Interested to find out more? Please contact Dr Nicole Sheers via email or phone 0468 862 693.
Prospective controlled run-in study evaluating combined respiratory training on cough and respiratory function in motor neurone disease.
Respiratory > Motor Neurone Disease
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