Oscillometry of the respiratory system in Parkinson's disease: physiological changes and diagnostic use.

Background: Lung function analysis in Parkinson's disease (PD) is often difficult due to the demand for adequate forced expiratory maneuvers. Respiratory oscillometry exams require onlyquiet tidal breathing and provide a detailed analysis of respiratory mechanics. We hypothesized that oscillometry would simplify the diagnosis of respiratory abnormalitiesin PD and improve our knowledge about the pathophysiological changes in these patients.

Reference values for respiratory impedance measured by the forced oscillation technique in adult men and women.

Introduction: The forced oscillation technique (FOT) is a particularly useful test of the mechanical properties of the respiratory system that has an increasingly important role in lung function laboratories. There is general agreement in the literature that the determination of reference values is of utmost importance in the clinical use of the FOT.

Objective: Our aim was to present reference values for whole-breath FOT measurements, establish which anthropometric variables were more predictive of impedance parameters, and provide all the details to adequately adopt these reference equations in individual laboratories.