Development and evaluation of an automated breathing-synchronized chest wall vibration stimulation system.

[Purpose] Vibratory stimulation of the upper intercostal region enhances inspiratory movement, whereas stimulation of the lower intercostal region enhances expiratory movement and ventilation. Previous vibration stimulation devices for intercostal muscles required manual stimulation, causing a time lag between breathing and vibration stimulation. The purpose of this experiment was to compare the effects of an automatic vibration stimulation system with manual vibration stimulation in a group of individuals and to verify whether there was an increase in upper and lower chest wall displacement and respiratory flow.

Rib cage contributions to inspiratory capacity in patients with cervical spinal cord injury.

Background: Cervical spinal cord injury (CSI) often leads to impaired respiratory function, affecting the overall well-being of patients. This study aimed to investigate the influence of rib cage motion on inspiratory capacity in CSI patients.

Methods: We conducted a study with 11 CSI patients, utilising respiratory inductance plethysmography (RIP).

Effectiveness of a case-based digital learning interprofessional workshop involving undergraduates in medical technology, radiological science, and physical therapy: A pre-post intervention study.

All healthcare professionals must understand information on a patient's biophysical functions, and it is important to educate professionals on how to use this information in an interprofessional team for diagnosis. However, there is little interprofessional education for students of medical technology and radiological science involved in biophysical function diagnosis. In the present study, we developed a case-based interprofessional learning tool for using biophysical information for diagnosis.

Effects of breathing control using visual feedback of thoracoabdominal movement on aerobic exercise.

Purpose: To clarify whether voluntary respiratory movement control strategy is sustainable during exercise and to determine its effect on aerobic exercise.

Material And Methods: Ten healthy men were enrolled in this study. We developed a device that can convert information on thoracoabdominal changes from an inductance plethysmograph and display the Konno-Mead diagram on the monitor in real time for each breath.

Effects of visual feedback of thoracoabdominal motion on oxygen consumption during hyperventilation - Pilot study.

Introduction: Respiratory muscle oxygen consumption increases with the work of breathing. We hypothesized that reducing excessive respiratory muscle activity during exercise may improve exercise tolerance.

Method: We developed a device to provide real-time visual feedback of thoracoabdominal movement and used it to examine the influence of visual feedback of thoracoabdominal movement during diaphragmatic breathing on oxygen consumption in eight healthy men.

Features of electromyography threshold of the respiratory muscles during incremental exercise test.

In this study, we aimed to examine the electromyography threshold (EMGT) of the respiratory muscle and accessory respiratory muscles. Sixteen healthy men underwent an incremental exercise test at 15 W/minute to the end point. Expired gases and electromyograms of the respiratory and lower limb muscles were measured.

Reliability of voluntary cough assessments using respiratory flow waveform.

[Purpose] Voluntary cough can be assessed by recording flow waves. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability of the measurements of respiratory flow waveforms, using equipment that recorded flow waves during cough. [Participants and Methods] Twenty healthy participants were recruited for this study.

Investigation into the mobility of elderly patients with pneumonia using triaxial accelerometer data.

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the levels of physical activity of elderly pneumonia patients.

Method: This is a prospective observational study among pneumonia patients who were hospitalized in a clinic within a general and respiratory medicine hospital department, and community-dwelling elderly. Activity levels of 29 elderly patients with pneumonia who were aged >75 years (PP group), and 15 community-dwelling healthy elderly (CD group) were measured.

Measurement of intercostal muscle thickness with ultrasound imaging during maximal breathing.

[Purpose] Determining the thickness of the intercostal muscle with ultrasound imaging would be a useful parameter in evaluating respiratory muscle activity in patients with tetraplegia and neuromuscular weakness. However, it has not been clarified whether ultrasound imaging can measure changes in intercostal muscle thickness during breathing. This study aimed to measure contractions of the human intercostal muscle in the anterior, lateral, and posterior parts with ultrasound imaging during maximal breathing.