Pulmonology Research

KEY FINDING: Mechanical ventilation increased levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, while decreasing IL-10 in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of rats without spinal cord injury.

KEY FINDING: Completion of RMT intervention abolished OH in 7 out of 11 individuals.

KEY FINDING: One trial of 75 participants reported that extubation success (defined as no need for reintubation within 48 hours) was higher in the mechanical insufflation-exsufflation (MI-E) group (82.9% versus 52.5%, P < 0.05)

KEY FINDING: GI increased total lung capacity (TLC), vital capacity (VC), airway pressure (Paw), and heart rate (HR) in the CSCI group in a sitting position, while mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) decreased.

KEY FINDING: Sleep-disordered breathing is prevalent in individuals with spinal cord injuries, especially those with motor-complete tetraplegia.

KEY FINDING: Ninety-two percent of patients achieved 16 hours ventilator-free breathing (VFB), and 83% achieved 24 hours VFB.

KEY FINDING: Epidural stimulation of the lower thoracic spinal cord shows promise for cough restoration by evoking expiratory muscle contraction.

KEY FINDING: Most individuals with cervical miSCI in our study did not show a phasic ventilatory response to treadmill walking at preferred walking speed before or after OLT.

KEY FINDING: Spinal cord stimulation at T9 and L1 levels resulted in airway pressures of 90 and 82 cm H2O, respectively.

KEY FINDING: Optimal abdominal muscle stimulation involved placing three sets of bilateral surface electrodes 4.5 cm dorsal to the lateral line, using 80 or 100 mA current, and a 50 Hz stimulation frequency.