Pulmonary function tests in Parkinson's disease

The study was a cross-sectional and patient-control study. The study was performed at Al-Azhar university Hospitals from May 2005 to January 2006. The study was performed to document changes in respiratory pump and ventilatory function in idiopathic Parkinson's disease [PD] patients and its relationship with the main clinical presentation and the specific daily living activities [DLA] inthose patients. The study was conducted on 30 patients with PD and 10 healthy control volunteers. Patients were subjected to clinical evaluation by Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale [UPDRS] and respiratory pump function evaluation was done for patients and controls. Among patients group, 3 patients had normal pulmonary function [PF], 15 had obstructive PF pattern, 2 had restrictive PF pattern and 17 had upper airway obstruction. A significant disturbance in respiratory neuromuscular drive represent by the tracheal occlusion pressure after 100 m / sec from the start of quit inspiration [PO.l], decrease in respiratory muscle strength evaluated by maximum inspiratory pressure [PImax], marked respiratory muscle fatigue evaluated by [PO.l / PO.lmax]. A significant decrease in partial arterial oxygen pressure [PaO[2]] and increase in PaCO2 was found in patients group when compared to control group. Rigid / hypokinetic group patients 16/30 [53.3%] had significant [p<0.05] respiratory dysfunction rather than tremulous 14/30 [46.7%] group of patients. A significant negative correlation between the duration of disease, severity of illness, total daily living activity [DLA] and the severity of pulmonary dysfunction was found. Among the specific DLA, salivation and severe axial involvement was negatively correlated with maximum voluntary ventilation [MVV], PImax and PaO[2] Patients with Parkinsonis disease have impaired pulmonary function showing both obstructive and restrictive pattern, also abnormalities in mouth occlusion pressure and maximum inspiratory pressure were evident