Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Evaluation of respiratory functions and quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Acta Neurologica Belgica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate respiratory muscle strength, respiratory functions and quality of life in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and compare the results with the healthy volunteers. The study included a group of 24 patients diagnosed with MS (16 women, 8 men) with an EDSS score of ≤ 5, who were without clinical respiratory impairment. MS patients were compared with the healthy volunteer group (16 women, 8 men). Respiratory muscle strength and respiratory functions were evaluated with specific devices. Maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) parameters were measured for the muscle strength. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, peak expiratory flow, and forced expiratory flow (FEF25−75) parameters were measured for the respiratory functions. Questionnaire SF-36 was applied to evaluate health-related quality of life. A total of 24 MS patients’ respiratory function test results were compared with healthy volunteers and significant changes were found at MIP, MEP, and FEV1 parameters. Quality of life was compared between the groups and there was a significant difference in parameters related with physical performance and physical-health-related role limitations. There is an early involvement of the respiratory muscles in patients with MS, yet clinical symptoms appear in later stages. Respiratory functions should be evaluated at the earlier stage of the disease so that rehabilitation can be planned in order to reduce respiratory complications and improve the quality of life in patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Adams RD, Victor M (2001) Principles of neurology. 7th edition, Mc Graw-Hill, New York, pp. 954–979

    Google Scholar 

  2. Fry DK, Pfalzer LA, Chokshi AR, Wagner MT, Jackson ES (2007) Randomized control trial of effects of a 10-week inspiratory muscle training program on measures of pulmonary function in persons with Multiple Sclerosis. J Neurol Phys Ther 31:162–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Gosselink R, Kovacs L, Ketelaer P, Carton H, Decramer M (2000) Respiratory muscle weakness and respiratory muscle training in severely disabled Multiple Sclerosis patients. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 81:747–751

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Grasso MG, Lubich S, Guidi L, Rinnenburger D, Paolucci S (2000) Cerebellar deficit and respiratory impairment: a strong association in Multiple Sclerosis? Acta Neurol Scand 101:98–103

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ward NS, Hill NS (2001) Pulmonary function testing in neuromuscular disease. Clin Chest Med 22:769–781

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Tedeholm H, Skoog B, Lisovskaja V, Runmarker B, Nerman O, Andersen O(2015) The outcome spectrum of multiple sclerosis: disability, mortality, and a cluster of predictors from onset. J Neurol 262:1148–1163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Cutter GR, Zimmerman J, Salter AR,et all (2015) Causes of death among persons with multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord 4:484–490

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Rabinstein AA (2016) Noninvasive ventilation for neuromuscular respiratory failure: when to use and when to avoid. Curr Opin Crit Care 22:94–99

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Howard RS, Wiles CM, Hirsch NP, Loh L, Spencer GT, Newsom-Davis J (1992) Respiratory involvement in Multiple Sclerosis. Brain 115:479–494

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Wens I, Eijnde BO, Hansen D (2016) Muscular, cardiac, ventilatory and metabolic dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis: implications for screening, clinical care and endurance and resistance exercise therapy, a scoping review. J Neurol Sci 367:107–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Tzelepis GE, McCool FD.(2015) Respiratory dysfunction in multiple sclerosis.RespirMed.;109:671–679

  12. Altintas A, Demir T, Ikitimur HD, Yildirim N (2007) Pulmonary function in multiple sclerosis without any respiratory complaints. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 109:242–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Kartaloğlu Z, Okutan O (2012) Current approach to respiratory problems in neuromuscular disease. Tuberk Toraks 60:279–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Buyse B, Demedts M, Meekers J, Vandegaer L, Rochette F, Kerkhofs L (1997) Respiratory dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis: a prospective analysis of 60 patients. Eur Respir J 10:139–145

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Klefbeck B, Hamrah Nedjad J (2003) Effect of inspiratory muscle training in patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 84:994–999

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Smeltzer SC, Skurni ck JH, Troiano R, Cook SD, Duran W, Lavietes MH (1992) Respiratory function in Multiple Sclerosis. Utility of clinical assessment of respiratory muscle function. Chest 101:479–484

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Tantucci C, Massucci M, Piperno R, Betti L, Grassi V, Sorbini CA (1994) Control of breathing and respiratory muscle strength in patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Chest 105:1163–1170

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Bosnak M, Gündüz A. Nazlıel B, İrgeç C (2012) Comparison of functional exercise capacity, pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength in patients with multiple sclerosis with different disability levels and healthy controls. J Rehabil Med 44:80–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Karpatkin H (2008) Respiratory changes in multiple sclerosis. J Neurol Phys Ther 32:105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Smeltzer SC, Lavietes MH.(1999) Reliability of maximal respiratory pressures in Multiple Sclerosis Chest. 115: 1546–1552

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Salehi R, Shakhi K, Khiavi FF (2016) Association between disability and quality of life in Multiple Sclerosis patients in Ahvaz, Iran. Mater Sociomed 28:215–219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Janssens J (2003) Impact of recently diagnosed Multiple Sclerosis on quality of life, anxiety, depression and distress of patients and partners. Acta Neurol Scand 108:389–395

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Hakim EA, Bakheit AM, Bryant TN (2000) The social impact of multiple sclerosis a study of threehoundred and five patients and their relatives. Disabil Rehabil 22:288–293

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Solari A, Radice D (2001) Health status of people with Multiple Sclerosis: a community mail survey. Neurol Sci 22:307–315

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Calandri E, Graziano F, Borghi M, Bonino S (2016) Improving the quality of life and psychological well-being of recently diagnosed multiple sclerosis patients:preliminary evaluation of a group-based cognitive behavioral intervention. Disabil Rehabil; 6:1–8

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiotherapy, Dr Burhan Nalbantoglu State Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Musa Muhtaroglu

  2. Faculty of Medicine, University of Kyrenia, Kyrenia, Cyprus

    Senem Ertugrul Mut

  3. Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Senem Ertugrul Mut

  4. Department of Neurology, Dr Burhan Nalbantoglu State Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Ferda Selcuk

  5. Health Sciences Faculty, Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta, Cyprus

    Mehtap Malkoc

Authors
  1. Musa Muhtaroglu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Senem Ertugrul Mut
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ferda Selcuk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mehtap Malkoc
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Senem Ertugrul Mut.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

None of the authors have any financial or personal conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Muhtaroglu, M., Ertugrul Mut, S., Selcuk, F. et al. Evaluation of respiratory functions and quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients. Acta Neurol Belg 120, 1107–1113 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-018-0967-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-018-0967-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation