Expiratory Muscle Training for Persons With Neurodegenerative Disease

Respiratory difficulty is one of the primary factors leading to death in patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) and Multiple Sclerosis. Both diseases are progressive degenerating diseases that cause difficulties in breathing, airway protection and swallowing. Patients with PD and MS typically become sedentary and lose endurance, maximal fitness levels and overall pulmonary function. Much of the research focus has been on the motor symptoms of PD and MS yet the pulmonary and swallowing complications are perhaps ultimately the most important disability as the diseases progress. The inability to generate adequate respiratory pressure is responsible for reduced cough magnitudes and cough response times. Cough is critical for the clearance of foreign materials in the airway helping to reduce infiltration of bacteria and subsequent respiratory infection. With reduced cough function an increased risk for pulmonary disease occurs due to a reduced ability to protect the airways. There are a number of promising outcomes from an expiratory strength-training program. By increasing expiratory muscle strength and expiratory pressure generation, effective breathing, clearance of the airway, and improved swallowing can occur. These explicit outcomes are predicted based on our experience with the use of an innovative device-driven, home-based expiratory strength training program focused on the expiratory muscles of respiration. This project focuses on following patients with PD and MS for an initial 5 weeks of strength training and them testing the outcome of a caregiver program for maintaining treatment effects.

The proposed investigation will: Determine if 5 weeks of Expiratory Muscle Strength Training (EMST) increases maximal expiratory driving pressure (MEP) and improves swallow, cough and breathing function in individuals with PD and MS. Following the post assessment of the 5 week EMST program we will then evaluate three different modules for monitoring the continuation of the treatment while assessing patient quality of life and caregiver burden/satisfaction. This will help us determine if one particular home training method results in different physiological and functional outcomes. Aim 1. Determine the effects of an EMST program on swallow function, voluntary cough production and breathing function in individuals with PD and MS identified as below normal limits for their age and sex (via physiological measures). Hypothesis 1: There will significant and positive treatment effects following 5 weeks of EMST on the measures of swallow, cough production and breathing function in those with PD and MS following 5 weeks of treatment. Aim 2: Determine the outcome of three uniquely structured home treatment monitoring programs in maintaining the EMST post treatment effect for patients with MS and PD. These programs are referred to as: Education Module (A), Question Only (B), and Education Module plus Question (C). The monitoring system will be provided by VitelNet, a leading provider of home health monitoring, clinician-based telemedicine Hypothesis 2: Program C will provide greater maintenance of the EMST treatment effect for both patient groups compared to programs A and B. Aim 3: Determine the effects of the home monitoring programs for improving patient quality of life and caregiver burden/satisfaction. Hypothesis 3: Program C will provide greater improvements in patient quality of life and caregiver burden compared to programs A and B.