Current approaches to assess interoception of respiratory functions cannot differentiate between the physiological basis of interoception, i.e. visceral-afferent signal processing, and the psychological process of attention focusing. Furthermore, they typically involve invasive procedures, e.g. induction of respiratory occlusions or the inhalation of CO2-enriched air. The aim of this study was ...

Paced breathing is a frequently performed technique for cardiovascular autonomic studies. The relative timing of inspiration and expiration during paced breathing, however, is not consistent. We, therefore, examined whether indexes of heart rate variability and spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity would be affected by the respiratory time ratio that is set. We studied 14 healthy young adults who ...

Emerging evidence has suggested that with minimal prerequisite training, slow deep breathing around 0.10 Hz can acutely enhance cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) in humans. Such reports have led to the speculation that behavioral interventions designed to reduce breathing frequency may serve a therapeutic role in ameliorating depressed baroreflex function in conditions such as chronic he...

BACKGROUND Non-invasive ventilation can prevent respiratory failure after extubation in individuals at increased risk of this complication, and enhanced survival in patients with hypercapnia has been recorded. We aimed to assess prospectively the effectiveness of non-invasive ventilation after extubation in patients with hypercapnia and as rescue therapy when respiratory failure develops. MET...

RATIONALE Studies have shown that reducing sedation of critically ill patients shortens time on the ventilator and in the intensive care unit (ICU). Little is known, however, of how such strategies affect long-term cognitive, psychological, and functional outcomes. OBJECTIVES To determine the long-term effects of a wake up and breathe protocol that interrupts and reduces sedative exposure in ...

Objective The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of continuous low pressure support (PSV) and T-piece as strategies for discontinuation of mechanical ventilation and extubation in a surgical ICU. Patients and Methods This was a prospective open label randomized control study in surgical ICU patients who were intubated, mechanically ventilated, and who met criteria for a spontan...

Extrapolation from post-exercise measurements has been used to estimate respiratory and blood gas parameters during exercise. This may not be accurate in exercise with reduced breathing frequency (RBF), since spontaneous breathing usually follows exercise. This study was performed to ascertain whether measurement of oxygen saturation and blood gases immediately after exercise accurately reflect...

To investigate the pathophysiologic mechanisms of ventilator dependence, we took physiologic measurements in 28 patients with COPD and 11 postcardiac surgery (PCS) patients receiving long-term mechanical ventilation during a spontaneous breathing trial, and in 20 stable, spontaneously breathing patients matched for age and disease. After 40 +/- 14 min of spontaneous breathing, 20 of 28 patients...

INTRODUCTION With the 3100B high-frequency oscillatory ventilator (SensorMedics, Yorba Linda, CA, USA), patients' spontaneous breathing efforts result in a high level of imposed work of breathing (WOB). Therefore, spontaneous breathing often has to be suppressed during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV). A demand-flow system was designed to reduce imposed WOB. METHODS An external g...