OBJECTIVE Image segmentation is an essential step in quantifying the extent of reduced or absent lung function. The aim of this study is to develop and validate a new tool for automatic segmentation of lungs in ventilation and perfusion SPECT images and compare automatic and manual SPECT lung segmentations with reference computed tomography (CT) volumes. METHODS A total of 77 subjects (69 pat...

Diaphragm strength can be assessed by measurement of transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi) in response to stimulation of the phrenic nerves. The length-tension relationship of the diaphragm can be studied by measuring twitch Pdi over the range of lung volume. Previous studies of the relationship between lung volume and diaphragm strength have used the technique of electrical stimulation of the phre...

BACKGROUND In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), functional and structural impairment of lung function can negatively impact heart rate variability (HRV); however, it is unknown if static lung volumes and lung diffusion capacity negatively impacts HRV responses. We investigated whether impairment of static lung volumes and lung diffusion capacity could be related to HRV indices in pa...

two main forms of copd (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) refer to a group of lung diseases that block airflow and cause a huge degree of human suffering. a new method for identifying and estimating the severity of copd from three-dimensional (3-d) pulmonary x-ray ct images would be helpful for evaluation of treatment effects and early diagnosing is presented in this paper. this method has...

OBJECTIVES Current criteria use FEV(1) to assess bronchodilator responsiveness, despite its insensitivity and inability to predict improvement in symptoms or exercise tolerance. Response in lung volumes remains largely unexplored even though volume parameters, such as inspiratory capacity (IC), closely correlate with functional improvements. Therefore, we assessed the response of lung volumes (...

BACKGROUND Cough is a common and troublesome symptom in cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis (CFA) but the mechanisms responsible are not known. The cough threshold to inhaled capsaicin is increased in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) where lung volumes are increased, but the relationship between cough response and symptom intensity has not been studied in CFA where lung volu...

Left pneumonectomy in the mature rat led to an increase of [3Ha1 thymidine incorporation into DNA of the remaining lung in the first 3 postoperative days, and resulted in a subsequent 38% increase of lung weight and 41% increase of lung tissue volume measured 1 wk after surgery. Despite these early changes, total lung volume (TLV) did not increase until the 2nd postoperative wk, reaching values...