RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Respiratory muscle training with normocapnic hyperpnoea (RMNH) improves ventilatory pattern, thoraco-abdominal coordination and reduces oxygen desaturation during exercise in COPD patients JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP 1395 VO 44 IS Suppl 58 A1 Eva Bernardi A1 Luca Pomidori A1 Gaia Mandolesi A1 Faisy Bassal A1 Annalisa Cogo YR 2014 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/1395.abstract AB Few data are available about the effect of RMNH in COPD patients.Aim: evaluate the effect of 4 weeks RMNH (Spirotiger®) on QoL, exercise capacity and ventilation in COPD.Materials and Methods: 25 COPD (3F), age 42-80. Respiratory function tests (FEV1, FVC, MIP), QoL (St George's Questionnaire), 6MWT and endurance symptom limited test (75-80% of peak-work rate, tLIM) were performed before and after RMNH. 12 patients were instrumented with a portable inductive plethysmografhy (Lifeshirt System) to evaluate breathing pattern and thoraco-abdominal coordination (phase angle, PhA) during tLIM. After 4 supervised sessions, they trained at home for 4 weeks: 10 min twice a day at 50% of MVV.Results, Tab 1. 6 patients dropped out.View this table:Table 1During tLIM we found: lower VE, lower RR and higher TV; lower oxygen desaturation; lower increase in PhA and lower dyspnea Borg Score for the same work intensity (p<0.05, 2-way ANOVA). Changes in TV and SpO2, before and after RMNH, were significantly related (R2=0.65, p=0.003).Conclusion: As expected RMNH improves exercise capacity and QoL. New results are: the significantly change in breathing pattern which improves SpO2 and the better thoraco-abdominal coordination (lower PhA). These facts can have a role in the improvement of exercise capacity and the lower dyspnea perception. All these data show the clinical importance of these functional improvements in COPD.