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Updated: Aug 4, 2026

Repeated Measurement of Respiratory Muscle Activity and Ventilation in Mouse Models of Neuromuscular Disease
Published on: April 17, 2017
Respiratory muscle activity during REM sleep in patients with diaphragm paralysis
J R Bennett1, H M A Dunroy, D R Corfield
1National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College School of Medicine, London, UK.
Abstract:
The diaphragm is the main inspiratory muscle during REM sleep. It was hypothesized that patients with isolated bilateral diaphragm paralysis (BDP) might not be able to sustain REM sleep. Polysomnography with EMG recordings was undertaken from accessory respiratory muscles in patients with BDP and normal subjects. Patients with BDP had a normal quantity of REM sleep (mean +/- SD, 18.6 +/- 7.5% of total sleep time) achieved by inspiratory recruitment of extradiaphragmatic muscles in both tonic and phasic REM, suggesting brainstem reorganization.
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