Prolonged use of wind or brass instruments does not alter lung function in musicians

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Physiology
• Music Medicine
• Respiratory Health

Background:

• Musical expression in wind/brass (W/B) musicians is intrinsically linked to respiratory function.
• Previous research on W/B musicians' respiratory health has been limited, often focusing only on spirometry and flow limitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively compare the respiratory function of W/B musicians with a non-wind/brass (NW/B) control group.
• To investigate potential subtle respiratory differences beyond standard spirometry in W/B musicians.

Main Methods:

• 102 participants (55 W/B musicians, 47 NW/B) aged 18-60 completed questionnaires and underwent spirometry, static lung volumes, forced oscillations (respiratory mechanics), gas transfer tests, and airway responsiveness (AR) assessments.
• Statistical analysis included T-tests and linear regression to compare outcomes between the W/B and NW/B groups.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed in spirometry or lung volumes, except for a decreased residual volume to total lung capacity ratio (RV/TLC) in W/B musicians (p=0.03).
• Gas transfer and airway responsiveness (AR) were comparable between groups.
• Increased resistance at 6 Hz (R(rs6)) was found in W/B musicians compared to NW/B controls (p=0.02), while reactance at 6 Hz (Xrs6) did not differ.

Conclusions:

• W/B musicians do not exhibit broadly altered respiratory function compared to non-musicians.
• Elevated R(rs6) in W/B musicians may indicate underlying inflammatory or remodelling processes in the airways due to playing.
• Further research is warranted to explore the clinical significance of these subtle respiratory findings in W/B musicians.