Feasibility of structured light plethysmography for the evaluation of lung function in preschool children with asthma

Structured light plethysmography (SLP) is a new noninvasive technology to capture the movement of the thoracic and abdominal wall, and to assess some parameters indicative for lung function.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of SLP in children with asthma.

A total of 52 patients were enrolled: 25 with asthma exacerbation (group 1), 13 with well-controlled asthma (group 2), and 14 healthy controls (group 3). Every patient underwent SLP evaluation and a lung function test.

SLP evaluations showed that the ratio of inspiratory flow at 50% of tidal volume (Vt) to expiratory flow at 50% of Vt, in which Vt is taken to be the exhaled chest wall movement, and flow is taken to be the time derivative of the chest wall movement (IE50) value increased in group 1 compared with groups 2 and 3, with statistical significance (p = 0.018); the data were consistent with the spirometry parameter. A correlation between the IE50 and forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration was highlighted (r = -0.35, p = 0.019).

SLP assessed airway obstruction, and its use in clinical practice could be applied in preschool children in future studies.