ERS statement on respiratory muscle testing at rest and during exercise

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Respiratory Physiology

Background:

• Assessing respiratory mechanics and muscle function is vital for clinical practice and research.
• Recent decades have seen significant methodological advancements in understanding respiratory muscle function.
• These methods are crucial for diagnosing and managing respiratory and neuromuscular diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent scientific and methodological developments in respiratory mechanics and muscle assessment.
• To evaluate the validity, precision, reproducibility, prognostic value, and responsiveness to interventions of various testing methods.
• To emphasize assessment during exercise as a stress condition for the respiratory system.

Main Methods:

• Review of scientific literature and methodological developments since the 2002 ATS/ERS statement.
• Focus on advances in mechanics of breathing, respiratory muscle neurophysiology (EMG, EEG, TMS), and imaging (ultrasound, OEP, SLP).
• Evaluation of methods based on validity, precision, reproducibility, prognostic value, and responsiveness.

Main Results:

• Key advances in respiratory muscle neurophysiology and imaging techniques have been identified.
• New methods enhance the understanding of respiratory muscle function in health and disease.
• Exercise testing is highlighted as a valuable condition for stressing the respiratory system.

Conclusions:

• Recent advancements provide enhanced tools for respiratory muscle testing.
• These developments are critical for improving patient diagnosis, phenotyping, and treatment efficacy assessment.
• The review provides a comprehensive summary of current best practices and future directions in the field.