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Method to Obtain Pattern of Breathing in Senescent Mice through Unrestrained Barometric Plethysmography
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Expiratory activity during sleep in children.

Jasmeen K Saini1,2, Tara A Janes2,3, Joanna E MacLean2,3,4

  • 1Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Journal of Sleep Research
|December 18, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Infants utilize expiratory abdominal muscles during sleep, particularly during non-rapid eye movement and rapid-eye movement stages. This muscle activity aids ventilation and oxygenation, especially during respiratory events like apnea and oxygen desaturation.

Keywords:
abdominal electromyographyactive expirationdiaphragm electromyographyobstructive sleep apneapolysomnography

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Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Respiratory Physiology
  • Neonatology

Background:

  • Sleep-related breathing disorders are common in infants.
  • Expiration is typically passive, but expiratory muscles may activate during increased respiratory demand.
  • The role of expiratory abdominal muscles in infant sleep breathing is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the occurrence and pattern of expiratory abdominal muscle activity during sleep in infants (0-2 years).
  • To determine the association of this activity with sleep stages and respiratory events.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of polysomnographic data from infants suspected of sleep disordered breathing.
  • Evaluation of expiratory abdominal muscle activation during different sleep stages (NREM, REM, SWS).
  • Correlation of muscle activity with regular breathing, apneas, and oxygen desaturation events.

Main Results:

  • Expiratory abdominal muscle activity was observed in infants during sleep.
  • Activity was most frequent during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep compared to slow-wave sleep (SWS).
  • Muscle activation occurred during normal breathing and was temporally linked to respiratory events, often preceding or coinciding with recovery from desaturation.

Conclusions:

  • Expiratory abdominal muscle activity is a component of respiratory muscle recruitment during infant sleep.
  • This activity likely facilitates ventilation, counteracts airway resistance, and helps manage oxygen desaturation during sleep.
  • Findings suggest a functional role for these muscles in maintaining respiratory stability in infants.