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Increased respiratory effort during sleep is non-invasively detected with movement sensor

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Abstract

Introduction

Measuring breathing effort during sleep with an oesophageal pressure sensor remains technically challenging and has not become routine practice. The aim of the present work was to investigate whether increased thoracic pressure during sleep can be detected with the Emfit movement sensor. Experimental data suggest that increased respiratory efforts with the intrathoracic pressure variation induce high-frequency spikes in the Emfit signal, but this has not been systematically examined.

Methods

Polysomnography, oesophageal pressure and Emfit signal were recorded in 32 patients with suspected sleep-disordered breathing. Increased respiratory effort was defined as oesophageal pressure below −8 cmH2O during inspiration. The epochs of normal breathing, periodic breathing patterns and sustained spiking labelled as increased respiratory resistance (IRR) were defined on the Emfit signal according to established rules.

Results

Compared to normal breathing, the proportion of increased respiratory effort was higher during all periodic breathing with spiking. The highest proportion (18–23%) occurred during IRR, which is characterised by sustained spiking.

Conclusion

The Emfit movement sensor is a non-invasive alternative to the oesophageal pressure sensor in the assessment of the respiratory effort during sleep. In particular, the Emfit sensor enhances detection of non-apnoeic sleep-disordered breathing, the significance of which should not be ignored.

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Acknowledgements

The study was financially supported by Tekes, the National Technology Agency of Finland and by grants from the Medical Research Fund of Tampere University Hospital.

Conflicts of interest

None of the authors have a financial relationship with Emfit Ltd, Finland; the company that developed and sells the Emfit movement sensors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Tampere University Hospital, Medical Imaging Centre, Pirkanmaa Hospital District, Tampere, Finland

    Mirja Tenhunen, Jussi Virkkala, Antti Saastamoinen & Sari-Leena Himanen

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland

    Mirja Tenhunen

  3. Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Satakunta Central Hospital, Pori, Finland

    Esa Rauhala

  4. Sleep Laboratory, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland

    Jussi Virkkala

  5. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland

    Olli Polo

  6. Faculty of Medicine, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland

    Sari-Leena Himanen

Authors
  1. Mirja Tenhunen
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  2. Esa Rauhala
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  3. Jussi Virkkala
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  4. Olli Polo
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Correspondence to Mirja Tenhunen.

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Tenhunen, M., Rauhala, E., Virkkala, J. et al. Increased respiratory effort during sleep is non-invasively detected with movement sensor. Sleep Breath 15, 737–746 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-010-0430-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-010-0430-8

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