A team from the Institute of Myology has developed, in collaboration with a team from the Sorbonne University and the French Public Health and Hospital system, a non-invasive method to evaluate the function of the diaphragm, the main breathing muscle. This new method could represent an alternative to standard invasive methods, which rely on the use of probes inserted into patients’ esophagus and stomach. This research, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, is opening the way towards improved diagnosis and follow-up of diaphragm dysfunction, frequently at the origin of chronic or acute respiratory failure.
With 24,000 daily contractions, the diaphragm is the primary respiratory muscle. With each breath, it depresses and flattens, provoking an increase in thorax volume which allows air to enter into our lungs. At release, it gradually returns to its original form. Understanding the structure and functioning of this organ is vital as its dysfunction, whatever the origin, can cause respiratory problems. To this day, the only standard method for evaluating diaphragm function relies on measuring transdiaphragmatic pressure (using gastric and esophageal probes), a technique rarely used due to its invasive nature and its requirement of high-level expertise. But the evaluation of diaphragm function is critical for a number of clinical situations, in patients on mechanical ventilation or those affected by neuromuscular conditions (like myopathies).
For this reason, Damien Bachasson, researcher in the Neuromuscular Physiology and Evaluation laboratory of the Myology Institute, along with his colleagues, have developed a non-invasive evaluation method via ultrasound imaging. This research, for which the proof of concept testing was conducted in 15 healthy volunteers, enabled the validation of the efficacy and precision of this new approach. “For us, this study is the cornerstone of a new era of patient diaphragm exploration. Data from this collaborative research are of great value, allowing us to envision the use of these approaches in neuromuscular conditions and beyond, first in research, then in routine care,” explained Damien Bachasson.
Today, teams are invested in the study its feasibility and potential in resuscitation patients in order to obtain the best predictions of extubation success. In parallel, research projects on the use of these methods on neuromuscular illnesses are also in preparation.
