Analysis of breathing function in Parkinson's disease

We studied 40 parkinsonian patients (P), mean age 50-80 years, with Hoehn and Yahr stages I-III and 40 no parkinsonian patients (NP), with similar characteristics. The results of the thoracic amplitude was 1,8+/-0,8cm of P that showed a reduction to 4,3+/-1,0 cm of NP (p=0,00001), the vital capacity and forced vital capacity, 66,8+/-20,3% and 69,6+/-22,2% of P was decreased that 82,3+/-15,7% and 82,7+/- 16,6% of NP (p=0,00001 and p=0,0023). There was not difference among the maximal inspiratory and expiratory mouth pressures, 33,5+/-12,7 cmH(2)O and 36,3+/-17,8 cmH(2)O of P and 37,0+/-12,2 cmH(2)O and 43,1+/-16,6 cmH(2)O of NP (p=0,1753 and p=0,0398), the forced expiratory volume in 1 second, 71,3 25,6% of P and 80,6 23,6% of NP (P=0,0899), and the forced expiratory volume in 1 second/ forced vital capacity, 104,5+/-19,9% of P and 97,4+/-22,8% of NP (p=0,1234). The parkinsonian patients present restrictive pulmonary dysfunction, low chest wall compliance and the respiratory muscle strenght do not decreased.