Respiratory Muscle Strength and Function in Neuromuscular Disorders and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Using an extensive set of both volitional and non-volitional tests of respiratory muscle function and strength it is the aim of this study to * identify disease-specific patterns of respiratory muscle impairment in different NMD and COPD * establish which set of tests is predictive of sleep-disordered breathing or daytime hypercapnia in patients with NMD or COPD, respectively. * to investigate the decline of respiratory muscle function in patients with progressive NMD and COPD along with sleep studies and capnography