IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i23p15675-d983906.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Association between the Respiratory System and Upper Limb Strength in Males with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A New Field for Intervention?

Author

Listed:
  • Agnieszka Sobierajska-Rek

    (Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences with the Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-219 Gdańsk, Poland
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Eliza Wasilewska

    (Department of Pulmonology and Allergology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdańsk, Poland
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Karolina Śledzińska

    (Department of Internal and Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences with the Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdańsk, Poland)

  • Joanna Jabłońska-Brudło

    (Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences with the Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-219 Gdańsk, Poland)

  • Sylwia Małgorzewicz

    (Department of Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences with the Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-416 Gdańsk, Poland)

  • Andrzej Wasilewski

    (Student Scientific Association at Department of Physical Education and Sport, Wroclaw Medical University, 51-601 Wroclaw, Poland)

  • Dominika Szalewska

    (Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences with the Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-219 Gdańsk, Poland)

Abstract

Progressive, irreversible muscle weakness is the leading symptom of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), often resulting in death from respiratory muscle failure. Little is known about the relationship between the functioning of the respiratory system and the hand grip—a function which remains long preserved. This study aimed to investigate the interdependence between muscle strength and the function of both hand grip and the respiratory system in patients with DMD. Materials and Method: The study included cohort patients, aged 6–17, with DMD, recruited from the Rare Disease Centre, Gdansk, Poland. Clinical status (Vignos scale, Brook scale), pulmonary function (respiratory muscle strength—MIP, MEP); spirometry (FEV1; FVC), as well as upper limb function (performance of the upper limb—PUL 2.0) and hand grip strength (HGS) (hand-held dynamometer) were evaluated in all participants. Results: Finally, 53 boys (mean age 11.41 ± 3.70 years, 25 non-ambulant) were included. Each of the participants presented a lower %pv of MIP (48.11 ± 27), MEP (38.11 ± 22), PUL (75.64 ± 27), and HGS (33.28 ± 18). There were differences between the ambulatory and non-ambulatory groups in values of MIP, MEP, FVC, PUL, HGS ( p < 0.001 for all), and FEV1 ( p < 0.013). There were correlations between PUL, HGS, and MIP (R = 0.56; R = 0.61, p < 0.001 both), MEP (R = 0.59; R = 0.62, p < 0.001), FVC (R = 0.77; R = 0.77, p < 0.001), and FEV1 (R = 0.77; R = 0.79; p < 0.001). These correlations were found for all participants, but non-ambulatory patients presented stronger relationships. Conclusions: 1. The pulmonary and upper limb functions were within the normal range in ambulatory and low in non-ambulatory patients with DMD, but the muscle strength of both systems was low, regardless of the stage of the disease. 2. There seems to be an interdependence between the respiratory system and upper limb strength in terms of muscle strength and function in DMD patients, which is stronger in non-ambulatory patients. This may be the basis for the creation of a new personalized plan in rehabilitation—the simultaneous rehabilitation of the respiratory and upper limb muscles. Further studies on this theory should be conducted.

Suggested Citation

  • Agnieszka Sobierajska-Rek & Eliza Wasilewska & Karolina Śledzińska & Joanna Jabłońska-Brudło & Sylwia Małgorzewicz & Andrzej Wasilewski & Dominika Szalewska, 2022. "The Association between the Respiratory System and Upper Limb Strength in Males with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A New Field for Intervention?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-12, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:23:p:15675-:d:983906
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/23/15675/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/23/15675/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Agnieszka Sobierajska-Rek & Łukasz Mański & Joanna Jabłońska-Brudło & Karolina Śledzińska & Eliza Wasilewska & Dominika Szalewska, 2021. "Respiratory Telerehabilitation of Boys and Young Men with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-10, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Eliza Wasilewska & Agnieszka Sobierajska-Rek & Karolina Śledzińska & Sylwia Małgorzewicz & Ewa Jassem & Jolanta Wierzba, 2021. "Morbidity, Clinical Course and Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 Virus in Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Patient Reported Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Eliza Wasilewska & Agnieszka Sobierajska-Rek & Sylwia Małgorzewicz & Mateusz Soliński & Dominika Szalewska & Ewa Jassem, 2021. "Is It Possible to Have Home E-Monitoring of Pulmonary Function in Our Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in the COVID-19 Pandemic?—A One Center Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-12, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:23:p:15675-:d:983906. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.