Thoracoabdominal asynchrony and paradoxical motion in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and healthy subjects during cough: A case control study

Objective To assess thoracoabdominal asynchrony (TAA) and inspiratory paradoxical motion at different positionings in subjects with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) versus healthy subjects during quiet spontaneous breathing (QB) and cough. Methods This is a case control study with a matched‐pair design. We assessed 14 DMD subjects and 12 controls using optoelectronic plethysmography (OEP) during QB and spontaneous cough in 3 positions: supine, supine with headrest raised at 45°, and sitting with back support at 80°. The TAA was assessed using phase angle (θ) between upper (RCp) and lower rib cage (RCa) and abdomen (AB), as well as the percentage of inspiratory time the RCp (IPRCp), RCa (IPRCa), and AB (IPAB) moved in opposite directions. Results During cough, DMD group showed higher RCp and RCa θ (p