• Yoshikatsu Noda, Kenji Sekiguchi, Nobuo Kohara, Fumio Kanda, and Tatsushi Toda.
• Division of Neurology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chou-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan.
• Muscle Nerve. 2016 Apr 1; 53 (4): 522-7.

IntroductionNoninvasive evaluation of respiratory function in patients with various neuromuscular disorders is important for predicting life expectancy.MethodsWe performed B-mode ultrasonography (USG) and nerve conduction studies in 37 patients (16 had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; 11, myopathy; and 10, neuropathy) and 10 controls. USG of the diaphragm was performed in the supine position using a linear probe over the intercostal space at the anterior axillary line. Diaphragm muscle thickness was measured at end-expiration. The amplitude of diaphragm compound muscle action potentials (CMAP) was obtained by phrenic nerve stimulation with a surface electrode. Respiratory function was measured with standard pulmonary function tests including forced vital capacity (FVC).ResultsDiaphragm thickness was significantly correlated with FVC (r = 0.74) and CMAP amplitude (r = 0.53).ConclusionsDiaphragm USG is useful for objective evaluation of pulmonary function in neuromuscular disorders without requiring undue patient effort or cooperation.© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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