A Síndrome de Sjögren primária (SSp) é uma doença autoimune sistêmica de etiologia desconhecida, caracterizada principalmente, pela presença de infiltrado linfocítico nas glândulas exócrinas (salivares e lacrimais) que leva ao quadro de boca seca e olhos secos (síndrome sicca). Apesar das evidências de que o nível de atividade física e das capacidades física e funcional estarem diminuídas na maioria das doenças reumáticas, essas variáveis tem sido pouco estudadas em pacientes com SSp. Assim, o objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar objetivamente o nível de atividade física e as capacidades físicas de pacientes com SSp com baixo nível de atividade da doença, bem como, a possível associação desses fatores com a fadiga, a qualidade de vida, a artralgia e a depressão. Trinta pacientes diagnosticadas com SSp (Vitali et al., 2002) utilizaram acelerômetros por 7 dias consecutivos para avaliação do nível de atividade física, realizaram teste ergoespirométrico, testes de força, testes funcionais, exames laboratoriais, densitometria óssea e responderam a questionários de fadiga, qualidade de vida, depressão e artralgia. Os pacientes com SSp apresentaram menor tempo em atividades físicas moderadas e menor quantidade de passos por dia do que o grupo controle. Os pacientes apresentaram ainda redução da aptidão aeróbia, da força muscular de membros inferiores e superiores, da capacidade funcional e da qualidade de vida, além de fadiga aumentada em comparação com o GC. Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas para a composição corporal, artralgia e depressão entre os grupos. Pacientes com SSp mesmo em baixa atividade da doença mantêm um estilo de vida sedentário e redução das capacidades físicas e qualidade de vida. Faz-se necessária a implementação de estratégias que reduzam o tempo gasto em atividades sedentárias, bem como, a elaboração de programas de exercícios físicos sistematizados de acordo com as características dessa população / Primary Sjögren´s syndrome (PSS) is a systemic autoimune disease of unknown aetiology characterized by lymphocytic infiltration in the exocrine glands (salivary and lacrimal) hwhich leads to dry mouth and dry eyes (sicca syndrome). Despite the evidence that physical activity level and physical and functional capabilities are reduced in most rheumatic diseases, these variables have been poorly studied in patients with pSS. The objective of this study was to objectively assess the physical activity level and the physical capacities of patients with pSS with mild disease activity, as well as the possible association of these factors with fatigue, quality of life, arthralgia and depression. Thirty patients diagnosed with pSS (Vitali et al., 2002) used accelerometers for 7 consecutive days to assess the physical activity level. They performed cardiopulmonary exercise test, strength tests, functional tests, laboratory tests, bone densitometry and answered questionnaires of fatigue, quality of life, depression and arthralgia. Patients with pSS showed less time in moderate physical activities and fewer steps per day than the control group. The patients also showed reduced aerobic conditioning, muscle strength of upper and lower limbs, functional capacity and quality of life, and also increased fatigue compared to the control group. No significant differences were found for body composition, arthralgia and depression between the groups. Patients with pSS, even with mild disease activity, maintain a sedentary lifestyle and reduced physical capacity and quality of life. It is necessary to implement strategies that reduce time spent on sedentary activities, as well as to elaborate physical exercise programs in accordance to the characteristics of this population

A Síndrome de Sjögren primária (SSp) é uma doença autoimune sistêmica de etiologia desconhecida, caracterizada principalmente, pela presença de infiltrado linfocítico nas glândulas exócrinas (salivares e lacrimais) que leva ao quadro de boca seca e olhos secos (síndrome sicca). Apesar das evidências de que o nível de atividade física e das capacidades física e funcional estarem diminuídas na maioria das doenças reumáticas, essas variáveis tem sido pouco estudadas em pacientes com SSp. Assim, o objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar objetivamente o nível de atividade física e as capacidades físicas de pacientes com SSp com baixo nível de atividade da doença, bem como, a possível associação desses fatores com a fadiga, a qualidade de vida, a artralgia e a depressão. Trinta pacientes diagnosticadas com SSp (Vitali et al., 2002) utilizaram acelerômetros por 7 dias consecutivos para avaliação do nível de atividade física, realizaram teste ergoespirométrico, testes de força, testes funcionais, exames laboratoriais, densitometria óssea e responderam a questionários de fadiga, qualidade de vida, depressão e artralgia. Os pacientes com SSp apresentaram menor tempo em atividades físicas moderadas e menor quantidade de passos por dia do que o grupo controle. Os pacientes apresentaram ainda redução da aptidão aeróbia, da força muscular de membros inferiores e superiores, da capacidade funcional e da qualidade de vida, além de fadiga aumentada em comparação com o GC. Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas para a composição corporal, artralgia e depressão entre os grupos. Pacientes com SSp mesmo em baixa atividade da doença mantêm um estilo de vida sedentário e redução das capacidades físicas e qualidade de vida. Faz-se necessária a implementação de estratégias que reduzam o tempo gasto em atividades sedentárias, bem como, a elaboração de programas de exercícios físicos sistematizados de acordo com as características dessa população / Primary Sjögren´s syndrome (PSS) is a systemic autoimune disease of unknown aetiology characterized by lymphocytic infiltration in the exocrine glands (salivary and lacrimal) hwhich leads to dry mouth and dry eyes (sicca syndrome). Despite the evidence that physical activity level and physical and functional capabilities are reduced in most rheumatic diseases, these variables have been poorly studied in patients with pSS. The objective of this study was to objectively assess the physical activity level and the physical capacities of patients with pSS with mild disease activity, as well as the possible association of these factors with fatigue, quality of life, arthralgia and depression. Thirty patients diagnosed with pSS (Vitali et al., 2002) used accelerometers for 7 consecutive days to assess the physical activity level. They performed cardiopulmonary exercise test, strength tests, functional tests, laboratory tests, bone densitometry and answered questionnaires of fatigue, quality of life, depression and arthralgia. Patients with pSS showed less time in moderate physical activities and fewer steps per day than the control group. The patients also showed reduced aerobic conditioning, muscle strength of upper and lower limbs, functional capacity and quality of life, and also increased fatigue compared to the control group. No significant differences were found for body composition, arthralgia and depression between the groups. Patients with pSS, even with mild disease activity, maintain a sedentary lifestyle and reduced physical capacity and quality of life. It is necessary to implement strategies that reduce time spent on sedentary activities, as well as to elaborate physical exercise programs in accordance to the characteristics of this population

With the rapid somatic growth and development in infants, simultaneous accurate measurements of lung volume and airway function are essential. Raised volume rapid thoracoabdominal compression (RTC) is widely used to generate forced expiration from an airway opening pressure of 30 cmH2O (V30). The (dynamic) functional residual capacity (FRCdyn) remains the lung volume most routinely measured. The aim of this study was to develop comprehensive integrated spirometry that included all subdivisions of lung volume at V30 or total lung capacity (TLC30). Measurements were performed on 17 healthy infants aged 8.6-119.7 weeks. A commercial system for multiple-breath nitrogen washout (MBNW) to measure lung volumes and a custom made system to perform RTC were used in unison. A refined automated raised volume RTC and the following two novel single maneuvers with dual volume measurements were performed from V30 during a brief post-hyperventilation apneic pause: (1) the passive expiratory flow was integrated to produce the inspiratory capacity (IC) and the static (passive) FRC (FRCst) was estimated by initiating MBNW after end-passive expiration; (2) RTC was initiated late during passive expiration, flow was integrated to produce the slow vital capacity (jSVC) and the residual volume (RV) was measured by initiating MBNW after end-expiration while the jacket (j) was inflated. Intrasubject FRCdyn and FRCst measurements overlapped (p = 0.6420) but neither did with the RV (p < 0.0001). Means (95% confidence interval) of FRCdyn, IC, FRCst, jSVC, RV, forced vital capacity and tidal volume were 21.2 (19.7-22.7), 36.7 (33.0-40.4), 21.2 (19.6-22.8), 40.7 (37.2-44.2), 18.1 (16.6-19.7), 40.7 (37.1-44.2) and 10.2 (9.6-10.7) ml/kg, respectively. Static lung volumes and capacities at V30 and variables from the best forced expiratory flow-volume curve were dependent on age, body length and weight. In conclusion, we developed a comprehensive physiologically integrated approach for in-depth investigation of lung function at V30 in infants.

Background: This work presents a generalized technique to estimate pulmonary ventilation-to-volume (v/V) distributions using the multiple-breath nitrogen washout, in which both tidal volume (VT) and the end-expiratory lung volume (EELV) are allowed to vary during the maneuver. In addition, the volume of the series dead space (vd), unlike the classical model, is considered a common series unit connected to a set of parallel alveolar units. Methods: The numerical solution for simulated data, either error-free or with the N2 measurement contaminated with the addition of Gaussian random noise of 3 or 5 % standard deviation was tested under several conditions in a computational model constituted by 50 alveolar units with unimodal and bimodal distributions of v/V. Non-negative least squares regression with Tikhonov regularization was employed for parameter retrieval. The solution was obtained with either unconstrained or constrained (VT, EELV and vd) conditions. The Tikhonov gain was fixed or estimated and a weighting matrix (WM) was considered. The quality of estimation was evaluated by the sum of the squared errors (SSE) (between reference and recovered distributions) and by the deviations of the first three moments calculated for both distributions. Additionally, a shape classification method was tested to identify the solution as unimodal or bimodal, by counting the number of shape agreements after 1000 repetitions. Results: The accuracy of the results showed a high dependence on the noise amplitude. The best algorithm for SSE and moments included the constrained and the WM solvers, whereas shape agreement improved without WM, resulting in 97.2 % for unimodal and 90.0 % for bimodal distributions in the highest noise condition. Conclusions: In conclusion this generalized method was able to identify v/V distributions from a lung model with a common series dead space even with variable VT. Although limitations remain in presence of experimental noise, appropriate combination of processing steps were also found to reduce estimation errors.

Background: This work presents a generalized technique to estimate pulmonary ventilation-to-volume (v/V) distributions using the multiple-breath nitrogen washout, in which both tidal volume (VT) and the end-expiratory lung volume (EELV) are allowed to vary during the maneuver. In addition, the volume of the series dead space (vd), unlike the classical model, is considered a common series unit connected to a set of parallel alveolar units. Methods: The numerical solution for simulated data, either error-free or with the N2 measurement contaminated with the addition of Gaussian random noise of 3 or 5 % standard deviation was tested under several conditions in a computational model constituted by 50 alveolar units with unimodal and bimodal distributions of v/V. Non-negative least squares regression with Tikhonov regularization was employed for parameter retrieval. The solution was obtained with either unconstrained or constrained (VT, EELV and vd) conditions. The Tikhonov gain was fixed or estimated and a weighting matrix (WM) was considered. The quality of estimation was evaluated by the sum of the squared errors (SSE) (between reference and recovered distributions) and by the deviations of the first three moments calculated for both distributions. Additionally, a shape classification method was tested to identify the solution as unimodal or bimodal, by counting the number of shape agreements after 1000 repetitions. Results: The accuracy of the results showed a high dependence on the noise amplitude. The best algorithm for SSE and moments included the constrained and the WM solvers, whereas shape agreement improved without WM, resulting in 97.2 % for unimodal and 90.0 % for bimodal distributions in the highest noise condition. Conclusions: In conclusion this generalized method was able to identify v/V distributions from a lung model with a common series dead space even with variable VT. Although limitations remain in presence of experimental noise, appropriate combination of processing steps were also found to reduce estimation errors.