USE OF A FACE MASK IN THE MEASUREMENT OF RESTING VENTILATORY PARAMETERS AND MOUTH OCCLUSION PRESSURES

A recent study has suggested that mouth occlusion pressure (MOP) could be measured during sleep by using a face mask. The purpose of the pre sent study was to examine the effects of a face mask on MOP and restin g ventilatory parameters (RVP). Measurements of MOP and RVP were made by three different methods; while breathing through a mouthpiece with nose-clip (MP+NC), through a face.mask breathing through the mouth onl y (FM/mouth), and through a face mask breathing through the nose only (FM/nose). There was a significant difference in several RVP parameter s between MP+NC and FM, but no significant difference in MOP between d ifferent methods. Use of FM for the measurement of MOP appears to be w arranted, and with regard to RVP consideration needs to be given to th e differences found between MP+NC and FM.