ASSESSMENT OF OUTPUT OF THE RESPIRATORY CONTROLLER

The respiratory controller in this context is considered to be the cen tral nervous system pattern generator that produces a signal that in t urn activates muscles of the respiratory pump, By its ''output'' vie m ean the strength of the signal, In fact, the signal varies constantly through the respiratory cycle in amplitude and in distribution among t he various respiratory muscles, This review discusses advantages and l imitations of commonly used methods of assessing output including elec tromyograms, occlusion pressure, minute ventilation, and recruitment o f muscles beyond the diaphragm and intercostal muscles, Principles are reviewed for choosing and interpreting these measurements for analysi s of clinical problems, and applied to the examples of obstructive sle ep apnea, COPD, generalized weakness of respiratory muscles, and phren ic nerve palsy.