Breathing Route in COPD and OHS Patients on Long-term Home Non-invasive Ventilation: An Experimental Study

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying breathing patterns in people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome (OHS) who use long-term non-invasive ventilation (NIV) at home. The aim is to better understand how the route of breathing affects comfort and use of breathing masks, since current knowledge mostly comes from studies on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a different condition. This trial explores whether findings from OSA apply to COPD and OHS, conditions that affect breathing differently. Participants will undergo a series of breathing assessments while awake and asleep using two types of NIV masks: a bridge-free face mask and a full face mask. The study includes a 30-minute recording of natural breathing without NIV, followed by two 30-minute sessions wearing each mask while awake on prescribed pressure support settings. Participants will then spend the night in a sleep laboratory using these masks during sleep, with mask changes after a minimum of 60 minutes. Throughout the study, researchers will record breathing routes during awake and asleep periods with and without pressure support. Participants will have overnight sleep studies and mask usage monitored to assess how different masks influence breathing. The study measures include breathing route while awake off pressure support, while awake on pressure support, and while asleep on pressure support, totaling about 12 hours of observation. The research team also monitors safety and comfort during the study.

Assessment of Breathing Pattern During NIV