Niet-invasieve ventilatie bij neuromusculaire aandoeningen: hoe zit het met de slaap?

In patients with neuromuscular disorders (NMD) and thoracic wall deformities (TWD) alveolar hypoventilation can occur once the respiratory muscles become insufficient. Non-invasive ventilation can be started to reduce hypercapnia and to improve symptoms. Previous studies in patients with NMD and TWD showed an increased survival and quality of life after initiation of NIV. Although NIV is mostly applied to reduce alveolar hypoventilation during the night, only very few studies have searched for the effect of NIV on the quantity and quality of sleep. One of the most typical symptoms of alveolar hypoventilation is increased daytime sleepiness, which has a possible negative effect on physical activity. Few small studies (n