Automated EMGpara for COPD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Myotrace: Clinical evaluation of a novel system for the acquisition and automated analysis of parasternal EMG signals in patients with COPD
IRAS ID
153870
Contact name
Nicholas Hart
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Guy's & St. Thomas' Foundation NHS Trust
Research summary
When patients with COPD develop an acute worsening of their condition (called an acute exacerbation of COPD), the activity of the breathing muscles increases. We are able to measure the electrical activity of the breathing muscles of the chest, simply by applying electrodes (similar to those used to record heart traces, or ECG) to the chest wall. We think that measuring the electrical activity of the breathing muscles of the chest might tell us whether patients are improving or not with treatment in hospital.
In previous studies, we established in patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that measuring breathing muscle activity (termed EMGpara) may detect worsening of symptoms and the risk of readmission to hospital. However, the equipment required to make these measurements is cumbersome and the analysis of the EMGpara signals time-consuming, as it needs to be done breath-by-breath by hand.
We have therefore developed a new system using equipment that is smaller and easier to use on general medical wards. We have also developed a computer programme that automatically analyses the EMGpara signals to give a rapid measurement of breathing muscle activity.
In this evaluation study, we would like to measure ensure that measurements taken using the new system are comparable to those taken from the older system.
REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0872
Date of REC Opinion
1 Jul 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion