Breathing patterns associated with hyperventilation: Thoracic vs. abdominal

Abstract

The present study was designed to investigate the hypothesis that individuals with the Hyperventilation Syndrome (HVS) are predominantly thoracic breathers. An analogue population was used to examine the breathing patterns of likely (N = 16) as opposed to unlikely (N = 16) hyperventilators. The relative thoracic as opposed to abdominal contribution to total respiratory volume was assessed during periods of quiet breathing and mild stress. Differences in thoracic contribution to total respiratory volume were not found between the likely and unlikely hyperventilators, nor between the quiet and mild stress conditions. A significant effect for sex existed, with females demonstrating a greater thoracic contribution to total respiratory volume than males. A significant group by sex interaction occurred, with likely male hyperventilators displaying a significantly lower thoracic contribution to total respiratory volume than both likely and unlikely females. Results are discussed in terms of application to the HVS, and future avenues of research are suggested.