I am excited to share my recent research on how age and gender affect respiratory patterns in healthy individuals, published at EMBC 2024. This study investigates respiratory variability using data from different breathing patterns and explores the effects of age-related and gender-specific differences in respiratory function.

Abstract

Chronic respiratory diseases are a significant global health concern. Monitoring respiratory patterns can play a crucial role in early disease detection and treatment. Our study analyzed respiratory variability in two age groups (young adults and middle-aged adults) using pneumotachographs and inductive plethysmographic bands to assess how factors like age and gender influence respiratory behavior.

Key Findings

  • Stronger Correlation with Combined Signals: The sum of thoracic and abdominal bands showed the highest correlation with respiratory volume, outperforming individual bands.
  • Gender Differences in Adults: Gender-related differences were more pronounced in spontaneous breathing, with notable distinctions in the expiratory phase.
  • Age-Related Variability: Older subjects exhibited greater variability in expiratory phase parameters, suggesting reduced adaptability with age.
  • Clinical Relevance: These findings highlight the importance of age and gender considerations in respiratory monitoring and potential diagnostic applications.

Methodology

The study involved two groups:

  • G1 (Younger Group): 23 subjects (21 ± 1 years old)
  • G2 (Adult Group): 49 subjects (52 ± 6 years old)

Each participant underwent a structured breathing protocol consisting of:

  • Spontaneous breathing
  • Nasal breathing
  • Mouth breathing
  • Shallow and deep breathing

The respiratory signals were processed using Butterworth filters, signal integration, and cross-correlation techniques for feature extraction. Key metrics such as inspiratory time (Tins), expiratory time (Texp), breathing duration (TTot), and tidal volume (VT) were analyzed statistically.

Results

  • The sum of thoracic and abdominal signals provided the highest correlation with respiratory volume (r > 0.9).
  • Expiratory variability increased with age, particularly in basal breathing.
  • Gender-related differences were more significant in the adult group, mainly affecting inspiratory and expiratory phases.

Conclusion

Our research provides insights into how respiratory patterns change with age and gender. The study emphasizes the importance of personalized approaches to respiratory monitoring, particularly for clinical applications in pulmonology and critical care.

Citation

For full details, refer to our published paper:

Ravneet-Rahul Sandhu Singh, et al. Analyzing Respiratory Patterns: Insights from Age and Gender Differences. Presented at EMBC 2024.
DOI: 10.1109/EMBC53108.2024.10782218