Abstract
Respiratory functions or forty eight patients with Subacute myelo-optico neuropathy (SMON) were examined and compared with the disability of their daily activities.
They were consisted of 11 males and 37 females, whose ages were from 39 to 82 years. They were classified into three age groups.
The content of the present respiratory functions were ratio of vital capacity (%VC), forced vital capacity (%FVC), forced expiratory volume for one second (FEV1.0%) and, 50% and 70% of forced expiratory flow (V50, V25).
These results were as follows;
There were the same negative correlations of age with %VC, %FVC, FEV1.0%, V50 and V25 in these SMON patients as the healthy aged controls. On the other hand, there were 9 cases (8 females and 1 male) with less than 70% of %VC, FEV1.0% in all cases. Patients with respiratory dysfunctions had a little lowered motor disturbance, which mean disability of their activities of daily living (ADL), for examples, on maintenance of sitting position and or daily gait. With daily activities, the ratio of patients who limited only to lie or sit in the room all day was approximately 70%. It is, therefore, necessary for SMON patients within the age of seventy years to be given the suitable guidance in order to keep their ADL.
