Engineering science and physics department faculty member, Dr. Mary Mohr, gave a talk on periodic breathing at a physics seminar series at the University at Buffalo on Tuesday, September 13, 2016. Please see the abstract below.
Title: Quantitative Analysis of Periodic Breathing and Clinical Associations in Preterm Infants
Dr. Mary Mohr
Monroe Community College
Abstract: Electronic signals from bedside monitors are routinely collected and stored in University of Virginia’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). These signals are analyzed for patterns that give early warning signs of pathology. This talk focuses on the analysis of periodic breathing, regular cycles of breathing and short pauses in respiration. Periodic breathing in neonates is a normal developmental phenomenon, arising from instability in the respiratory control system. Periodic breathing has long been thought to be benign. However, excessive durations of periodic breathing, revealed on retrospective review, in an infant who died of SIDS after discharge prompted this study of clinical associations of excessive periodic breathing. Characterization of periodic breathing has previously been limited to short monitoring times in small numbers of infants. An automated method for measurement and characterization of periodic breathing was developed. Application of this method to 5 years of data allowed identification of episodes of excessive periodic breathing. Clinical correlations with these episodes were sought. It is possible that real time detection of periodic breathing in the NICU could alert clinicians to infants who are at high risk for adverse clinical events.
https://www.physics.buffalo.edu/talks/seminars.html