Demographic, pulmonary function and gas exchange parameters in noninvasive ventilation (NIV) group and no-NIV group
| NIV | No NIV | p-value | |
| Patients | 120 | 20 | |
| Age years | 64.05±9.11 | 66.05±10.27 | 0.373 |
| Males/females | 56/64 | 6/14 | 0.164 |
| Spinal/bulbar ALS onset | 81/39 | 13/7 | 0.826 |
| Time from ALS onset to NIV months | 22.30±10.51 | 23.35±10.27 | 0.680 |
| BMI kg·m−2 | 26.15±4.23 | 24.28±3.56 | 0.055 |
| ALSFRS-R | 29.01±7.84 | 28.94±7.22 | 0.973 |
| NBS | 26.75±10.33 | 18.84±8.30 | 0.001 |
| No or moderate/severe bulbar dysfunction | 105/15 | 14/6 | 0.052 |
| FVC L | 1.45±0.80 | 1.24±1.01 | 0.387 |
| FVC % predicted | 49.28±23.05 | 44.75±26.85 | 0.484 |
| MIC L | 1.96±0.95 | 1.58±1.21 | 0.240 |
| PCF L·s−1 | 3.48±1.69 | 2.88±1.49 | 0.114 |
| PCFMIC L·s−1 | 4.07±1.94 | 3.22±1.88 | 0.108 |
| PCFMI−E L·s−1 | 3.70±1.07 | 3.26±0.64 | 0.090 |
| PImax cmH2O | −42.37±22.82 | −35.33±21.90 | 0.220 |
| PEmax cmH2O | 65.54±42.28 | 58.72±40.95 | 0.519 |
| PaO2 mmHg | 74.32±11.95 | 81.41±11.34 | 0.027 |
| PaCO2 mmHg | 50.34±8.68 | 45.52±7.42 | 0.023 |
| HCO3− mmol·L−1 | 29.02±3.09 | 20.70±3.65 | 0.740 |
| %sleepSpO2<90 | 30.96±28.74% | 18.94±31.04% | 0.162 |
| SpO2mean | 91.68±3.03% | 92.62±2.84% | 0.239 |
| SpO2min | 79.76±9.30% | 86.93±6.48% | 0.004 |
Data are presented as n or mean±sd unless otherwise stated. ALS: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; ALSFRS-R: revised amyotrophic lateral sclerosis functional rating scale; BMI: body mass index; NBS: Norris scale bulbar subscore; FVC: forced vital capacity; MIC: maximum insufflation capacity; PCF: peak cough flow; PCFMIC: manually assisted peak cough flow; PCFMI-E: mechanically assisted peak cough flow; PImax: maximum inspiratory pressure; PEmax: maximum expiratory pressure; PaO2: arterial oxygen tension; PaCO2: arterial carbon dioxide tension; %sleepSpO2<90: time spent with oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry (SpO2) <90%; SpO2mean: mean SpO2; SpO2min: minimum SpO2.