TY - JOUR T1 - Diaphragm pacing and motor neurone disease: lessons for all? JF - ERJ Open Research JO - erjor DO - 10.1183/23120541.00073-2015 VL - 1 IS - 2 SP - 00073-2015 AU - Mark W. Elliott Y1 - 2015/10/01 UR - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/1/2/00073-2015.abstract N2 - Respiratory muscle involvement is inevitable in motor neurone disease (MND) and most patients will die a respiratory death. Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) has been shown to prolong life and improve quality of life [1]. It is therefore important to identify patients who should be offered NIV at an early stage, as a delay may result in presentation with catastrophic respiratory failure, requiring endotracheal intubation, which almost always results in an unplanned tracheostomy. It used to be considered that respiratory muscle involvement was only a feature of advanced disease, but this is not correct; if looked for there is evidence of respiratory muscle weakness in most patients by the time the diagnosis is made [2]. In a small number, the diagnosis is made when the patient presents with hypercapnic respiratory failure.Respiratory physicians and neurologists should be cognisant of the respiratory complications of motor neurone disease http://ow.ly/TIxe5 ER -