Seventy percent of motor sports athletes report low back pain. Information on the physical capacity of race car drivers is limited. The purpose of this study was to compare the maximum trunk extensor and flexor strength of elite race car drivers and physically active controls. Thirteen elite race car drivers and 13 controls were measured in concentric mode for maximal trunk flexion and extension at 60° x s(-1) and 120° x s(-1). Peak torque (mean ± s) at 60° x s(-1) in trunk extension was 283 ± 80 N x m in the drivers and 260 ± 88 N x m in controls (P > 0.05). At 120° x s(-1), drivers produced peak torques of 248 ± 55 N x m compared with 237 ± 74 N x m for controls (P > 0.05). Peak torques in flexion were less than in extension for both groups (60° x s(-1): drivers 181 ± 56 N x m, controls 212 ± 54 N x m, P > 0.05; 120° x s(-1): drivers 191 ± 57 N x m, controls 207 ± 48 N x m, P > 0.05). Individual ratios of flexion to extension forces exhibited ratios of 0.88 (60° x s(-1)) and 0.93 (120° x s(-1)) for controls and 0.66 (60° x s(-1)) and 0.77 (120° x s(-1)) for drivers (60° x s(-1): P > 0.05; 120° x s(-1): P > 0.05). The maximum strength performance capacity of the trunk muscles of elite motor sport athletes competing in long-distance racing did not differ from that of anthropometrically matched and physically active controls.
ResMed Autoset (AS) is a simplified diagnosis system for obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAS) based on the respiratory flow/time relationship by pressure variation measured through simple nasal prongs. A multicentre prospective trial was used to compare AS and polysomnography (PSG) for diagnosing 95 patients, with suspected OSAS. Physicians gave a pretest probability of the patient having OSAS. The apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI) was compared between the two methods of diagnosis for the whole population and for subgroups according to the pretest probability. Twenty-four patients had AHI < 15 events x h(-1) on PSG and 19 AHI 15-30, and 52 patients had AHI > or = 30. Correlation between AHI assessed by AS and PSG was r=0.87 for total sleep time (TST), p<0.0001. A Bland and Altman plot gave an agreement between the two methods of +/-40%. For a threshold of AHI > or = 15 events x h(-1) to diagnose OSAS, AS has a sensitivity of 92%, specificity of 79%, positive predictive value of 93% and negative predictive value of 76%. With a pretest probability > or = 80%, sensitivity and positive predictive value were 98 and 100% respectively. Of six false negative, four had a high pretest probability (> 80%) or Epworth score > or = 10. Using these parameters as a criterion for proceeding to PSG after a negative AS study would mean that two apnoeic patients (AHI 20 and 17 events x h(-1) by PSG) would escape detection. The Autoset is useful for the detection of obstructive sleep apnoea but with high pretest probability and a negative Autoset result polysomnography should be performed.
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