Overview

Overview

Pulmonologists from the Respiratory Institute operate a neuromuscular disease clinic with a singular focus on managing pulmonary complications from restrictive thoracic disorders, hypoventilation and obesity hypoventilation, neurologic and neuromuscular diseases including conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson, paraplegia, post-polio syndrome, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy, diaphragm paralysis, Charcot-Marie-Tooth, myasthenia gravis, muscular dystrophies, mitochondrial diseases, inclusion body myositis, lysosomal storage diseases, mucopolysaccharidoses, polymyositis, and other neuromuscular disorders.

Our team works in partnership with neurologists, the mitochondrial medicine group, Genomics institute, sleep physicians, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, and thoracic surgeons, to provide the most comprehensive medical care for our patients. Our team monitors patients’ symptoms and provides therapeutic interventions, when needed, including cough assistance methods, ventilatory assistance and tracheostomy.

Services and Treatments

  • Pulmonary function tests including sitting and supine spirometry, lung volumes, respiratory muscle strength, sniff nasal-inspiratory force, peak cough flows, and arterial blood gases.
  • Diaphragm ultrasound.
  • Diagnostic and therapeutic sleep studies with hypoventilation protocols.
  • In collaboration with the neurological institute: Diaphragm EMG, phrenic nerve conduction studies, diaphragm ultrasounds.
  • Suction machine to clear mouth and throat secretions.
  • Non-invasive ventilation.
  • Home mechanical ventilation.
  • Tracheostomy care.
  • Cough-assist device.
  • Assisted cough, breath stacking, lung recruitment.
  • Vest device.
  • Influenza vaccine, PPSV23 and PCV-20 (pneumonia vaccines),and Tdap (Whooping cough vaccine).
  • Diaphragm plication.
  • Diaphragm fluoroscopy.
Health Information

Health Information

Learn more about the diseases and conditions we treat.

Doctors

Doctors

Research & Clinical Trials

Research & Clinical Trials

Clinical Trials

  • Predictors of Non-Invasive Ventilator Adherence in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
  • Contribution of Respiratory Events towards Hypercapnia in Patients with Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome and Sleep Apnea.
  • Prevalence and Predictors of Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome in the Bariatric Surgery Population.
  • Noninvasive ventilation in ALS: Factors determining tolerance, impact on survival and rate of decline of lung function.

  • For more information about clinical trials, please contact us directly.

Research

Below is a list of articles about neuromuscular disease and respiratory failure written by Cleveland Clinic doctors and staff.

  • Chindamporn P, Wang L, Bena J, Zajichek A, Milinovic A, Kaw R, Kashyap S, Cetin D, Aminian A, Kempke N, Foldvary-Schaefer N, Aboussouan LS, Mehra R. Obesity-associated sleep hypoventilation and increased adverse post-operative bariatric surgery outcomes in a large clinical retrospective cohort. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022 Aug 12. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.10216. Epub ahead of print.
  • Tran K, Wang L, Gharaibeh S, Kempke N, Kashyap SR, Cetin D, Aboussouan LS, Mehra R. Elucidating predictors of obesity hypoventilation syndrome in a large bariatric surgery cohort. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2020;17(10): 1279-1288.
  • Panchabhai TS, Eduardo Mireles-Cabodevila, Pioro EP, Wang X, Han X, Aboussouan LS. Pattern of lung function decline in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: implications for timing of non-invasive ventilation. ERJ Open Res 2019;5(3):00044-2019.
  • Thakore NJ, Lapin BR, Pioro EP, Aboussouan LS. Variation in noninvasive ventilation use in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurology 2019;93(3):e306-e316
  • Hatipoğlu U, Aboussouan LS. Chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure and non-invasive ventilation in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. BMJ Medicine 2022;1:e000146.
  • Wolfe LF, Benditt JO, Aboussouan L, Hess DR, Coleman JM 3rd; ONMAP Technical Expert Panel. Optimal Noninvasive Medicare Access Promotion: Patients With Thoracic Restrictive Disorders: A Technical Expert Panel Report From the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Association for Respiratory Care, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and the American Thoracic Society. Chest. 2021; S0012-3692(21)01488-4
  • Morales-Estrella JL, Aboussouan LS. Sleep disturbances in patients with disorders of the nerve and muscle diseases. Curr Sleep Medicine Rep 2019;5(2):88-93
  • Alter A. Aboussouan LS, Mireles-Cabodevila E. Neuromuscular weakness in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: chest wall, diaphragm, and peripheral muscle contributions. Curr Opin Pulm Med 2017; 23(2):129-138.
  • Kumar A, Mireles-Cabodevila E, Mehta AC, Aboussouan LS. Sudden onset of dyspnea preceded by shoulder and arm pain. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2016; 13(12):2261-2265.
  • Panchabhai TS, Bandyopadhyay D, Highland KB, Chaisson NF, Aboussouan LS. A 26-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus presenting with orthopnea and restrictive lung impairment. Chest. 2016; 149(1):e29-33.
  • Rokadia HK, Adams JR, McCarthy K, Aboussouan LS, Mireles-Cabodevila E. Cough augmentation in a patient with neuromuscular disease. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2015; 12(12):1888-91
  • Aboussouan LS. Sleep-disordered breathing in neuromuscular disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2015; 191(9):979-89.
  • Aboussouan LS, Mireles-Cabodevila E. Respiratory support in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Respir Care. 2013; 58(9):1555-8.
  • Theerakittikul T, Ricaurte B, Aboussouan LS. Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation for stable outpatients: CPAP and beyond. Cleve Clin J Med. 2010; 77(10):705-14.
  • Aboussouan LS. Mechanisms of exercise limitation and pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with neuromuscular disease. Chronic Respiratory Disease 2009; 6(4):231–249
  • Aboussouan LS, Ricaurte B, Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation in Acute Settings. Cleve Clin J Med 2010; 77(5):307-16
  • Aboussouan LS, Lewis R, Shy M. Disorders of pulmonary function, sleep, and the upper airway in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Lung 2007;185:1-7
  • Aboussouan LS. Respiratory management in neurological diseases. Cleve Clin J Med 2005;72:511-520. [Invited review]
  • Aboussouan LS, Lattin CD, Anne VV. Determinants of time-to-weaning in a specialized respiratory care unit. Chest 2005;128;3117-3126.
  • Aboussouan LS, Lattin CD, Kline JL. Determinants of long-term mortality after prolonged mechanical ventilation. Lung 2008;186:299-306.
  • Aboussouan LS, Khan SU, Banerjee M, Arroliga AC, Mitsumoto H. Effect of noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation on pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength and arterial blood gases in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Muscle Nerve 2001;24:403-409.
  • Aboussouan LS, Khan SU, Meeker DP, Stelmach K, Mitsumoto H. Effect of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation on survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ann Intern Med 1997;127:450-453.
For Medical Professionals

For Medical Professionals

Patient Referrals

Our secure online service, DrConnect, provides referring physicians access to patient’s treatment progress with streamlined communication from Cleveland Clinic physicians to your office, allowing continued participation in the ongoing care of patients. With the best possible treatment plans and coordinated care, our team approach benefits both the patient and the referring physician.

Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowships

Our pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowships provide board-certified general internists with the tools necessary to care for patients, who have complicated lung diseases and critical illnesses. During the three-year training period, which includes an 18-month core program and 18-month subspecialty track, fellows are exposed to a wide variety of medical problems in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.

CMEs

Cleveland Clinic Respiratory Institute offers continuing medical education courses through the Center for Continuing Education. We are providers of AMA-approved continuing medical education (CME) units for physicians and physician assistants, and of continuing education units by the Ohio Nurses Association for nurses and by the Ohio Respiratory Care Board for respiratory therapists.