A Comparison of Upper Extremity Exercise Capacity and Activities of Daily Living Between Subjects With Bronchiectasis and Healthy Controls

Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease characterized by permanent dilatation and destruction, resulting from the destruction of elastic tissue and muscular components in the bronchial walls, due to infection or inflammation. The exercise tolerance, physical activity level, respiratory and peripheral muscle strength of patients with bronchiectasis are lower than those of healthy individuals. The decrease in exercise tolerance occurs while performing upper extremity activities as well as lower extremity tasks. Many studies have reported that upper extremity exercise capacity is reduced in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a disease similar to bronchiectasis, and that patients often experience significant dyspnea and fatigue during upper extremity tasks that are important for daily life. The mechanisms causing this situation may be neuromechanical dysfunction of the respiratory muscles (diaphragm and accessory respiratory muscles) (thoracoabdominal asynchrony) and changes in lung volume in activities involving the upper extremities. The disturbances in ventilatory mechanics in patients with COPD cause upper extremity exercise to be terminated at low workloads compared to healthy individuals. Upper extremity exercise has been defined as part of pulmonary rehabilitation. The determination of upper extremity exercise capacity may play a predictive role in maintaining and improving upper extremity and daily life activity level in patients with chronic lung disease.

Six-minute Pegboard and Ring test (6PBRT) is used to evaluate extremity exercise capacity and upper extremity function and endurance. The 6PBRT score and upper extremity daily living activities show a clear relationship in patients with COPD, and it can be used to determine and improve the performance of daily living activities in pulmonary rehabilitation programs. Glittre Activities of Daily Living (Glittre ADL test) covers activities that are necessary for daily living and commonly used activities. The Glittre ADL test produces similar cardiorespiratory responses when compared with the six-minute walk test. In this study, unsupported upper extremity exercise capacity and upper extremity function/endurance and the performance of daily living activities will be compared in participants with bronchiectasis and compared with healthy individuals.