Physiological Responses to Exercise Tests in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Compared With Healthy Individuals

The individuals with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) have lower aerobic fitness and anaerobic performance than healthy individuals. Cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) provides an integrated assessment of integrative exercise responses involving the pulmonary, cardiovascular, hematopoietic, neuropsychological, and skeletal muscle systems that are not adequately reflected by measurement of the function of organ systems. Maximum oxygen consumption is measured by performing gas exchange analysis with CPET, offering an objective measure of cardiorespiratory fitness. The six-minute walk test (6MWT) and the shuttle walk test (SWT) are field tests that produce oxygen consumption results similar to those during CPET. There is a need to determine the physiological responses to CPET, SWT and 6MWT in individuals with PCD. Additionally, the physiological responses of individuals with PCD to different exercise tests will be compared with the responses of healthy individuals. Low aerobic capacity in individuals with PCD may affect the physical, emotional, and social lives of individuals. This influence may cause a decrease in the quality of life of individuals with PCD. The relationship between exercise capacity and quality of life in individuals with PSD will be investigated with this study.