Nervous regulation of breathing in opiate dependent patient. Part II. Respiratory system efficiency and breathing regulation of persons classified to the methadone maintenance treatment.

The measurements of respiratory pattern parameters, occlusion pressure and respiratory tract resistance had never been performed in opiate dependent persons administered by the methadone maintenance treatment. The aim of this study was assessment of ventilatory efficiency and nervous regulation of 35 depended on opiates before starting the treatment. The presently examined opiate addicts classified to the methadone programme had intensified changes in nervous breathing regulation compared to the group of opiate dependent patients treated at the Department of Clinical Toxicology CMUJ in the first stage of controlled abstinence and to the control group. They had the higher values of minute ventilation, occlusion pressure and higher value of tidal volume to the inspiratory flow (VT/TIN) index which is the driving component of the breathing cycle and reflects the activity of the respiratory centres in the spinal cord and pons. A monitoring of respiratory patterns parameters, occlusion pressure and respiratory resistance, which are not disturbed or biased by lack of patient's cooperation, will allow to determinate the direction of changes in ventilatory efficiency in the course of methadone maintenance treatment programme.