| Abstract |
[Truncated abstract] Optimum respiratory health is of utmost importance for wind and brass musicians. The creation of musical tone is directly dependant on the musician’s precise control of expiratory flows. Musicians’ respiratory health has received little attention in the scientific research literature. Respiratory conditions, such as asthma, may be a limiting factor for musicians. However, the prevalence of asthma among musicians in Australia is unknown. No research has systematically investigated perceived impacts of asthma on performance or perceived impacts of playing wind/brass instruments on asthma. Further, while there has been much speculation about the impacts of playing wind/brass instruments on respiratory function, research in this area is very limited and inconclusive. Three separate studies were undertaken in this research. The first, a prevalence survey, aims to compare the prevalence of asthma and wheeze among wind/brass musicians to non-wind/brass musicians, also drawing comparisons with the general population. Musicians from primary school student level through to the professional level completed a respiratory health questionnaire. Results suggest that the type of instrument played (wind/brass or non-wind/brass) has no association with asthma prevalence at any level of musicianship (beginner to professional). Further, asthma prevalence in the general population was similar to that among musicians who participated in the study. The second study of this thesis investigates asthma as a possible factor in the choice of musical instrument to learn, impacts of asthma on performance and perceived impacts of wind/brass playing on asthma. Asthmatic participants who participated in the prevalence survey formed the study population for this project. The respondents indicated that asthma was rarely a factor in instrument choice, and the condition was |
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wind/brass playing to be viewed as a beneficial exercise for asthmatics than an activity that may exacerbate the condition. The third study is a cross-sectional survey of musicians’ respiratory function. Measurements of lung flows and volumes, gas transfer, respiratory mechanics, airway responsiveness and potential markers of airway inflammation were compared between wind/brass musicians and participants who did not play these instruments. There were no differences between participant groups in terms of lung flows and volumes in the current study, with the exception of residual volume as a proportion of total lung capacity, which appeared to be decreased among wind/brass musicians. A possible explanation is that wind/brass playing requires prolonged expiratory manoeuvres, so those who play wind/brass instruments may be better able to exhale to lower residual volume values than healthy controls. There were also small increases in both airway resistance and fractional exhaled nitric oxide... |
