Study Finds Oscillation Vest Doesn't Help in ALS

A vest that delivers high-frequency chest wall oscillation failed to show benefit in a study of nine people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Hershey, Pa.

Kathleen Chaisson and colleagues, including Zachary Simmons, who directs the MDA clinic at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, published their findings in June in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. They added chest wall oscillation using the Hill-Rom Vest Airway Clearance System to standard care, including bilevel positive airway pressure ventilation (BiPAP), for five of the patients, while the other four received standard care alone. Those who used the vest didn’t show any difference from non-users on measures of pulmonary function or survival time.

The vest is designed to help move secretions out of the lungs. The primary problem for ALS patients is respiratory muscle weakness, which most experts believe is best treated with positive pressure ventilation.