This research study includes children ages 5 to 20 years old with Collagen Type 6 Congenital Muscular Dystrophy or Laminin α2-related muscular dystrophy (LAMA2-MD). The goal of this study is to measure the effect of breathing exercise to stretch the chest in slowing the loss of breathing function. The breathing stretches are done with a machine called Cough Assist®. The study is being done at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The study involves traveling to one of these 2 centers for 4 visits over 13 months. The study also includes 3 sets of phone visits called Daily Phone Diaries. Participants will be "randomized" into one of 2 study groups in a 1:1 ratio. The treatment group will use the Cough Assist® machine twice a day for 15 minutes. The control group will continue with their current daily care. The Cough Assist® is a machine that blows air into the lungs (insufflation) and helps pull air out of the lungs. The investigators will be blowing enough air into the lungs to cause a stretch to the chest. This is called hyperinsufflation. Study visits will last about 5 to 6 hours and will include medical and quality of life questionnaires and pulmonary function tests to determine lung function and the individualized settings to be prescribed for the Cough Assist®.
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Difference in rate of decline of lung vital capacity between the two groups
Timeframe: Baseline and app. weeks 17, 34, and 52