News

Non-invasive ventilation and the 3TLA trial

Published: 23 April 2026

MND Australia recently hosted a national webinar exploring non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and the latest research aimed at improving its use for people living with MND.

Professor David Berlowitz and Dr Marnie Graco, from the Institute for Breathing and Sleep at the University of Melbourne, discussed how NIV supports breathing as respiratory muscles weaken, and why consistent use is essential to achieving benefits, such as improved survival and quality of life.

Unfortunately, despite its proven effectiveness, many people either do not commence NIV or are unable to use it for long enough each day to gain full benefit.

The webinar also introduced the 3TLA Trial, a large multi-site clinical study investigating whether overnight sleep studies can help personalise NIV settings and improve usage.

Early findings form the trial suggest that optimising NIV in a sleep laboratory setting may help more people reach the recommended minimum of four hours’ use per day.

Dr Graco also presented research into barriers to NIV uptake, highlighting inequities in access and use. Factors such as geographic location, gender, access to multidisciplinary care, and the timing of information can all influence whether people are offered—and choose to use—NIV.

New co-designed resources are currently in development to support informed decision-making. These include a series of short educational videos and a “question prompt” tool to help people with MND and their families prepare for discussions with healthcare professionals. These resources will be available on the MND Australia website later this year

The webinar reinforced the importance of early conversations, equitable access to specialist care, and clear, accessible information in improving respiratory support for people living with MND.

A recording of the webinar is available to view below.