Effect of respiratory muscle training on respiratory function in subacute stroke patients

Abstract

Objective To investigate the effect of respiratory muscle training on respiratory function in stroke patients at subacute stage. Methods Fifty subacute stroke patients with a first ever ischemic cerebrovascular accident were randomly allocated to a training group (n=25) and a control group (n=25). All of the subjects received routine therapy for stroke rehabilitation twice daily, 6 days weekly for 3 weeks. In addition, the training group received respiratory muscle training besides the conventional stroke rehabilitation. Arterial blood gases, lung ventilation, respiratory muscle strength, the scores of Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) of the upper and lower limbs, and Barthel index were measured in two groups. In addition, pulmonary infection and stroke recurrence at 3 months follow-up were also recorded. Results After three months of intervention, PaO2,forced vital capacity (FVC), force expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV), maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax), maximal expiratory pressure (PEmax), the scores of FMA and BI in two groups were significantly increased (P 0.05). Moreover, the pulmonary infection as shown by 3 months follow-up occurred more frequently in the control group (P 0.05). Conclusion The respiratory muscle training effectively improved the respiratory muscle strength, the arterial oxygen pressure and pulmonary function, and reduced pulmonary infection at 3 months follow-up in subacute stroke patients. Key words: Stroke; Respiratory function; Respiratory muscle; Motor function; Pulmonary infection