Abstract
The activity of the transverse abdominal (TrA) muscle affects the stabilization of the trunk. It is known that after a stroke, people experience problems in performing daily activities. The purpose of this study was to examine whether there are differences in the transversus abdominal thickness between the two sides of the body in individuals with hemiparesis and controls. Eight patients with hemiparesis and nine controls matched for age and body mass index were examined by musculoskeletal ultrasound in four conditions: a) At rest, b) abdominal hollowing maneuver from the supine position, c) bridge, and d) abdominal hollowing maneuver from the bridge position. In each of the above conditions, the symmetry index was calculated as the absolute value of the difference in thickness between the two sides. Analysis of variance showed a lower TrA thickness at rest and exercise in patients compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Further, patients showed a lower contraction thickness ratio during exercise compared to controls (p < 0.05). The absolute symmetry of the TrA thickness was 12.59 ± 6.43% to 19.31 ± 10.43% in patients and it was significantly greater than the control group (3.01 ± 2.47% to 4.47 ± 2.87%). According to the above results, it seems that transverse abdominal activation exercises are particularly useful for improving the stability of patients with hemiparesis, as long as they are located and adapted to the deficit of each patient.
Highlights
Stroke is a clinical syndrome, which is characterized by a variety of signs of disturbance of the central nervous system function
To be included in the stroke group, the following inclusion criteria had to be met: a) Presence of hemispheric lesion based on clinical examination and diagnostic imaging techniques; b) stoke occurred for a period of 1 to 6 months prior to testing; c) patients had hemiparesis or hemiplegia after stroke; d) no cognitive or mental deficits or difficulties in understanding and following the instructions were present, as measured using
Our results are in line with those reported by Kim et al [18], who found an average difference of 25 mm (~45%) in the resting transversus abdominis (TrA) thickness in individuals with hemiparesis and controls
Summary
Stroke is a clinical syndrome, which is characterized by a variety of signs of disturbance of the central nervous system function. Poststroke hemiparetic individuals often present motor impairments, such as difficulties in performing daily tasks [1,2]. These impairments are accompanied, amongst others, by muscle atrophy [3,4], a reduction of muscle strength [1,5], and changes in anticipatory muscle activation [6], which have a negative impact on the quality of life in these patients [7]. Poststroke patients frequently have problems associated with controlling the trunk [8,9] This may be related to atrophy and altered activation of the trunk muscles [3,4,6]. The quantification of atrophy and activation of TrA after stroke is worthwhile
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