Long Term Effects of Inspiratory Muscle Training in Cerebral Palsy

Background: Respiratory disease is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in adults with cerebral palsy (CP). Adequate pulmonary function is essential to prevent these health problems, however respiratory muscle training has not yet been studied in CP patients. The main objective of the study was to investigate the maintenance over time of improvements in respiratory parameters achieved with inspiratory muscle training (IMT). Methods: This was a controlled, randomised, double-blind trial and with allocation concealment performed on 27 institutionalized CP patients randomly distributed in 2 groups, "high intensity training group" (HIT) and "low intensity training group" (LIT). Participants followed a specific IMT program for 8 weeks, HIT workload was 40% of maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) and LIT workload was 20% MIP. Once finished 8-week training period, CP patients continued their daily activities. Respiratory muscle strength and pulmonary function were measured pre-IMT, post-IMT, 4, 12 and 24 weeks after finishing IMT.