The Outcome of Respiratory Muscle Training in Stroke Patients

Stroke survivors commonly have respiratory muscle weakness, swallowing disturbance, general weakness, reduced the daily living activities and short of motivation for rehabilitation. Respiratory muscle training (RMT) has been reported to improve the pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, exercise capacity, sensation of dyspnea and quality of life in several diseases, but rare in stroke patients. Reviewing previous reports, the protocol, intensity and duration of respiratory muscle training is still variable. Purpose: To investigate the feasibility and efficacy of respiratory muscle training on cardio-pulmonary function, swallowing function, cough function and reduction of incidence of pneumonia in post-stroke patients. Methods: A prospective, single blinded, randomized study. Consecutive patients with diagnosis of stroke will be proved by magnetic resonance image or computerized tomography. Stroke patients, aged 35-80 years old, with inspiratory muscle weakness or swallowing disturbance will be enrolled and randomly divided into control group (usual rehabilitation alone) and experimental group \[inspiratory muscle training (IMT) group for patients with inspiratory muscle weakness and expiratory muscle strengthening training (EMT) for patients with swallowing disturbance\]. Each patients will receive usual rehabilitation. The investigator expect that RMT will be practical for the restoration of respiratory muscle, swallowing function, cough function and voice quality, thereby reduction of the incidence of pneumonia.