The effect of respiratory exercise on trunk control, pulmonary function, and trunk muscle activity in chronic stroke patients.
Dong-Kyu Lee, Se-Hun Kim
PMID 29765184WHAT IT FOUND
Adding 20 minutes of respiratory exercise to neurodevelopmental treatment for 4 weeks improved trunk control and breathing measures in 24 patients with chronic stroke, compared with neurodevelopmental treatment alone.
Key findings
01The group that added respiratory exercise improved trunk control from 12.2 to 16.6 points on a 23-point scale, while the control group improved from 11.6 to 12.8.
02Breathing measures improved more in the experimental group: forced vital volume rose from 2.0 to 2.6 and forced exhalation volume at 1 second rose from 2.0 to 2.5, compared with 2.2 to 2.3 and 1.9 to 2.0 in controls.
03Trunk muscle activity rose in the experimental group for rectus abdominis from 33.9 to 47.8, internal oblique from 23.2 to 34.4, and external oblique from 33.7 to 44.4.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 24 patients, and the authors state this small sample is insufficient to generalize to all chronic stroke patients. The study lasted 4 weeks and had no follow-up, so long-term effects are unknown. The experimental group received respiratory exercise in addition to neurodevelopmental treatment, so the study does not show that respiratory exercise alone caused the improvements. Participants had to walk 10 m or more independently and score 24 or more on the Mini-Mental State Examination, so patients who could not meet these criteria were not studied.
Declared interests
The paper reports no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that respiratory exercise alone improved trunk control or breathing. Both groups received neurodevelopmental treatment, and the experimental group received respiratory exercise in addition, so this study tests adding respiratory exercise to that treatment.