Neck Stabilization Exercises Enhance Respiratory Function after Stroke: Respiratory Function Index Change Trajectory...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Pulmonology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Stroke often impairs respiratory function, impacting patient recovery and quality of life.
• Assessing interventions for respiratory improvement in stroke patients is crucial for rehabilitation.
• Existing studies often use mean values, limiting individual and group trajectory analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the longitudinal effect of neck stabilization exercise on respiratory function in stroke patients.
• To determine if the effect of neck stabilization exercise differs based on the side of paralysis (left vs. right).
• To utilize Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) for detailed trajectory analysis.

Main Methods:

• A single group of 21 stroke patients participated in neck stabilization training.
• Training was conducted three times weekly for four weeks.
• Respiratory function was assessed using forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC ratio, and peak cough flow (PCF).
• Data analysis employed Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM 8.0).

Main Results:

• Neck stabilization training led to a significant improvement in respiratory function (p < 0.05).
• The training demonstrated longitudinal effectiveness across the patient group.
• Patients with right-sided paralysis exhibited a higher growth rate in respiratory function compared to the overall group.
• Patients with left-sided paralysis showed a lower growth rate in respiratory function compared to the overall group.

Conclusions:

• Neck stabilization exercise is a longitudinally effective intervention for enhancing respiratory function in stroke patients.
• The rate of respiratory function improvement varies with the side of paralysis.
• Right-sided paralysis patients experienced greater gains in respiratory function compared to left-sided paralysis patients.