Inspiratory and Trunk Muscle Activity During IMT on Stable and Unstable Surfaces in Stroke Patients
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Loaded breathing on stable and unstable surfaces.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Stroke, Inspiratory Muscle Training, Diaphragm, Sternocleidomastoid Muscles. Basic parameters: 40 years — 80 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Inspiratory and Trunk Muscle Activity During Inspiratory Muscle Training on Stable and Unstable Surfaces in People After Stroke
Overview
This study aims to investigate the differences in muscle recruitment of the diaphragm (assessed using ultrasound), the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) and trunk muscles (both measured via surface electromyography (sEMG)), during loaded breathing training performed on both stable and unstable surfaces. The goal is to understand the interaction between the inspiratory and trunk muscles during Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) across these two surface conditions.
Interventions
- Other Loaded breathing on stable and unstable surfaces
Participants will be instructed to perform 10 loaded breaths via a threshold inspiratory load device on both a stable surface (sitting on a chair, Protocol 1) and an unstable surface (sitting on a soft pad, Protocol 2) in random order. The inspiratory load/resistance will be set at 50% of the maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP).
Primary outcome measures
- Diaphragmatic thickening fraction [Time frame: Day 1]
Secondary outcome measures (3)
- Muscle activation of the sternocleidomastoid muscle [Time frame: Day 1]
- Muscle activation of the trunk muscles [Time frame: Day 1]
- Perceived Exertion Borg scale [Time frame: Day 1]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Age ≥ 40 years and < 80 years
- Breathing spontaneously
- Clinically diagnosed with ischemic and/or hemorrhagic stroke
- Stroke duration from onset between 1 and 12 months
- No thoracic or abdominal surgery in the past 6 months
- No cognitive impairment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score ≥ 26)
- Able to understand and follow verbal instructions
- No facial palsy or only mild facial palsy without limitation of labial occlusion
- Able to complete all loaded breathing tests on both stable and unstable surfaces included in this study
Exclusion criteria
- Acute myocardial infarction or acute heart failure
- Acute pain in any part of the body
- History of chronic respiratory illness or positive clinical signs of impaired respiratory function (such as shortness of breath, hypoxemia, chronic cough, and sputum retention)
- Presence of a nasal feeding tube, tracheal tube, or any condition that prevents the measurement or implementation of the study procedures
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
Study locations
Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
Publications
- Liu F, Jones AYM, Tsang RCC, Yam TTT, Tsang WWN. Effect of unstable surface during loaded-inspiratory task on diaphragm and trunk muscle activity in stroke patients. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2026 Apr 10. doi: 10.1007/s00421-026-06198-6. Online ahead of print. PMID 41961279
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06877338 · No: HE-OT2023/13