Effects of Inspiratory Muscle Exercise Using Biofeedback on Inspiratory Muscle Activity and Pulmonary Function in Patients with Stroke

Purpose: This study was conducted to determine the influence of inspiratory muscle exercise using visual biofeedback and inspiratory muscle exercise with diaphragm breathing retraining in stroke patients in regard to inspiratory muscle activity and respiratory function and to provide fundamental information on intervention for improvement of pulmonary function in stroke patients. Methods: The current study measured and analyzed inspiratory muscle activity and pulmonary function of 15 randomly selected subjects in a Biofeedback inspiratory muscle exercise (BIE) group that uses visual feedback and 15 subjects in the Diaphragm breathing exercise (DBE) group that uses breathing retraining before and after intervention. Intervention was performed for 30 minutes, 5 times a week, for 8 weeks. Subjects were measured for muscle activity of upper trapezius muscle and lattisimus dorsi muscle using a surface electromyography system and maximum inspiratory pressure was measured using a respiratory measurement device. For homogeneity test of subjects, independent t-test was performed and ANCOVA was performed for comparison of inspiratory muscle activity and pulmonary function between groups. Results: In the study results, the BIE group showed more significant muscle activity than the DBE group in upper trapezius muscle and lattisimus dorsi muscle (p<0.001). In addition, the BIE group showed more pressure than the DBE group in maximum inspiratory pressure (p<0.001). Conclusion: Based on the current study, performing biofeedback respiration exercise simultaneously with breathing retraining in stroke patients can provide more efficient respiratory physical therapy. In addition, it is considered that consistent study on the effectiveness is necessary to further improve clinical availability.