Inspiratory and Trunk Muscle Activity During IMT on Stable and Unstable Surfaces in Stroke Patients

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: Stroke; Inspiratory Muscle Training; Diaphragm; Sternocleidomastoid Muscles; Trunk Muscle Activity

• Registration Number: NCT06877338
• Lead Sponsor: Hong Kong Metropolitan University

Brief Summary

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.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2025-03
• Study First Submitted: 2025-03-06
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-03-11
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-03-11
• Study First Posted: 2025-03-14
• Last Update Posted: 2025-03-14
• Study Start: 2025-03-15
• Primary Completion: 2025-08-15
• Study Completion: 2025-10-15

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 24

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

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Diaphragmatic thickening fraction	Day 1	Diaphragmatic thickening fraction is determined by "(thickness of the diaphragm at end inspiratory - thickness at end expiratory)/thickness at end expiratory". Diaphragmatic thickness will be measured by ultrasonography.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Muscle activation of the sternocleidomastoid muscle	Day 1	Surface electromyography (sEMG) will be used to measure accessory inspiratory muscle (sternocleidomastoid muscles) activity during all breathing protocol tests.
Muscle activation of the trunk muscles	Day 1	Surface electromyography (sEMG) will be used to measure the muscle activity of rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO), internal oblique/transversus abdominis (IO/TrA), and erector spinae (ES)- using sEMG during all breathing protocol tests.
Perceived Exertion Borg scale	Day 1	This is a vertical scale quantified from 0 to 10, where 0 represents no symptoms, and 10 represents the maximum symptoms. The Borg score provides an individual measurement of the exercise intensity.