TITLE:
The Relationship between Gait Asymmetry and Respiratory Function in Stroke Patients: A Pilot Study
AUTHORS:
Yoshino Terui, Satomi Iwasawa, Kazuto Kikuchi, Yutaka Furukawa, Eriko Suto, Sachiko Uemura, Masahiro Satake, Takanobu Shioya
KEYWORDS:
Gait Asymmetry, Acceleration, Load Meter, Respiratory Function, Stroke
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation,
Vol.9 No.4,
September
27,
2021
ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Gait asymmetry can become very pronounced in patients who have suffered a stroke. The impairment of trunk function in some
stroke patients can restrict thorax mobility and cause respiratory muscle
weakness. Trunk and neck dysfunction are believed to affect the gait in stroke
patients. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship
between gait asymmetry and respiratory function in stroke patients by measuring
the step time and trunk acceleration. METHODS: This study employed a
cross-sec- tional design. Thirty stroke patients participated in this study. The
symmetry index (SI) and Lissajous index (LI) were used to evaluate asymmetry
during walking. The respiratory function and respiratory muscle strength were
evaluated by spirometry. We examined the
relation between SI or LI and the respiratory function/respiratory
muscle strength in patients with stroke. RE- SULTS: The results of our analysis demonstrated that the SI was significantly
correlated with the inspiratory and expiratory muscle strength and the LI was significantly correlated with the
percentage of the predicted vital capacity (respectively, r = ﹣0.386, r = ﹣0.392, r = ﹣0.446; p CONCLUSION: The present study
is the first to indicate a relationship between gait asymmetry and respiratory
function in stroke patients.