Can you learn to cough after having a stroke?

A strong cough, requires powerful coordinated contraction of expiratory (abdominal) muscles. The expiratory muscles contract to build up high positive intrapleural and intra-airway pressures for development of peak expiratory Flow rates. Expiratory muscle strength training (EMST) has been shown to improve parameters related to pulmonary function, speech, and cough.However, no one has investigated what changes occur in the activation of abdominal muscles after training. The aim of this study is to clarify which role plays the coordination of abdominal muscles in expiratory flows. The null hypothesis was that stroke patients cannot relearn to coordinate abdominal muscle activation with expiratory flow after EMST.The recording of the contraction of the abdominal muscles during expiration against resistance is captured by ultrasound. Pulmonary function data and maximum expiratory pressure (MEP) were also collected. Chronic post-stroke patients, from the Brain Damage Association of Navarra, whose evolution is longer than 6 months, were selected.7 patients (mean±SD age 71,17±7.08 yrs)participated. MIP improved in stroke survivors (p=0.031) after 12 weeks of EMST. A high correlation -with significance- (p<0.05) was observed between participants with a good ability to perform quality spirometry and the ability to coordinate the abdominal planes during an expiration against resistance (as assessed by observation). 43% of the participants improved the quality of spirom...
Source: European Respiratory Journal - Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Tags: 09.02 - Physiotherapists Source Type: research