Effect of respiratory muscle training in post-stroke patients: a literature review

Stroke can be conceptualized as the interruption of cerebral blood supply, due to extravasation or obstruction of the blood vessel. It is one of the most common chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), being the third cause of death in several countries of the world and the main cause of permanent incapacitation because it is the vascular condition that most affects the Central Nervous System (CNS). About 40% of stroke patients have a reduction in diaphragm displacement and a decrease in lung function to 50% of the expected values for age. Respiratory muscle training is an approach that has the potential to increase muscle strength and reduce respiratory complications following stroke. In this way, this study aims to perform a literature review on respiratory changes and the effect of Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT) in post-stroke patients. This is a review of the literature, in which scientific articles published in Scielo, Bireme, and LILACS were used in all indexes, using as keywords: Inspiratory Muscular Training, Brain Vascular Accident and respiratory changes. After the analysis, articles were selected that related the three aspects and presented IMT results in post-stroke patients. Studies have revealed the therapeutic effects of IMT in the various populations, presenting as an approach to the increase in inspiratory muscle strength and endurance, increase in thoracic expandability, adequacy in the respiratory pattern, reduction in the perception of dyspnea, delay in the decline increased exercise tolerance and aerobic capacity, as well as improved quality of life in post-stroke individuals.