Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic Of Iran

en Evaluation of Inspiratory Muscle Training Effect Compared With Diaphragmatic Breathing in Respiratory Parameters in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial Physical Medecine& Rehabilitaion Physical Medecine& Rehabilitaion Original Research Original Research Background: Many patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) experience respiratory failure. The use of respiratory muscle training exercises can improve the respiratory function of these patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on respiratory muscle function in ALS patients.    Methods: In the current randomized controlled clinical trial study, 22 patients were randomly divided into intervention (n = 11) and control groups (n = 11). In the control group, patients used only chest-opening training and diaphragm exercises. Patients in the intervention group used IMT in addition to controlled exercises (chest opening training and diaphragm exercises). Respiratory function by spirometry and monitoring of maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressure, functional capacity with a 6-minute walk test, and arterial blood gases were also assessed by ABG analysis at baseline and after 8 weeks. A comparative analysis of variables was performed with a student t-test, considering type 1 error (α = 0.05) using SPSS 27 software.    Results: The indexes included maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax) (P = 0.000) and maximal expiratory pressures PEmax (P = 0.002). The strength of breathing muscles index (S-index) (P = 0.002) had a significant increase before and after rehabilitation in both groups (P ˂ 0.05). In intergroup analysis, the only factor with a significant increase was PImax (P = 0.019).    Conclusion: The use of IMT, along with chest opening training and diaphragm exercises, can cause a relative improvement of the respiratory muscles' function indexes, especially PImax in ALS patients. More clinical trials are required.   Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Inspiratory Muscle training, Maximal Inspiratory Pressure, Maximal Expiratory Pressure, Respiratory Muscle Strength 279 285 http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-7745-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Maryam Sadat Mirenayat maryammirenayat2020@gmail.com 200319475328460090084 200319475328460090084 No Pulmonary Rehabilitation Research Center (PRRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Atefeh Fakharian fakharian_2005@yahoo.com 200319475328460090085 200319475328460090085 Yes Pulmonary Rehabilitation Research Center (PRRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Melika Valizadeh melika.v88@gmail.com 200319475328460090086 200319475328460090086 No Pulmonary Rehabilitation Research Center (PRRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohsen Abedi mohsenabedi110@gmail.com 200319475328460090087 200319475328460090087 No Pulmonary Rehabilitation Research Center (PRRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Somayeh Sadeghi somayesadeghi@gmail.com 200319475328460090088 200319475328460090088 No Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran Reyhaneh Zahiri zahirireyhane@gmail.com 200319475328460090089 200319475328460090089 No Pulmonary Rehabilitation Research Center (PRRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Bahram Haghi Ashtiani bhaghi2000@yahoo.com 200319475328460090090 200319475328460090090 No Iran University of Medical Sciences, Firoozgar Hospital, Tehran, Iran Fatemeh Masaebi Fatemeh.masaebi71@gmail.com 200319475328460090091 200319475328460090091 No Social Determinants of Health Research Center Health and Metabolic Diseases Research Institute Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Babak Zamani zamaniba3@gmail.com 200319475328460090092 200319475328460090092 No Department of Neurology, Firoozgar Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran