Authors (including presenting author) :
Wong KYR(1), Lau YNN(1), Luk, KYH(1), Chan CMA(1)
Affiliation :
(1) Physiotherapy Department, Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Keyword 1: :
Inspiratory muscle training
Keyword 2: :
Parkinson's Disease
Introduction :
Respiratory dysfunction is common among patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), which leads to a higher risk of aspiration pneumonia and mortality rate in the later stages of PD. Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) is mentioned in various literature in improving the respiratory function for moderate levels of PD. Yet the effect of early respiratory training targeting to early stage of PD is limited. A focused respiratory self-empowerment approach to inspiratory muscle training (IMT) can not only improve respiratory muscle strength, but they also minimize and prevents the risk of respiratory dysfunction for patients with the early stage of PD.
Objectives :
The is a pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of early IMT on the respiratory function for patients at early stage of PD.
Methodology :
Patients with idiopathic PD were recruited from the outpatient physiotherapy service during the period from 1 September 2025 to 28 November 2025. The inclusion criteria included patients with idiopathic PD of modified Hoehn & Yahr (H&Y) sta ges 1 to 2, and patients who can follow the instructions for the lung function test and IMT. Patients with chronic respiratory disease and poor cognitive function was excluded. A hybrid mode training program, (home-based and face-to-face training), was adopted. 1 or 2 sessions of training on respiratory muscle strengthening was prescribed. Then followed by home-based(IMT training) by utilizing the HA-Go app prescription. The regimen consisted of 2 sets of 10 repetitions of IMT training, twice a day, 3 times a week. The outcome measures included forced vital capacity (FVC), maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximum expiratory pressure (MEP). The lung functions parameters were measured pre- and post-program. The data was analysed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test
Result & Outcome :
In total, 12 patients completed the program. For the lung function parameters, there was a 10% increase in FVC (p = .002) . There was a 7% increase in MIP (p = .028). There was a 4% increase in MEP, but not statistically significant (p= .071). This indicated that the patient's respiratory function generally improved after the training. Patients with an early stage of PD might have better respiratory function after one month of IMT training, as home empowerment IMT exercise is easy to be admin istrated. Further longitudinal study on the long-term effect of early focused IMT on respiratory dysfunction is needed.
