Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, cilt.103, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
Objective: To investigate the effects of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on balance, trunk control, fear of falling, respiratory functions, and quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Methods: Thirty-two PwMS were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Evaluations included the Mini Balance Evaluation Systems Test for balance, the Trunk Impairment Scale for trunk control, the Falls Efficacy Scale-International for fear of falling, 2-Minute Walk Test for functional capacity, and Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 for quality of life. Respiratory muscle strength was also measured using a MicroRPM device, and respiratory functions were assessed using a Spirolab III spirometer. All participants received balance exercises tailored to their functional level. In addition, the intervention group underwent a 8-week IMT program using a pressure threshold loading device (Threshold IMT), performed 5 days per week (four at home, one under supervision), at 30 % of maximum inspiratory pressure for 30 min daily. Training intensity was updated weekly during supervised sessions. Results: Although there was a significant improvement in all functional outcomes in both groups after treatment, the IMT group showed statistically greater improvement than the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study is the first to comprehensively demonstrate that the addition of inspiratory muscle training to conventional balance exercises results in significantly greater improvements in balance, trunk control, fear of falling, functional capacity, quality of life, and respiratory muscle strength in pwMS, highlighting its potential as an effective and accessible rehabilitation strategy. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov (identifier: NCT06075472).