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Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Morphological and Functional Characteristics of Intercostal Muscles in Stroke Patients and Their Relationship With Clinical Parameters

22 giugno 2026 aggiornato da: Marmara University
The aim of this study is to evaluate the morphological and functional characteristics of parasternal intercostal muscles in patients with stroke using ultrasonography. Parasternal intercostal muscle thickness and thickening fraction will be assessed on both the hemiplegic and non-hemiplegic sides. The relationship between ultrasonographic findings and respiratory muscle strength, motor function, balance, functional independence, and quality of life will also be investigated. A healthy control group will be included to establish reference values and enable comparative analyses.

Panoramica dello studio

Stato

Non ancora reclutamento

Condizioni

Descrizione dettagliata

Stroke frequently leads to respiratory muscle dysfunction due to impaired central motor control. Although diaphragm involvement after stroke has been extensively investigated, there is limited evidence regarding the morphological and functional characteristics of extra-diaphragmatic inspiratory muscles, particularly the parasternal intercostal muscles.

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate parasternal intercostal muscle morphology and contractility in individuals with stroke using ultrasonography. Parasternal intercostal muscle thickness will be measured at end-tidal expiration and maximal inspiration, and intercostal muscle thickening fraction (ICTf) will be calculated as an indicator of muscle contractility. Measurements will be obtained bilaterally, allowing comparison between the hemiplegic and non-hemiplegic sides.

In addition, diaphragm thickness and diaphragm thickening fraction will be assessed using ultrasonography. Respiratory muscle strength will be evaluated by maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) measurements according to ATS/ERS recommendations. Pulmonary function tests including forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and FEV1/FVC ratio will also be performed.

Clinical outcomes including motor impairment, balance, functional independence, and stroke-specific quality of life will be assessed using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, Berg Balance Scale, Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale (SS-QoL), respectively.

A healthy control group matched for age, sex, and body mass index will be included to establish reference values for parasternal intercostal muscle ultrasonographic measurements and to allow comparative analyses between stroke patients and healthy individuals.

The study is designed as a single-center, controlled cross-sectional observational study. A minimum of 40 individuals with stroke and 25 healthy volunteers will be enrolled. Associations between ultrasonographic respiratory muscle measurements and clinical parameters will be analyzed to improve understanding of respiratory muscle involvement after stroke and its relationship with functional outcomes.

Tipo di studio

Osservativo

Iscrizione (Stimato)

65

Contatti e Sedi

Questa sezione fornisce i recapiti di coloro che conducono lo studio e informazioni su dove viene condotto lo studio.

Contatto studio

Backup dei contatti dello studio

Luoghi di studio

    • Maltepe
      • Istanbul, Maltepe, Turchia (Türkiye), 34854
        • Marmara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi
        • Contatto:

Criteri di partecipazione

I ricercatori cercano persone che corrispondano a una certa descrizione, chiamata criteri di ammissibilità. Alcuni esempi di questi criteri sono le condizioni generali di salute di una persona o trattamenti precedenti.

Criteri di ammissibilità

Età idonea allo studio

  • Adulto
  • Adulto più anziano

Accetta volontari sani

Sì

Metodo di campionamento

Campione non probabilistico

Popolazione di studio

Adults with a history of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke attending the outpatient Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation clinic of Marmara University, and age-eligible healthy volunteers recruited as controls.

Descrizione

Inclusion Criteria (Stroke Group):

  • Age between 18 and 75 years.
  • History of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke.
  • Ability to understand and comply with study procedures.
  • Provision of written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria (Stroke Group):

  • Presence of acute or chronic pulmonary disease.
  • History of thoracic or abdominal surgery.
  • Presence of another neuromuscular disorder.
  • Aphasia or cognitive impairment preventing participation in assessments.
  • Active malignancy.

Inclusion Criteria (Healthy Control Group):

  • Age between 18 and 75 years.
  • Willingness to participate in the study.
  • Provision of written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria (Healthy Control Group):

  • History of stroke or other neurological disorders.
  • History of chronic respiratory disease (e.g., COPD, asthma).
  • Chest wall deformity.
  • Presence of systemic diseases that may affect muscle function.

Piano di studio

Questa sezione fornisce i dettagli del piano di studio, compreso il modo in cui lo studio è progettato e ciò che lo studio sta misurando.

Come è strutturato lo studio?

Dettagli di progettazione

Coorti e interventi

Gruppo / Coorte
Group 1: Stroke Patients
Adults aged 18-75 years with a history of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke who meet the study eligibility criteria. A minimum of 40 participants will be enrolled in this group.
Group 2: Healthy Controls
Age-eligible healthy volunteers without a history of stroke, neurological disease, chronic respiratory disease, chest wall deformity, or systemic disease affecting muscle function. A minimum of 25 participants will be enrolled in this group.

Cosa sta misurando lo studio?

Misure di risultato primarie

Misura del risultato
Misura Descrizione
Lasso di tempo
Parasternal Intercostal Muscle Thickening Fraction (ICTf)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline
Ultrasonographic assessment of parasternal intercostal muscle contractility. Thickening fraction will be calculated as: (Inspiratory Thickness - Expiratory Thickness) / Expiratory Thickness × 100. Higher values indicate greater inspiratory muscle contractile activity. Comparison will be performed between the hemiplegic and non-hemiplegic sides.
Baseline

Misure di risultato secondarie

Misura del risultato
Misura Descrizione
Lasso di tempo
Parasternal Intercostal Muscle Thickness
Lasso di tempo: Baseline
Ultrasonography will be used to examine the structure and function of the muscle and to measure muscle thickness at the end of inspiration and expiration.
Baseline
Intercostal Muscle Asymmetry Index
Lasso di tempo: Baseline
Intercostal Muscle Asymmetry Index (AI) is a normalized measure of side-to-side differences in parasternal intercostal muscle contractility. The asymmetry index is calculated using the formula |TF₁ - TF₂| / [(TF₁ + TF₂)/2] × 100, where TF represents the intercostal muscle thickening fraction measured by ultrasonography. Higher values indicate greater asymmetry between the two sides, whereas lower values indicate more symmetrical intercostal muscle function.
Baseline
Relative Hemiplegic Deficit
Lasso di tempo: Baseline
Relative Hemiplegic Deficit is a measure of the reduction in parasternal intercostal muscle contractility on the hemiplegic side relative to the non-hemiplegic side in individuals with stroke. It is calculated using the formula [(TFnon-hemiplegic - TFhemiplegic) / TFnon-hemiplegic] × 100, where TF represents the intercostal muscle thickening fraction measured by ultrasonography. Higher values indicate a greater functional deficit of the hemiplegic side, while lower values indicate more preserved intercostal muscle function.
Baseline
Diaphragm Thickening Fraction
Lasso di tempo: Baseline
Diaphragm contractility assessed by ultrasonography. Thickening fraction is calculated as [(Thickness at maximal inspiration - Thickness at end-expiration) / Thickness at end-expiration] × 100. Higher values indicate greater diaphragm contractile function.
Baseline
Maximal Inspiratory Pressure (MIP)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline
Maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) is a measurement that evaluates the strength of the inspiratory muscles. This test measures the negative pressure created when a person breathes in at maximum effort. MIP assesses the strength of respiratory muscles, such as the diaphragm and intercostal muscles, and is used to diagnose conditions characterized by respiratory muscle weakness.
Baseline
Maximal Expiratory Pressure (MEP)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline
Maximum expiratory pressure (MEP) is a measurement that evaluates the strength of the expiratory muscles. This test measures the positive pressure generated when a person exhales with maximum effort. MEP assesses the strength of expiratory muscles, including the abdominal and internal intercostal muscles, and is commonly used to evaluate respiratory muscle function and identify conditions associated with expiratory muscle weakness. Higher values indicate greater expiratory muscle strength.
Baseline
Fugl-Meyer Assessment Score
Lasso di tempo: Baseline
The Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) is a stroke-specific impairment scale used to evaluate motor recovery after stroke. The motor domain score ranges from 0 to 100 points, with higher scores indicating better motor function and less motor impairment.
Baseline
Berg Balance Scale Score
Lasso di tempo: Baseline
The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) consists of 14 tasks assessing static and dynamic balance. Scores range from 0 to 56 points. Higher scores indicate better balance performance and lower fall risk, whereas lower scores indicate greater balance impairment.
Baseline
Functional Independence Measure (FIM) Score
Lasso di tempo: Baseline
The Functional Independence Measure assesses the level of disability and functional independence in activities of daily living. Total scores range from 18 to 126 points. Higher scores indicate greater independence and lower levels of assistance required.
Baseline
Stroke-Specific Quality of Life (SS-QoL) Score
Lasso di tempo: Baseline
Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale (SS-QoL) is used to assess the life expectancy of a stroke survivor. It is specifically designed for individuals who have had a stroke. Both personal and psychosocial effects are assessed collectively. Scores range from 49-245. Higher scores indicate better functioning.
Baseline

Collaboratori e investigatori

Qui è dove troverai le persone e le organizzazioni coinvolte in questo studio.

Sponsor

Studiare le date dei record

Queste date tengono traccia dell'avanzamento della registrazione dello studio e dell'invio dei risultati di sintesi a ClinicalTrials.gov. I record degli studi e i risultati riportati vengono esaminati dalla National Library of Medicine (NLM) per assicurarsi che soddisfino specifici standard di controllo della qualità prima di essere pubblicati sul sito Web pubblico.

Studia le date principali

Inizio studio (Stimato)

15 luglio 2026

Completamento primario (Stimato)

15 settembre 2026

Completamento dello studio (Stimato)

1 ottobre 2026

Date di iscrizione allo studio

Primo inviato

22 giugno 2026

Primo inviato che soddisfa i criteri di controllo qualità

22 giugno 2026

Primo Inserito (Effettivo)

26 giugno 2026

Aggiornamenti dei record di studio

Ultimo aggiornamento pubblicato (Effettivo)

26 giugno 2026

Ultimo aggiornamento inviato che soddisfa i criteri QC

22 giugno 2026

Ultimo verificato

1 giugno 2026

Maggiori informazioni

Termini relativi a questo studio

Altri numeri di identificazione dello studio

  • MarmaraU-FTR-OK-4

Piano per i dati dei singoli partecipanti (IPD)

Hai intenzione di condividere i dati dei singoli partecipanti (IPD)?

NO

Informazioni su farmaci e dispositivi, documenti di studio

Studia un prodotto farmaceutico regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti

No

Studia un dispositivo regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti

No

Queste informazioni sono state recuperate direttamente dal sito web clinicaltrials.gov senza alcuna modifica. In caso di richieste di modifica, rimozione o aggiornamento dei dettagli dello studio, contattare register@clinicaltrials.gov. Non appena verrà implementata una modifica su clinicaltrials.gov, questa verrà aggiornata automaticamente anche sul nostro sito web .