Correlational Study on Diaphragmatic Motion Guided by Ultrasonography and Pulmonary Function in Hemiplegic Patients

This study aims to investigate the correlation between diaphragmatic motion guided by ultrasonography and pulmonary function in hemiplegic patients. By selecting 52 patients with unilateral hemiplegia resulting from a first cerebrovascular event as the hemiplegic group and comparing them with 45 healthy volunteers as the control group, pulmonary function parameters and diaphragmatic excursion were assessed using a pulmonary function tester and M-mode ultrasonography, respectively. The results indicated that vital capacity (VC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC ratio, peak expiratory flow (PEF), and forced expiratory flow at 25% of VC (FEF25-75) were significantly lower in the hemiplegic group than in the control group (p<0.001). Additionally, diaphragmatic excursion was markedly reduced in the hemiplegic group compared to the control group. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between diaphragmatic excursion and all pulmonary function parameters (r values ranging from 0.52 to 0.68, p<0.001). This study suggests that restricted diaphragmatic motion in hemiplegic patients is closely associated with decreased pulmonary function, providing new perspectives and theoretical foundations for clinical rehabilitation.