背景與目的：本研究的目的在比較中風患者與健康受試者在呼吸肌功能與行走距離的差異，並探討呼吸肌耐力與行走距離，以及中風天數與呼吸肌功能及行走距離之間的相關性。方法：本研究徵召10名初次中風小於六個月和10名性別、年齡、體型相似之健康者，所有受試者均無原發性肺部或心臟病等可能影響測試結果之臨床診斷，並接受軀幹張力及坐姿平衡之評估，再以肺功能測試儀測量正坐姿下之第一秒用力吐氣量、用力肺活量及最大自主換氣量，以呼吸壓力計測量最大吸氣壓，所有數據均以預測值的百分比加以標準化，最後進行六分鐘行走測試。統計方式以單因素獨立變異數分析比較組別的最大吸氣壓、最大自主換氣量、以及六分鐘行走測試的距離，並加入軀幹張力與平衡能力作為共變數分析；以皮爾森相關係數檢定分析中風患者最大吸氣壓、最大自主換氣量與中風天數之問的相關性，以及六分鐘行走測試距離與最大自主換氣量之問的相關性。結果：中風患者的最大吸氣壓與對照組沒有顯著差異（中風組83.4±49.3%，健康組95.3±43.2%，p>0.05），最大自主換氣量則有顯著差異（中風組70.2±32.4%，健康組121.2±20.6%，p<0.05），六分鐘行走測試的距離亦有顯著差異（中風組176.9±130.8公尺，健康組607.5±88.2公尺，p<0.005），相關性方面，中風患者的最大吸氣壓、最大自主換氣量、中風天數與六分鐘行走測試的距離彼此之間均無顯著相關。結論：急性和亞急性中風患者之呼吸肌耐力與行走耐力明顯較健康人下降，呼吸肌功能與行走耐力無顯著相關，樣本數不多是本研究最大限制，值得臨床物理治療師在治療上注意並做進一步之探討。

Background and Purpose: Many evidences indicated that the respiratory muscle function would be influenced in stroke patients. Physical therapists play a major role in assisting stroke patients with their functional recovery. However, there are few studies to investigate the association between their functional capability and respiratory muscle function. In addition, there are also few studies to investigate the association between these functional changes and post-stroke days. The purposes of this study were to compare the differences in respiratory muscle function and six-minute walking distance between stroke patients and healthy subjects, and to investigate the correlations among respiratory muscle endurance, walking distance, and post-stroke days. Methods: Ten patients within 6 months following a stroke and ten age-, gender-and body-dimension-matched healthy subjects were recruited. All of the subjects had no clinical diagnosis of primary circulatory or pulmonary diseases that might influence the measurements of interest. We assessed subject's trunk muscle tension and sitting balance, and measured the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) by using spirometer (Chestgraph HI-701), and maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) by using pressure gauge (Boehringer Gas Pressure Gauge). All data were also presented as percentage of predicted values. Finally, patients were asked to perform a six-minute walking test (6WMT), and walking distance (6MWD) was recorded. The between-group differences in MIP, MVV and 6MWD were tested by one-way ANOVA with trunk tension and balance ability as covariates. The correlations among MVV, 6MWD, and post-stroke days were tested by Pearson correlation coefficients. Result: There were significant differences in MVV (70.2±32.4% vs. 121.2±20.6%, p<0.05) and 6WMD (176.9±130.8 m vs. 607.5±88.2 m, p<0.005), and no significant differences in MIP (stroke 83.4±49.3% vs. control 95.3±43.2%, p>0.05) between groups. No significant correlations among MIP, MVV stroke days and 6WMD were found in stroke patients. Conclusion: The respiratory muscle endurance and six-minute walking distance are significantly reduced in the acute and subacute stroke patients compared to the matched healthy subject. Small sample size is the major limitation of the study. The issue on impaired respiratory muscle function and cardiopulmonary fitness in stroke patients is worthy of attention from physical therapists and further studies are needed.