Respiratory Function Impaired

The purpose of this research study is to learn more about the connections between the brain, nerves, and diaphragm after experiencing a cervical spinal cord injury (SCI).The main question it aims to answer is: Changes in respiratory function and recovery using stimulation and respiratory exercise training in spinal cord-injured individuals. Participants will complete a maximum of 55 study visits. They will be asked to complete about 40 treatment sessions which include multiple stimulation sessions over the scalp and neck, followed by about 60 minutes of respiratory training. Assessment sessions will be completed prior at baseline, after 20 sessions and after 40 sessions of study treatment.

The clinical trial titled "Investigation of Respiratory Functions, Thoracoabdominal Movements, and Exercise Capacity in Neuromuscular Diseases" aims to evaluate the respiratory functions, thoracoabdominal movements, and exercise capacity in children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) compared to healthy controls. The study will use spirometry, structured light plethysmography (SLP), the six-minute walk test, and the six-minute pegboard ring test to assess these functions. This trial will be conducted at the Lokman Hekim University Muscle and Nerve Diseases Application and Research Center from May 2024 to Dec 2025.

Impaired respiratory function may occur after brain injury, and will progress to restricted respiratory dysfunction without early intervention. At present, there is a lack of effective treatment options for respiratory dysfunction. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation(rTMS) is a non-invasive, painless and non-invasive neuroregulatory technique. In healthy people, rTMS applied to the respiratory motor cortex induces a contralateral respiratory muscle response. However, whether rTMS can improve respiratory function in patients with brain injury remains unclear. gut microbiota can affect muscle function and mass, and animal experiments have shown that probiotics can increase skeletal muscle mass and grip strength in mice. On the other hand, studies have found that rTMS can improve the nutritional status of patients with vegetative state by regulating the structure of gut microbiota. However, it remains unclear whether rTMS can improve respiratory muscle function in patients with brain injury by regulating gut microbiota. Therefore, the investigators intend to apply rTMS to the respiratory motor cortex to observe whether rTMS can improve respiratory function and reduce the incidence of pneumonia in patients with brain injury, and to observe the role of gut microbiota in this process.