OBJECTIVE: Respiratory muscle weakness causes increased morbidity and mortality in stroke patients, negatively affects respiratory functions, and even causes the recurrence of previous stroke. This study aims to investigate the effect of respiratory exercise and aerobic exercise programs, which are used in addition to Todd-Davies exercises, which is one of the neurodevelopmental classical treatment techniques on pulmonary function test parameters in stroke patients. METHODS: Thirty-six cases were randomly divided into two groups as breathing exercises group (group-respiratory) and aerobic exercise group (group-aerobics) after doctor's examination. Todd-Davies neurophysiological treatment approach was applied to both groups. Breathing exercises were applied to group-respiratory. An arm ergometer was used in group-aerobics. Follow-up of the cases consisted of a total of thirty sessions of one hour a day, five days a week, over a six-week period. The respiratory system-related parameters of the participants were measured on the first and last day of the forced expiration air volume (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), Tiffeneau index (FEV1/FVC) and chest anthropometric measurements. RESULTS: When the groups were compared in the post-test evaluation, FEV1/FVC parameter (t (34) = -2.922; p < 0.01) group-respiratory value was found to be higher than group-aerobic value. When the difference in chest circumference measurement was compared (t (34) = 4.049; p < 0.01), group-aerobic value was found higher than group-respiratory value. CONCLUSIONS: In cases where aerobic training is added, the increase in chest circumference flexibility facilitates both chest expansion and stroke rehabilitation, and affects spirometry test results more positively than breathing exercises.

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