ABSTRACT The increase in inflammatory markers associated with persistent chronic fibrosing myocarditis, a characteristic of chronic Chagas disease, can result in a reduction in inspiratory muscle strength (IMS) in Chagas cardiomyopathy (CC). However, literature in this field is still scarce. This review aimed to map and summarize the evidence regarding IMS in patients with CC. The inclusion criteria included reports with adult participants with a CC diagnosis, with or without heart failure (HF). The core concept examined was the maximum inspiratory pressure evaluated in the untrained and trained groups in the pre-training period. The context was open, including but not limited to hospitals and health centers. Two authors independently identified eligible studies and extracted the data. Descriptive synthesis was used as the primary strategy for analyzing the results. Nine studies (five clinical trials, three cross-sectional, and one cohort) were included. The CC classification differed among the studies, with no mention of HF in five and no CC staging specification in six. IMS was assessed using a manovacuometer, and only six studies analyzed and interpreted the data concerning the predicted values. The CC population with HF appeared to have impaired IMS. All studies involved only Brazilian volunteers. In conclusion, randomized clinical trials evaluating IMS and the effects of inspiratory muscle training need to be conducted to better understand the prevalence and risk of inspiratory muscle weakness in the CC population, as well as the effects of training. Such studies should be conducted at different stages of CC in different populations and countries. myocarditis disease (IMS . (CC) However scarce diagnosis HF. (HF) pretraining pre period open centers results crosssectional, crosssectional cross sectional, sectional cross-sectional cohort manovacuometer values volunteers conclusion countries (CC (HF

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate how transtibial amputation (TT) affects bodyweight distribution, voluntary knee joint position sense (JPS), and quadriceps (QUA) and hamstrings (HAM) strength in prosthetized patients. METHODS: Only TT patients who had been prosthetized for more than one year were included, and an age-paired able-bodied group was used as control. The participants stood on force plates with their eyes open to measure bodyweight distribution between the limbs. Knee voluntary JPS was assessed by actively reproducing a set of given arbitrary joint angles using a video analysis approach, and QUA and HAM strength were assessed isometrically with a hand-held dynamometer. RESULTS: Sixteen TT subjects (age: 39.4±4.8 years) and sixteen age-paired control subjects (age: 38.4±4.3 years) participated in the study. The amputees supported their bodyweight majorly on the sound limb (54.8±8.3%, p<0.001). The proprioceptive performance was similar between the amputated (absolute error (AE): 2.2±1.6°, variable error (VE): 1.9±1.6°, constant error (CE): -0.7±2.0°) and non-amputated limbs (AE: 2.6±0.9°, VE: 2.1±0.9°, CE: 0.02±2.3°), and was not different from that of control subjects (AE: 2.0±0.9°, VE: 1.4±0.4°, CE: -1.1±1.7°). There was a considerable weakness of the QUA and HAM in the amputated limb compared with the sound limb and control subjects (p<0.001 both). CONCLUSIONS: The asymmetric bodyweight distribution in the transtibial amputees was not accompanied by a reduction in knee proprioception. There was significant weakness in the amputated limb, which could be a potential issue when designing rehabilitation programs.