Open AccessFactors related to daily use of the paretic upper limb in patients with chronic hemiparetic stroke–A retrospective cross-sectional study
Author(s) -
Syoichi Tashiro,
Miho Kuroki,
Kohei Okuyama,
Osamu Oshima,
Mariko Ogura,
Nanako Hijikata,
T. Nakamura,
Aiko Oka,
Michiyuki Kawakami,
Takao Tsuji,
Meigen Liu
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0247998
Subject(s) - hemiparesis , stroke (engine) , medicine , activities of daily living , rehabilitation , modified ashworth scale , physical therapy , chronic stroke , physical medicine and rehabilitation , cross sectional study , mechanical engineering , pathology , engineering , angiography
Aims The present study aimed to determine factors associated with the frequency of paralyzed upper extremity (UE) use in chronic stroke patients with severe UE functional deficiency. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 138 consecutive patients, and 117 was analyzed (median age, 55 [range, 18–85] years; median stroke duration, 24.5 [range, 7–302] months) with chronic hemiparetic stroke who were admitted to our hospital for intensive upper extremity rehabilitation. The mean Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) UE score was 28.6. All of them are independent in their activity of daily living (ADL) and without remarkable cognitive deficits. Amount-of-use score of Motor Activity Log-14 (MAL-AOU) was applied as the index of daily use of affected UE. The following parameters were examined as the explanatory variables: demographics, proximal and distal sub-scores of FMA UE, Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), and sensory function scores in the Stroke Impairment Assessment Set (SIAS). Results The median MAL-AOU score was 0.57 [range, 0.28–0.80]. Ordinal regression analysis revealed that FMA proximal, FMA distal, and SIAS sensory function (touch) were associated with AOU score of MAL-14 (Pseudo R-square = 0.460). Conclusion Not only motor but also sensory function, especially tactile sensation, play a crucial role in the daily use of affected UE in chronic stroke patients with severe UE hemiparesis.