Factors related to daily use of the paretic upper limb in patients with chronic hemiparetic stroke-A retrospective cross-sectional study

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.

Automated summary

The study aimed to determine factors associated with the frequency of paralyzed upper extremity use in chronic stroke patients with severe upper extremity functional deficiency. Results showed that both motor and sensory function, especially tactile sensation, play crucial roles in the daily use of the affected upper extremity in these patients.