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The relationship between upper limb activity and impairment in post-stroke hemiplegia

The relationship between upper limb activity and impairment in post-stroke hemiplegia
The relationship between upper limb activity and impairment in post-stroke hemiplegia
Purpose. To investigate the relationship between upper limb impairments and activity limitation.

Method. A cross sectional, single assessment observational study in which people with hemiplegia as a result of a stroke underwent a testing procedure in an instrumented wrist rig in which the following measures of impairment were recorded: Spasticity; motor control (ability to track a moving target); muscle activation patterns during tracking; stiffness; range of active movement and isometric muscle strength. Participants also performed clinical tests of upper limb activity (Action Research Arm Test) and hyper-tonicity (Modified Ashworth Scale).

Results. Seventeen people with hemiplegia whose mean age was 57 (SD 13.4) took part. Their mean upper limb activity, measured by the Action Research Arm Test, was 19.3 (SD 11.2). Statistically significant positive relationships between level of activity and the negative features of the upper motor neuron syndrome such as motor control r = 0.710 (p = 0.003), active range of movement r = 0.540 (p = 0.025) and strength into flexion r = 0.515 (p = 0.034) and extension r = 0.575 (p = 0.016) were identified, but not with the positive features, such as spasticity or the secondary features such as stiffness.

Conclusions. The negative features of the upper motor neuron syndrome appear more likely to affect upper limb activity than the positive or secondary features, but findings need confirming in different study populations, preferably with larger samples.
0963-8288
109-117
Burridge, Jane H.
0110e9ea-0884-4982-a003-cb6307f38f64
Turk, Ruth
9bb21965-6f9f-4c9c-8505-94df8e168f52
Notley, Scott V.
458553fe-2c63-4844-8df1-3538c4b79cda
Pickering, Ruth M.
4a828314-7ddf-4f96-abed-3407017d4c90
Simpson, David M.
53674880-f381-4cc9-8505-6a97eeac3c2a
Burridge, Jane H.
0110e9ea-0884-4982-a003-cb6307f38f64
Turk, Ruth
9bb21965-6f9f-4c9c-8505-94df8e168f52
Notley, Scott V.
458553fe-2c63-4844-8df1-3538c4b79cda
Pickering, Ruth M.
4a828314-7ddf-4f96-abed-3407017d4c90
Simpson, David M.
53674880-f381-4cc9-8505-6a97eeac3c2a

Burridge, Jane H., Turk, Ruth, Notley, Scott V., Pickering, Ruth M. and Simpson, David M. (2009) The relationship between upper limb activity and impairment in post-stroke hemiplegia. Disability and Rehabilitation, 31 (2), 109-117. (doi:10.1080/09638280701824699).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Purpose. To investigate the relationship between upper limb impairments and activity limitation.

Method. A cross sectional, single assessment observational study in which people with hemiplegia as a result of a stroke underwent a testing procedure in an instrumented wrist rig in which the following measures of impairment were recorded: Spasticity; motor control (ability to track a moving target); muscle activation patterns during tracking; stiffness; range of active movement and isometric muscle strength. Participants also performed clinical tests of upper limb activity (Action Research Arm Test) and hyper-tonicity (Modified Ashworth Scale).

Results. Seventeen people with hemiplegia whose mean age was 57 (SD 13.4) took part. Their mean upper limb activity, measured by the Action Research Arm Test, was 19.3 (SD 11.2). Statistically significant positive relationships between level of activity and the negative features of the upper motor neuron syndrome such as motor control r = 0.710 (p = 0.003), active range of movement r = 0.540 (p = 0.025) and strength into flexion r = 0.515 (p = 0.034) and extension r = 0.575 (p = 0.016) were identified, but not with the positive features, such as spasticity or the secondary features such as stiffness.

Conclusions. The negative features of the upper motor neuron syndrome appear more likely to affect upper limb activity than the positive or secondary features, but findings need confirming in different study populations, preferably with larger samples.

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More information

Published date: January 2009

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 65352
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/65352
ISSN: 0963-8288
PURE UUID: 932fb921-332c-4b57-b146-0abe4a4fc99d
ORCID for Jane H. Burridge: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3497-6725
ORCID for Ruth Turk: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-6332-5353
ORCID for David M. Simpson: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-9072-5088

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Date deposited: 12 Feb 2009
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:38

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Contributors

Author: Ruth Turk ORCID iD
Author: Scott V. Notley

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