Comparing Home Upper Extremity Activity with Clinical Evaluations of Arm Function in Chronic Stroke

Objective: To determine if clinical evaluations of post-stroke arm function correspond to everyday motor performance indexed by arm accelerometers.

Design: Cross-sectional study analyzing baseline data from a larger trial (NCT02665052).

Setting: Outpatient research center.

Participants: Twenty community-dwelling adults with chronic arm motor deficits (stroke≥6mo).

Intervention: 72-hours of home wrist-worn accelerometry during normal routine.

Main outcome measures: Clinical evaluations included the Fugl-Meyer (FM), Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT), and two self-assessments: the Motor Activity Log (MAL) and hand motor subscale of the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS). Accelerometer-derived variables included quantifications of movement intensity (magnitude) and duration of arm use.

Results: Participants had moderate arm impairment (FM 36.1 ± 9.4). The accelerometer-derived mean magnitude ratio correlated significantly with the FM (ρ = 0.60, p < 0.01), WMFT functional score (ρ = 0.59, p < 0.01), and ARAT (ρ = 0.50, p < 0.05). The hours of use ratio correlated with the MAL amount of use (ρ = 0.58, p < 0.01) and quality of movement (ρ = 0.61, p < 0.01). Total paretic hours did not correlate with the FM, WMFT or ARAT, and intensity variables did not correlate with the MAL or SIS.

Conclusions: Participants with higher baseline function had greater intensity of paretic arm movement at home; similarly, those who perceived they had less disability used their paretic arm more relative to their non-paretic arm. However, some participants with higher clinical scores did not exhibit greater arm use in everyday life, possibly due to neglect and learned non-use. Therefore, individualized home accelerometry profiles could provide valuable insight to better tailor post-stroke rehabilitation.