Prevalence of sensory impairments and its contribution to functional disability in individuals with acute stroke: A cross-sectional study

Background: Although the literature suggests high prevalences of sensory impairments after stroke, the independent contribution of sensory modalities to functionality needs further investigation.

Objective: To identify the prevalence and characterize the sensory impairment in adults with stroke and to verify the contribution of proprioceptive and exteroceptive impairments to their functional disability.

Methods: Exploratory cross-sectional study conducted in a hospital stroke unit. Sensory impairments were measured by the sensation subscale of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, and the exteroception and proprioception data were used for analysis. The modified Rankin Scale was used to measure functional disability. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the relative contribution of proprioceptive and exteroceptive sensory impairments to functional disability.

Results: Two thousand and five hundred sixty-six individuals were recruited. The prevalence of sensory impairments was 57%, with exteroceptive impairment (48%) being more prevalent than proprioceptive impairment (42%). The palm was the region most affected by the loss of exteroception, and the hallux was the region most affected by the loss of proprioception. The sensory impairments could explain 14% of the variance for functional disability. Alone, proprioceptive impairment explained 13%. The exteroceptive impairment added 1% of explanatory power to the model.

Conclusions: Sensory impairments were highly prevalent. Proprioceptive impairment was the main contributor to functional disability. Investigating and proposing interventions for sensory impairments may result in a more efficient rehabilitation process.