Active Finger Extension: A Simple Movement Predicting Recovery of Arm Function in Patients With Acute Stroke

Background and Purpose— Early prognosis of arm recovery is a major clinical issue in stroke. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of 4 simple bedside tests. Methods— Forty-eight patients with arm paresis/plegia were evaluated on days 7, 14, 30, 90 and 180 after stroke. Assessment included 4 potential predictors of arm recovery (active finger extension, shoulder abduction, shoulder shrug and hand movement scales) and 3 outcome measures evaluating arm function (Nine Hole Peg Test, Fugl-Meyer arm subtest, Motricity Index arm subtest). Results— The active finger extension scale was the most powerful prognostic factor. Patients with active finger extension scores >3 had a high probability of achieving good performance as assessed by the Motricity Index. Conclusions— Active finger extension is a reliable early predictor of recovery of arm function in stroke patients.

[1]  P. Katrak,et al.  Predicting upper limb recovery after stroke: the place of early shoulder and hand movement. , 1998, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

[2]  G. Demeurisse,et al.  [Motor evaluation in vascular hemiplegia]. , 1979, Bruxelles medical.

[3]  V. Mathiowetz,et al.  Adult norms for the Box and Block Test of manual dexterity. , 1985, The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

[4]  W. Rymer,et al.  Relative contributions of neural mechanisms versus muscle mechanics in promoting finger extension deficits following stroke , 2003, Muscle & nerve.

[5]  A. Fugl-Meyer,et al.  The post-stroke hemiplegic patient. 1. a method for evaluation of physical performance. , 1975, Scandinavian journal of rehabilitation medicine.