Article

Motor capability is commonly assessed inside the clinic, but motor
performance in real-world settings (ie, outside of the clinic) is seldom assessed
because measurement tools are lacking. OBJECTIVE: To quantify real-world
bilateral upper-limb (UL) activity in nondisabled adults and adults with stroke
using a recently developed accelerometry-based methodology.
METHODS: Nondisabled
adults (n = 74) and adults with chronic stroke (n = 48) wore accelerometers on
both wrists for 25 to 26 hours. Motor capability was assessed using the Action
Research Arm Test (ARAT). Accelerometry-derived variables were calculated to
quantify intensity of bilateral UL activity (ie, bilateral magnitude) and the
contribution of both ULs to activity (magnitude ratio) for each second of
activity. Density plots were used to examine each second of bilateral UL activity
throughout the day. RESULTS: Nondisabled adults demonstrated equivalent use of
dominant and nondominant ULs, indicated by symmetrical density plots and a median
magnitude ratio of -0.1 (interquartile range [IQR] = 0.3), where a value of 0
indicates equal activity between ULs. Bilateral UL activity intensity was lower
(P < .001) and more lateralized in adults with stroke, as indicated by
asymmetrical density plots and a lower median magnitude ratio (-2.2; IQR = 6.2, P
< .001). Density plots were similar between many stroke participants who had
different ARAT scores, indicating that real-world bilateral UL activity was
similar despite different motor capabilities. CONCLUSIONS: Quantification and
visualization of real-world bilateral UL activity can be accomplished using this
novel accelerometry-based methodology and complements results obtained from
clinical tests of function when assessing recovery of UL activity following
neurological injury.
CI - (c) The Author(s) 2015.

Langue : ANGLAIS