Article

OBJECTIVES: To measure the variation in activity parameters in patients with
stroke over several days, and to assess whether patients with chronic stroke
differ from each other in their achievement of ambulatory activity level. DESIGN:
Descriptive study. METHODS: A total of 14 patients with chronic stroke wore 2
tri-axial accelerometers in their pockets for 7 consecutive days. The mean and
standard deviation of activity parameters (duration of activity in minutes, and
length and number of bouts of activity) were assessed across days. Outcome
parameters were divided into morning, afternoon and evening, in order to assess
the activity pattern. RESULTS: The total group had a mean activity time of 54 min
and standard deviation of 23 min over several days (range 5-45 min). Inactive
participants had a significantly lower mean number of activity bouts, but no
clear difference in length of bouts. Although activity level decreased during the
day for the total group, only 4 participants showed a significant difference
between periods of the day. CONCLUSION: A high level of variation in activity
parameters over several days indicates the importance of measuring multiple days
when assessing a patient's ambulatory activity level. Moreover, individual
differences between patients indicate the importance of tailored advice in
promoting their level of physical activity.

Langue : ANGLAIS