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. 2019 May 22;1(1-2):100005.
doi: 10.1016/j.arrct.2019.100005. eCollection 2019 Jun.

Chronicity of Stroke Does Not Affect Outcomes of Somatosensory Stimulation Paired With Task-Oriented Motor Training: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Cheryl Carrico  1 , Nicholas Annichiarico  1 , Elizabeth Salmon Powell  1 , Philip M Westgate  2 , Lumy Sawaki  1   3   4
Affiliations

Chronicity of Stroke Does Not Affect Outcomes of Somatosensory Stimulation Paired With Task-Oriented Motor Training: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Cheryl Carrico et al. Arch Rehabil Res Clin Transl. .

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether chronicity influences outcomes of somatosensory stimulation paired with task-oriented motor training for participants with severe-to-moderate upper extremity hemiparesis.

Design: Spearman correlations were used to retrospectively analyze outcomes of a randomized trial.

Setting: University research laboratory at a rehabilitation hospital.

Participants: Adults, ranging between 3 and 12 months poststroke (N=55).

Interventions: About 18 sessions pairing either 2 hours of active (n=33) or sham (n=22) somatosensory stimulation with 4 hours of intensive task-oriented motor training.

Main outcome measures: The Wolf Motor Function Test (primary), Action Research Arm Test, Stroke Impact Scale, and Fugl-Meyer Assessment were collected as outcome measures. Analyses evaluated whether within-group chronicity correlated with pre-post changes on primary and secondary outcome measures of motor performance.

Results: Both groups exhibited improvements on all outcome measures. No significant correlations between chronicity poststroke and the amount of motor recovery were found.

Conclusion: Somatosensory stimulation improved motor recovery compared with sham treatment in cases of severe-to-moderate hemiparesis between 3 and 12 months poststroke; and the extent of recovery did not correlate with baseline levels of stroke chronicity. Future studies should investigate a wider period of inclusion, patterns of corticospinal reorganization, differences between cortical and subcortical strokes, and include long-term follow-up periods.

Keywords: ARAT, Action Research Arm Test; FMA, Fugl-Meyer Assessment; Humans; Occupational therapy; Rehabilitation; SIS, Stroke Impact Scale; SS, somatosensory stimulation; Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation; UE, upper extremity; Upper extremity; WMFT, Wolf Motor Function Test.

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Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Scatterplots of outcome measures. No clear correlations are visible for any of the 4 outcome measures.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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