Movement detection at the ankle following stroke is poor

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Stroke frequently leads to motor impairments, including issues with strength and coordination.
• Ankle proprioception, the sense of joint position and movement, is crucial for effective gait.
• Independent ambulation post-stroke may still involve subtle sensory deficits impacting functional mobility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate ankle proprioceptive acuity in individuals with chronic stroke who can walk independently.
• To determine if impaired sense of movement at the ankle is present in this population.
• To explore the relationship between ankle proprioception and walking endurance post-stroke.

Main Methods:

• Assessed sense of movement (proprioceptive acuity) at the ankle across three velocities (0.1, 0.5, 2.5 deg/sec) in 11 ambulatory chronic stroke survivors and 10 healthy controls.
• Measured ankle range of motion and 6-minute walk distance.
• Compared performance between stroke survivors' affected and unaffected ankles, and against the control group.

Main Results:

• Stroke survivors demonstrated significantly poorer ankle movement detection compared to controls and their unaffected limb (p < 0.001) at all tested velocities.
• Six of 11 stroke survivors showed significant proprioceptive impairment at the affected ankle.
• A moderate correlation was observed between ankle proprioceptive acuity and walking endurance (Spearman's rho = 0.63–0.77).

Conclusions:

• Reduced ankle proprioceptive acuity is a common impairment in individuals with chronic stroke, even when they can walk independently.
• Impaired sense of movement at the ankle may contribute to reduced walking endurance post-stroke.
• Ankle proprioception should be considered as a potential target for rehabilitation interventions to improve gait function after stroke.