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Updated: Jun 14, 2026

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Published on: February 22, 2020
Stroke and action slowing: mechanisms, determinants and prognosis value
Olivier Godefroy1, Shirley Spagnolo, Martine Roussel
1Department of Neurology and Laboratoire de Neurosciences Fonctionnelles et Pathologies (UMR CNRS 8160), University Hospitals of Lille and Amiens, Lille, and Amiens, France. godefroy.olivier@chu-amiens.fr
Stroke survivors experience action slowing due to impaired perceptual and motor processes. Lesion location significantly impacts this slowing, and tapping frequency predicts patient outcomes, highlighting action slowing as a key stroke consequence and prognosis index.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Stroke frequently leads to motor and cognitive deficits.
- Action slowing, a subtle yet significant consequence, impacts daily functioning.
- Understanding its mechanisms is crucial for effective rehabilitation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the mechanisms underlying stroke-related action slowing.
- To identify the specific determinants and lesion locations associated with this slowing.
- To evaluate the prognostic value of action slowing in stroke recovery.
Main Methods:
- Compared 36 stroke patients (no clinical motor deficit) with matched controls.
- Utilized Finger Tapping, Visual Inspection Time, and Simple/Choice Reaction Time tests.
- Correlated performance with lesion location and clinical outcomes.
Main Results:
- Stroke patients exhibited slower performance across most tests, including those using the ipsilesional hand.
- Slowing in Visual Inspection Time, Finger Tapping, and Simple Reaction Time tests was statistically significant.
- Lesion location in specific brain regions (parietal, frontal, lenticular nucleus, posterior fossa) was strongly associated with different types of action slowing.
- Tapping Frequency and Token test performance predicted poor outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Stroke-related action slowing primarily results from impaired perceptual and motor processes.
- A widespread neural network is implicated in action slowing.
- Tapping Frequency serves as an independent predictor of stroke outcome, underscoring the prognostic significance of action slowing.
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