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Updated: Apr 1, 2026
Author Spotlight: Using Motor Imagery Brain-Computer Interface to Improve Motor and Cognitive Function in Stroke Patients
Published on: September 1, 2023
Heart Rate Variability Is Associated with Motor Outcome 3-Months after Stroke
Amit Sethi1, Clifton W Callaway2, Ervin Sejdić3
1Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Objectives:
The primary objective of this paper was to determine whether heart rate variability (HRV) acquired upon admission to inpatient rehabilitation is associated with motor outcome 3 months after stroke. The secondary objective of this paper was to determine whether HRV shows a strong association with the motor outcome 3 months after stroke in individuals with severe initial motor impairments.
Methods:
We recruited 13 patients with acute stroke from an acute inpatient rehabilitation hospital. A Holter monitor was placed upon admission and Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity and Lower Extremity Subscales were used to assess the movement of the affected upper and lower extremities 3 months after admission. The standard deviation of R-R intervals was used to quantify HRV.
Results:
A Spearman rank correlation revealed a strong positive and significant correlation between HRV upon admission and movement of the affected upper extremity (r = .70, P = .01) and affected lower extremity (r = .60, P = .03) at 3 months. For patients with severe initial motor impairments, HRV showed a strong positive association with the movement of the affected upper (r = .61, P = .04) and lower (r = .70, P = .04) extremities at 3 months.
Conclusion:
HRV is strongly associated with motor outcome after stroke and provides a promising marker to explore the mechanisms associated with motor recovery after stroke.
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