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Updated: Feb 17, 2026
Electroencephalography Network Indices as Biomarkers of Upper Limb Impairment in Chronic Stroke
Published on: July 14, 2023
Analysis of upper limb muscle strength in the early phase of brain stroke
Michał Starosta1, Joanna Kostka1, Justyna Redlicka1,2
1Department of Physical Medicine, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland.
Purpose:
The aim of this study was to determine the muscles with the lowest strength in non-affected (non-A) and affected upper limb (A), to assess differences between men and women and to correlate these values with age in patients after stroke.
Methods:
Sixty patients (40 male, 20 female), hospitalized in Neurorehabilitation Ward, 1-2 weeks after stroke, were included in the study. Their age ranged from 50 to 80 years with a mean (sd) of 65.5 (18.7) years. Muscle force values from upper limb muscles were measured using the MicroFet 2 hand-held dynamometer. The results are given in Newtons [N], mean values of muscular force, effect sizes and confidence intervals are displayed as Cohen's d and 95% CI were determined. Moreover, we made the coefficients correlation for differences in muscular force versus the Rivermead Motor Assessment (RMA) arm section.
Results:
Strength of (A) upper limb in comparison to (non-A) was 39% weaker. The severely affected muscle groups were the shoulder flexion 41% (women) versus 46% (men); elbow flexion 39% (women) versus 31% (men); wrist extension 36% (women) versus 42% (men). No significant correlations were found between muscle strength results and RMA or age.
Conclusions:
Muscle force of (A) upper limb after stroke demonstrates a 39% decrease. Men show more significant decrease than women (40% vs. 35%). Functional assessment in RMA values shows the better results in women (4.9 ± 4.1) than men (3.4 ± 3.2).
