Measuring Community Mobility in Survivors of Stroke Using Global Positioning System Technology: A Prospective...

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Neurology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Community mobility is crucial for stroke survivors' recovery.
• Direct measurement of community mobility post-rehabilitation is understudied.
• Understanding community mobility aids in developing targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure community mobility in stroke survivors (SS) using GPS technology.
• To compare community mobility of SS to an age-matched comparison group (CS).
• To explore the relationship between clinical measures and community mobility.

Main Methods:

• Prospective observational study with 14 SS and 6 CS.
• GPS units tracked participants' community mobility over 52 weeks.
• Clinical assessments included 6-minute walk test, Berg balance test, and quality of life surveys.

Main Results:

• SS took fewer trips and visited fewer targets than CS at weeks 1 and 9.
• Differences in community mobility diminished by week 5 and beyond.
• Clinical measures showed significant correlations with the number of trips taken by SS.

Conclusions:

• Community mobility is significantly reduced in SS during the initial 9 weeks post-discharge.
• The construct of community mobility appears distinct from traditional clinical measures.
• GPS technology offers a valuable tool for assessing real-world mobility in stroke recovery.