Predictors of Arm Nonuse in Chronic Stroke: A Preliminary Investigation

Background. Nonuse (NU) after stroke is characterized by failure to use the contralesional arm despite adequate capacity. It has been suggested that NU is a consequence of the greater effort and/or attention required to use the affected limb, but such accounts have not been directly tested, and we have poor understanding of the predictors of NU. Objective. We aimed to provide preliminary evidence regarding demographic, neuropsychological (ie, apraxia, attention/arousal, neglect), and psychological (ie, self-efficacy) factors that may influence NU in chronic stroke. Methods. Twenty chronic stroke survivors with mild to moderate sensory-motor impairment characterized by the Upper-Extremity Fugl-Meyer (UEFM) were assessed for NU with a modified version of the Actual Amount of Use Test (AAUT), which measures the disparity between amount of use in spontaneous versus forced conditions. Participants were also assessed with measures of limb apraxia, spatial neglect, attention/arousal, and self-efficacy. Using stepwise multiple regression, we determined which variables predicted AAUT NU scores. Results. Scores on the UEFM as well as attention/arousal predicted the degree of NU (P < .05). Attention/arousal predicted NU above and beyond UEFM (P < .05). Conclusions. The results are consistent with the importance of attention and engagement necessary to fully incorporate the paretic limb into daily activities. Larger-scale studies that include additional behavioral (eg, sensation, proprioception, spasticity, pain, mental health, motivation) and neuroanatomical measures (eg, lesion volume and white matter connectivity) will be important for future investigations.