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Updated: Jun 12, 2026
A Method for Quantifying Upper Limb Performance in Daily Life Using Accelerometers
Published on: April 21, 2017
Self-reported life-space mobility in the first year after ischemic stroke: longitudinal findings from the
Timo Hinrichs1, Roland Rössler2,3, Denis Infanger2
1Division of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Department of Sport, Exercise, and Health, University of Basel, Grosse Allee 6, 4052, Basel, Switzerland. timo.hinrichs@unibas.ch.
Background:
Life-space mobility is defined as the size of the area in which a person moves about within a specified period of time. Our study aimed to characterize life-space mobility, identify factors associated with its course, and detect typical trajectories in the first year after ischemic stroke.
Methods:
MOBITEC-Stroke (ISRCTN85999967; 13/08/2020) was a cohort study with assessments performed 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after stroke onset. We applied linear mixed effects models (LMMs) with life-space mobility (Life-Space Assessment; LSA) as outcome and time point, sex, age, pre-stroke mobility limitation, stroke severity (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; NIHSS), modified Rankin Scale, comorbidities, neighborhood characteristics, availability of a car, Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), and lower extremity physical function (log-transformed timed up-and-go; TUG) as independent variables. We elucidated typical trajectories of LSA by latent class growth analysis (LCGA) and performed univariate tests for differences between classes.
Results:
In 59 participants (mean age 71.6, SD 10.0 years; 33.9% women), mean LSA at 3 months was 69.3 (SD 27.3). LMMs revealed evidence (p ≤ 0.05) that pre-stroke mobility limitation, NIHSS, comorbidities, and FES-I were independently associated with the course of LSA; there was no evidence for a significant effect of time point. LCGA revealed three classes: "low stable", "average stable", and "high increasing". Classes differed with regard to LSA starting value, pre-stroke mobility limitation, FES-I, and log-transformed TUG time.
Conclusion:
Routinely assessing LSA starting value, pre-stroke mobility limitation, and FES-I may help clinicians identify patients at increased risk of failure to improve LSA.
