Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 29, 2025
Electroencephalography Network Indices as Biomarkers of Upper Limb Impairment in Chronic Stroke
Published on: July 14, 2023
Impairments of the arm and hand are highly correlated during subacute stroke
Lydia N Reid1, Sean P Dukelow2, Stephen H Scott3
1Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. 15lnr@queensu.ca.
Background:
The classical description of poststroke upper limb impairment follows a proximalto-distal impairment gradient. Previous studies are equivocal on whether the hand is more impaired than the arm.
Objective:
To compare impairment of the arm and hand during subacute stroke.
Method:
A total of 73 individuals were evaluated for impairment of the upper limb within 30 days (early subacute) and within 90-150 days (late subacute) of stroke. Impairments were quantified using the Chedoke-McMaster Stroke Assessment (CMSA) for the arm and hand, Purdue Pegboard task, and a robotic Visually Guided Reaching task.
Results:
In the early phase 42% of participants in the early phase and 59% in the late phase received the same CMSA score for the arm and hand, with 88% and 95% of participants in the early and late phases, respectively, receiving a 1-point difference. Strong correlations exist between the CMSA arm and hand scores (early r = 0.79, late r = 0.75), and moderate - strong correlations exist between CMSA arm and hand scores and Purdue Pegboard and Visually Guided Reaching performances (r = 0.66-0.81). No systematic differences were found between the arm and hand.
Conclusion:
Impairments in the arm and hand during subacute stroke are highly correlated and do not support the presence of a proximal-to-distal gradient.
