U-Rate-UE; Measuring Perceived Recovery of the Affected Upper Extremity in Adults Post-stroke

Area of Science:

• Neurorehabilitation
• Clinical Assessment
• Stroke Recovery

Background:

• Assessing upper extremity (UE) recovery post-stroke is crucial for patient outcomes.
• Existing measures may not fully capture patient-perceived recovery.
• The U-Rate-UE scale was developed as a single-item measure for perceived UE recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish the initial validity of the U-Rate-UE scale.
• To evaluate its correlation with objective UE assessments.
• To determine its ability to track recovery longitudinally.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective longitudinal study design.
• Data collected at rehabilitation admission, 6 weeks, and 6 months post-stroke.
• Participants (n=87) completed U-Rate-UE and objective UE assessments (Fugl-Meyer, grip strength, ARAT, BBT).

Main Results:

• U-Rate-UE showed significant changes over time (P<.05).
• Participants achieving minimal detectable change (MDC) on the Box and Block Test (BBT) reported higher U-Rate-UE scores.
• U-Rate-UE demonstrated moderate to strong correlations (rho=.61-.85, P<.001) with other UE assessments.

Conclusions:

• The U-Rate-UE scale is a valid measure of perceived upper extremity recovery in stroke survivors.
• It complements objective assessments for a comprehensive understanding of UE recovery.
• Supports its use in clinical practice for stroke rehabilitation.