Rest-Activity Rhythm Differences in Acute Rehabilitation Between Poststroke Patients and Non-Brain Disease Controls:...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Sleep Medicine
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Circadian rhythm disruptions are prevalent in poststroke patients undergoing rehabilitation.
• These disruptions can negatively impact functional recovery and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify unique circadian rhythm patterns in poststroke rehabilitation patients.
• To compare rest-activity rhythm indicators between stroke patients and non-brain-injured controls (e.g., spinal cord injury).

Main Methods:

• Utilized wearable actigraphy for 7-day rest-activity monitoring in 25 stroke patients and 25 controls.
• Calculated nonparametric rest-activity rhythm indicators: relative amplitude, interdaily stability, and intradaily variability.
• Correlated rhythm indicators with delirium (4 A's Test) and functional status (Barthel Index).

Main Results:

• Stroke patients exhibited significantly lower relative amplitude (P=.009) and higher least active 5-hour values (P=.008) compared to controls.
• A negative correlation was found between stroke patients' 4 A's Test scores and relative amplitude (ρ=-0.41, P=.045).
• Across all participants, the Barthel Index positively correlated with interdaily stability (ρ=0.34, P=.02) and the most active 10-hour value (ρ=0.42, P=.002).

Conclusions:

• Circadian rhythm disruptions are significant in poststroke rehabilitation.
• Rest-activity rhythm indicators show potential as digital biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis in stroke recovery.