Relationship Between Prolonged Sedentary Bout and Functional Recovery in Patients With Subacute Stroke: A Multicenter...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Geriatrics

Background:

• Stroke significantly impacts mobility and daily activities.
• Early rehabilitation is crucial for functional recovery in stroke survivors.
• Prolonged sedentary behavior is a concern in post-stroke recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between daily sedentary bouts of at least 60 minutes and activities of daily living (ADL) recovery in non-ambulatory patients with subacute stroke.
• To determine if this association differs between older and younger stroke patients.

Main Methods:

• Prospective observational cohort study involving 588 non-ambulatory subacute stroke patients in Japanese rehabilitation wards.
• Sedentary bouts (≥60 min) measured by accelerometry during the first week post-admission.
• Motor subscale of the Functional Independence Measure (M-FIM) assessed longitudinally; analyzed using linear mixed-effects models.

Main Results:

• A higher daily count of prolonged sedentary bouts was significantly associated with poorer ADL recovery (β = -1.53, p < 0.001), independent of total sedentary time.
• This association was significant in older adults (≥65 years; β = -1.52, p = 0.002) but not in younger patients.
• The findings highlight the impact of sedentary patterns on functional outcomes in stroke rehabilitation.

Conclusions:

• Frequent, extended sedentary periods in early subacute stroke rehabilitation are independently linked to diminished ADL recovery.
• Older stroke patients appear more susceptible to the negative effects of prolonged sedentary behavior on functional gains.
• Interventions to reduce prolonged sitting could be a simple, cost-effective strategy to enhance stroke recovery.