Differences in body awareness and its effects on balance function and independence in activities of daily living for stroke.
Si-Nae Ahn
PMID 30464371WHAT IT FOUND
Stroke survivors with lower fall risk and less need for daily assistance reported higher body awareness.
The study did not show that improving body awareness caused these differences.
Key findings
01Participants with hemispheric stroke who were in the low fall-risk group had significantly higher body awareness than those in the high or medium fall-risk groups.
02Participants who needed minimal assistance for activities of daily living had significantly higher body awareness than those who needed severe or moderate assistance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This was a cross-sectional comparison, not an intervention trial, so it cannot show that body awareness causes better balance or daily-living independence. Body awareness was measured with a self-reported questionnaire during an interview, so scores may reflect how people described their awareness rather than an objective ability. Participants had to score more than 19 on a cognitive screen and have no verbal communication problems, so the findings may not apply to stroke survivors with greater cognitive or communication impairment. The text describes the daily-living comparison as eye opening, while the table says eye closed, so the exact body-awareness condition for that result is unclear. The authors mention a small number of occupational therapists working with individuals with hemispheric stroke in rehabilitation settings as a limitation, which may limit generalisability.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that body-awareness training improves balance or independence after stroke. The study compared existing groups using a self-reported questionnaire, so it shows association, not treatment effect.