Gait Measures at Admission to Inpatient Rehabilitation after Ischemic Stroke Predict 3-Month Quality of Life and Function.
Chen Lin, Jungwha Lee, Christopher P Hurt and 4 others
PMID 32388905WHAT IT FOUND
Faster 10-metre walking speed during inpatient stroke rehab was linked with less likely impaired lower-limb quality of life and better function at 3 months.
The 6-minute walk showed a very small link, and neither test was linked with arm or thinking domains.
Key findings
01A 0.31 m/s increase in 10-metre walk speed was linked with 94% lower odds of impaired lower-extremity quality of life and 98% lower odds of poor functional outcome (mRS >2) in adjusted analysis.
02A 109.5 m increase in 6-minute walk distance was linked with 1% lower odds of impaired lower-extremity quality of life and 1% lower odds of poor functional outcome (mRS >2) in adjusted analysis.
03The 10-metre and 6-minute walking tests were not significantly associated with upper-extremity, executive-function, or general-concerns quality-of-life domains.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The sample came from one urban inpatient rehabilitation facility and included only patients who could tolerate rehabilitation and perform walking tests, so it may not represent more severely affected stroke patients. The analysis included 85 patients, which is small for testing multiple quality-of-life domains. The study did not record the dose of therapy, outpatient therapy after discharge, or physical assistance during the walking tests. Patients who could not complete the assessments were excluded, although sensitivity analysis found no significant differences with excluded patients. The design was observational, so it cannot show that walking test performance caused better outcomes or that training gait would improve quality of life. The authors noted that a larger sample might have allowed detection of associations with other domains.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest or other disclosures.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that faster walking during inpatient rehabilitation caused better 3-month quality of life or function. This was an observational study of 85 patients who could already tolerate rehabilitation, and it only showed associations with lower-limb mobility and global function, not arm or thinking domains.