Interaction between locomotion and three subcategories for patients with stroke demonstrating fewer than 37 points on the total functional independence measure upon admission to the recovery ward.
Takashi Kimura
PMID 32884173WHAT IT FOUND
In severe stroke patients, walking ability did not improve all self-care equally.
Greater gains in walking were linked to better dressing and toileting, but not eating or bathing. Therapists should target specific self-care tasks rather than assuming walking training fixes them all.
Key findings
01Locomotion interaction affected the performance of dressing upper body, toileting, and bowel management in patients with stroke who had a total FIM score <37 points at admission.
02There were varying degrees of improvement in self-care despite a uniform improvement in the degree of locomotion.
03Locomotion interaction was not shown in all ADLs.
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
The study only included patients with severe disability (total FIM <37), so the findings may not apply to patients with milder strokes. The data was retrospective, relying on existing medical records rather than controlled experimental conditions. Gender and stroke type were excluded from the analysis, potentially missing other influencing factors.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest, and the research received no specific funding grants.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that gait training improves all self-care activities equally. The study found that locomotion gains only interacted with specific tasks like dressing and toileting, while other activities did not show this linked improvement.