The use of accelerometer bracelets to evaluate arm motor function over a stroke rehabilitation period - an explorative observational study.
Eric Lyckegård Finn, Håkan Carlsson, Petter Ericson and 3 others
PMID 38769565WHAT IT FOUND
Change in wrist movement over stroke rehab did not track change in clinical arm function, although readings matched arm function scores at the start and were still related at the end.
Ten of 18 patients did not change their self-reported arm use.
Key findings
01Affected-arm accelerometer readings correlated with Motor Assessment Scale scores at the start and end of rehabilitation, but change in readings did not correlate with change in Motor Assessment Scale scores.
02Ten of 18 patients had unchanged self-reported amount and quality of affected-arm use, and 11 of 18 had unchanged Motor Assessment Scale scores.
03The paired wrist accelerometers separated patients by side of weakness, and this matched the clinically affected arm.
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
Eighteen analysed patients, from 20 included, were recruited from one rehabilitation clinic, and the study was not based on a preceding power calculation. Two patients did not complete both recordings: one left rehabilitation before the final assessment and one had a bracelet not started. The rehabilitation period averaged 29.6 days and was shorter than expected, which may have limited improvement. Participants generally had severe arm deficits, so the findings may not apply to people with milder stroke. Only the top 10% most active samples from each 24-hour recording were analysed, roughly 2.5 hours, so other daily movement patterns were not captured. The analysis reduced triaxial movement to one magnitude value, which may have removed useful information. Measurements were intermittent at the start and end, not continuous, so day-to-day variability may affect the change scores.
Declared interests
The study was funded by Lund University. The supplied text does not state author conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that increased wrist movement recorded by an accelerometer proves improved arm function after stroke. In this study, change in movement during rehabilitation did not correlate with change in clinical arm function scores, and many patients did not change their scores.