Validating stroke-induced bilateral ankle coordination deficits using bilateral ankle measure relationship with motor functions in lower limbs.
Jia-Lan Chang, Hung-Ju Chen, Po-Yin Chen and 7 others
PMID 36932449WHAT IT FOUND
People with chronic stroke showed unstable bilateral ankle coordination on a novel sensor task.
Poorer coordination correlated with slower walking and worse balance, suggesting that assessing and training coordination in both paretic and non-paretic ankles may be relevant to lower-limb function.
Key findings
01Patients with stroke had significantly higher alternating angles (poorer spatial coordination) and shorter alternating times (altered temporal coordination) compared to healthy controls.
02In the stroke group, poorer ankle coordination (higher alternating angle) was significantly correlated with worse performance on the Timed Up and Go test, 10-m walk, Berg Balance Test, and Barthel Index.
03The novel measurement system revealed specific deficits in reciprocal coordination that standard tests like FMA and LEMOCOT do not directly quantify.
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 was cross-sectional and observational, so it cannot prove that poor coordination causes functional deficits or that improving coordination will improve function. Age and sex were not matched between the stroke and healthy groups, which could confound the comparison. The sample size was small (19 stroke patients), and recruitment was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The psychometric properties (reliability and responsiveness) of the novel bilateral ankle coordination measures have not yet been established. The study included only patients with Brunnstrom stage 4 or higher, so findings may not apply to those with more severe motor impairments.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing interests. The study was supported by non-U.S. government funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these correlations as evidence that training bilateral ankle coordination will improve walking or balance. This is an observational study showing an association, not a trial testing an intervention.