Relationship of Motor Abilities to Activities of Daily Living in Post-Stroke Hemiplegia Patients

Abstract

The present study examined the relation between motor abilities and activities of daily living. The motor performance test was measured once a week for 6 months after starting gait training in 15 post-stroke hemiplegia patients. The test consisted of measurement of grip strength, knee extension strength, walking at maximum speed, activities of daily living (Barthel Index: BI). The results indicated that there was no significant improvement in any score. Relations among walking at maximum speed, grip strength of each side, knee extension strength of the affected side and BI were examined at the start and 6 months after gait training (p<0.001). The determinant of walking at maximum speed was grip strength of the affected side at 6 months after gait training. The determinants of BI were height and grip strength of the non-affected side at the start of gait training.