The Effect of Lower Limb Sensory Impairment on the Recovery Time of Independent Walking in Hemiplegic Stroke Patients

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine whether sensory impairment combined with stroke hemiplegia prolongs the recovery time of independent walking. [Participants and Methods] Twenty-one patients with first-ever stroke and hemiplegia who were not ambulatory on admission and had mild motor paralysis (>9 on the 12-point Hemiplegia Recovery Grade scale) were included in this study. The correlations between the scores on the Stroke Impairment Assessment Set’s tactile and positional tests and time to gait independence were determined. [Results] Significant negative correlations were found between the recovery time of independent walking and tactile sensation (r＝－0.51), and positional test scores (r＝－0.48). [Conclusion] In stroke hemiplegia with mild motor paralysis, the more severe the tactile and positional deficits, the longer it took to regain walking independence.