Heart Rate Variability (HRV) parameters correlate with motor impairment and aerobic capacity in stroke patients.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the correlation between motor impairment, aerobic capacity and HRV parameters in patients who had recently had an ischemic stroke. DESIGN: Thirty-nine patients, after a first CVA. MEASUREMENTS: motor performance (measured by the Motor Assessment Scale (MAS)), aerobic capacity (measured by Heart Rate (HR) at maximal effort and maximal workload (MWL) at graded stress test), both tested two weeks and three-month post event. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) parameters included time domain (ms) and power spectrum (ms(2)) were tested up to two weeks post event. RESULTS: HRV parameters correlated positively with motor performance and aerobic capacity two weeks (MAS: r(p) = 0.47, p < 0.01, maximal workload: r(p) = 0.26, P < 0.05) and three-month (MAS: r(p) = 0.41, p < 0.01, maximal workload: r(p) = 0.20, not significant) post-stroke. CONCLUSIONS: HRV in the acute phase of stroke have positive connection to motor performance and aerobic capacity two weeks post event, and may have a prognostic value to assess motor ability three-month post the event.