Recovery of patients with a combined motor and proprioception deficit during the first six weeks of post stroke rehabilitation

The objective of this study was to characterize (1) the severity of the proprioception deficit in the affected upper extremity on admission to rehabilitation and (2) the motor and functional recovery during the first six weeks of rehabilitation. Twenty patients who had sustained a hemispheric cerebral vascular accident (CVA) and had a proprioception deficit in addition to a motor deficit of their upper extremity participated in the study. Subjects were assessed for proprioception loss and motor ability of the upper extremity four times (weeks 0, 2, 4, and 6) and for functional ability of the upper extremity and BADL (Basic Activities of Daily Living) on admission and after six weeks. On admission, eight of the patients suffered from a severe deficit, eight patients suffered from a moderate deficit, and four suffered from a mild deficit. By week 6, five patients had improved to the point where no deficit was discerned. Only two patients retained a severe deficit, whereas the remaining 13 patients retained moderate or mild deficits. In addition a significant improvement in the motor and functional ability of the upper extremity was found. Familiarity with these facts should help the clinician to establish more realistic therapeutic goals and to anticipate with greater accuracy the eventual treatment outcome.