Lower Limb Motor Coordination of Stroke Survivors, Based Upon Their Levels of Motor Recovery and Ages

Abstract

Objective: To describe the motor coordination (MC) of the paretic lower limb of stroke survivors based upon their levels of motor recovery and ages and to compare their LEMOCOT scores with those predicted for healthy subjects of similar ages and genders. Methods: MC was assessed by the Lower Extremity Motor Coordination Test (LEMOCOT). The participants were divided, according to their ages and levels of motor recovery, based upon the Fugl-Meyer (FM) lower limb section scores (mild impairments: FM ≥ 23 and severe impairments: FM <23). To compare the LEMOCOT scores of the paretic lower limb with those predicted for healthy subjects, the predicted equations for the non-dominant lower limb of healthy subjects of similar ages and genders were employed. Results/Discussion: Age did not influence the LEMOCOT scores, but the subjects with severe motor impairments always showed lower scores, when compared to those with mild impairments, regardless of their ages. The subjects with mild motor impairments reached 75%, while those with severe motor impairments reached only 20% of the predicted scores for healthy subjects. Conclusions: The findings suggested that the subjects with mild motor impairments had better MC, than those with severe impairments, regardless of their ages. Furthermore, the subjects with mild motor impairments reached 75%, whereas those with severe impairments reached only 20% of the predicted scores for healthy subjects