Motor Recovery, Tonus of the Plantar Flexor Muscles, and Age are Predictors of the Lower Limb Motor Coordination in Stroke Survivors

Abstract

Motor coordination (MC) or dexterity refers to the ability to perform a motor task in an accurate, rapid, and controlled manner. Adequate coordination of the lower limbs is important for the performance of activities of daily living and for an independent life and in stroke individuals, MC impairments contribute significantly to disability. The Lower Extremity Motor Coordination Test (LEMOCOT) was developed to assess the motor coordination of the lower limbs and is a simple test with good clinical utility, adequate psychometric properties, and has been considered one of the best to assess lower limb MC. Many factors may predict MC, such as age, gender, body mass index, and muscular strength, but these factors may depend upon the characteristics of the investigated sample. Menezes et al. investigated the potential predictors of the lower limb MC, assessed by the LEMOCOT scores, in stroke survivors, and found that motor recovery, tonus of the plantar flexor muscles, and age reached significance (p<0.05), explaining 54% of the variance in the LEMOCOT scores. These findings could help rehabilitation professionals to evaluate MC deficits and plan interventions aimed at improving MC of the lower limbs for stroke subjects, based upon the knowledge of the possible factors that could contribute to MC impairments.