Abstract
Purpose: A person with post-stroke lateropulsion pushes their body toward their hemiparetic side and/or resists accepting weight onto their nonparetic side. Research findings regarding long-term persistence of lateropulsion and its association with function are lacking. This study reports associations between lateropulsion severity (Four Point Pusher Score - 4PPS) and functional outcome (Functional Independence Measure - FIM) at three months after discharge. Methods: This prospective cohort study included 41 consecutive admissions to a stroke rehabilitation unit. Lateropulsion severity and FIM were measured at admission, discharge and three-month follow-up. Lateropulsion status at discharge, stroke laterality, ongoing physiotherapy after discharge, and demographic variables (age and sex) were tested for association with FIM change over the follow-up period. Results: Complete data were available for 38 participants. Among these, 17 (44.7%) showed lateropulsion (4PPS >= 1) on admission, 9 (23.7%) showed persistent lateropulsion on discharge, and 7 (18.4%) showed persistent lateropulsion at three month follow-up. Improved functional status (FIM score) was seen at follow-up in those discharged with lateropulsion who had right-sided lesions but not in those with left-sided lesions. Conclusions: Lateropulsion can continue to resolve after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. Larger cohort studies are needed to further explore associations between persistent lateropulsion and long-term outcomes.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 264-268 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Physiotherapy Canada |
Volume | 75 |
Issue number | 3 |
Early online date | 7 Apr 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Aug 2023 |
Externally published | Yes |