Ipsilateral hand impairment predicts long-term outcome in patients with subacute stroke.

Background: Ipsilateral hand (ILH) impairment is documented following motor stroke, but its impact on long-term outcome remains unknown. We assessed ILH impairment in subacute stroke and tested whether ILH impairment predicted long-term outcome.

Methods: We performed a longitudinal study in 209 consecutive patients with unilateral stroke and sensorimotor deficit at admission.