Predicting recovery of dextrous hand function in acute stroke.

Purpose: To determine the clinical characteristics during acute stroke that predicted dextrous function in the paretic hand at 6 months post-stroke.

Method: Fifty-seven patients within 5 days post-stroke were recruited in stroke wards. Recovery of dextrous hand function, indicated by a score of > or =35 of Action Research Arm Test, was assessed weekly in the first 4 weeks then monthly till 6 months post-stroke. The seven predictor candidates evaluated included side and site of brain infarct, stroke severity, cognition, spatial neglect, two-point discrimination (2-PD), muscle tone and muscle strength of the paretic upper extremity (UE).

Results: Site of infarct, stroke severity, 2-PD and UE muscle strength had independent association with dextrous hand function at 6 months post-stroke. Stepwise multiple logistic regressions showed that the best early predictor was 2-PD in week 1 to 3 (Odds ratio [OR] ranged from 0.51-0.83) and UE muscle strength during the first 2 months post-stroke (OR > or = 1.04). The strongest predictor was muscle strength at week 4 post-stroke, followed by combined 2-PD and muscle strength at week 2 post-stroke.

Conclusions: Muscle strength and 2-PD in the paretic UE during the first month post-stroke were the best predictors of dextrous hand function recovery at 6 months.