Microprocessor-based ambulatory activity monitoring in stroke patients.
OBJECTIVE
Recovery of ambulatory function after stroke is routinely assessed using standardized subject- or observer-rated instruments that do not directly measure ambulatory activities in the home-community setting. Accuracy of conventional pedometers in stroke patients is not established, limiting their application in mobility outcomes monitoring. This study investigates the accuracy and reliability of a mechanical pedometer versus microprocessor-based step activity monitoring (SAM) in gait-impaired hemiparetic stroke patients.


METHODS
Accuracy and test-retest reliability of ankle-worn SAM and belt-worn pedometer were tested directly against hand tallied stride counts and cadence during a battery of timed walks in 16 chronic hemiparetic stroke patients. Patients performed replicate 1-min floor walks at self-selected and fastest comfortable paces, and two 6-min walks on separate days.


RESULTS
SAM cadence and total stride counts are more accurate than pedometers during 1-min walks at self-selected (99 +/- 1 vs 87 +/- 11.3%, mean +/- SD, P < 0.01); fast pace (98 +/- 2.3% vs 85 +/- 15%, P < 0.01); and repeated 6-min walks performed on separate days (99 +/- 1% vs 89 +/- 12%, P < 0.01). Although SAM is highly reliable (r = 0.97, P < 0.0001) and accurate in all patients under every walking condition tested, the mechanical pedometer demonstrates this high level of accuracy in only half of stroke patients and has poor test-retest reliability (r = 0.64, P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
SAM, but not the conventional pedometer, provides accurate and reliable measures of cadence and total stride counts in hemiparetic stroke patients. Portable microprocessor-based gait monitoring offers potential to quantitatively measure home-community-based ambulatory activity levels in this population.
Macko
Richard F
RF
Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center Geriatrics Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA. richard@grecc.umaryland.edu
Haeuber
Elaina
E
Shaughnessy
Marianne
M
Coleman
Kim L
KL
Boone
David A
DA
Smith
Gerald V
GV
Silver
Kenneth H
KH
D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008838:Microcomputers; D008875:Middle Aged; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation