title: Exploring expectations for upper-extremity motor treatment in people after stroke: a secondary analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We explored expectations for outcomes during a research intervention for people with stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve people with chronic stroke participated in this secondary analysis from a pilot trial of a high-repetition, task-specific, upper-extremity intervention. First, we examined relationships between individual expectancy and session-by-session achievement of high numbers of repetitions. Second, we examined the relationship between expectancy for the intervention as a whole and improvements in upper-extremity motor function. We used Spearman rank-order correlation coefficients to evaluate the relationships.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Correlations between individual expectancy and session-by-session achievement ranged from 0 to .84. Expectancy for improvement from the intervention was good (average = 7 of 10) but had a low correlation (.17) with actual improvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individual expectancy ratings were inconsistently related to session-by-session achievement. Expectancy for the invention as a whole was not related to improvement in upper-extremity motor function.
authors.affiliation: Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Eliza M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Prager
authors.forename: Rebecca L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Birkenmeier
authors.forename: Catherine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Lang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology*