title: Prediction of functional outcomes in stroke patients: the role of motor patterns according to limb synergies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To address the relationships among motor patterns evaluated according to the limb synergies and functional outcomes in stroke patients and clarify which motor pattern was the most important predictor of functional outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted on 208 patients with primary diagnosis of stroke admitted for in-hospital rehabilitation. At entry, the Fugl-Meyer Scale was administered to assess motor function according to limb synergies. Pearson's correlation was used to assess the relationship between variables, and backward stepwise regression analysis was used to identify the outcome determinants. Final functional independence measure (FIM) scores and length of in-hospital stay were the outcome measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of rehabilitation, motor-FIM scores of patients with extensor and flexor synergies, mixing synergies, and no dependence from the synergies were higher than those of no movements and flexor synergy. Multivariate regression analysis showed that extensor synergy of upper limb was an independent predictor of final motor-FIM, personal care and mobility, extensor synergy of lower limb of locomotion, while mixing synergies of upper limb was an independent predictor of length of in-hospital stay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In stroke rehabilitation, the patients' motor patterns according to the synergies strongly relate with functional outcomes and are important outcome predictors.
authors.affiliation: Operative Unit for Recovery and Functional Rehabilitation, Scientific Institute of Lumezzane, "Salvatore Maugeri" Foundation, IRCCS, Via G. Mazzini 129, 25065, Lumezzane, BS, Italy. bernardo.gialanella@fsm.it.
authors.forename: Bernardo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gialanella
authors.affiliation: Operative Unit for Recovery and Functional Rehabilitation, Scientific Institute of Lumezzane, "Salvatore Maugeri" Foundation, IRCCS, Via G. Mazzini 129, 25065, Lumezzane, BS, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Santoro
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D005121:Extremities / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Activities of daily living; Fugl-meyer; Functional independence measure; Rehabilitation