title: Heart Rate Variability Is Associated with Motor Outcome 3-Months after Stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary objective of this paper was to determine whether heart rate variability (HRV) acquired upon admission to inpatient rehabilitation is associated with motor outcome 3 months after stroke. The secondary objective of this paper was to determine whether HRV shows a strong association with the motor outcome 3 months after stroke in individuals with severe initial motor impairments.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 13 patients with acute stroke from an acute inpatient rehabilitation hospital. A Holter monitor was placed upon admission and Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity and Lower Extremity Subscales were used to assess the movement of the affected upper and lower extremities 3 months after admission. The standard deviation of R-R intervals was used to quantify HRV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A Spearman rank correlation revealed a strong positive and significant correlation between HRV upon admission and movement of the affected upper extremity (r = .70, P = .01) and affected lower extremity (r = .60, P = .03) at 3 months. For patients with severe initial motor impairments, HRV showed a strong positive association with the movement of the affected upper (r = .61, P = .04) and lower (r = .70, P = .04) extremities at 3 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HRV is strongly associated with motor outcome after stroke and provides a promising marker to explore the mechanisms associated with motor recovery after stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Electronic address: asethi@pitt.edu.
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sethi
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Clifton W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Callaway
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Ervin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sejdić
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Terhorst
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Elizabeth R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Skidmore
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001132:Arm / Q000503:physiopathology; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D015897:Comorbidity; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007866:Leg / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Heart rate variability; cerebrovascular disease; motor; rehabilitation