title: Lower-limb motor coordination is significantly impaired in ambulatory people with chronic stroke: A cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish the deficits of motor coordination of the lower limbs after stroke, in comparison with healthy controls, and to investigate whether the magnitude of the deficits would be influenced by the levels of motor recovery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chronic stroke patients and healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lower-limb motor coordination of both stroke and healthy volunteers was measured using the Lower Extremity Motor Coordination Test (LEMOCOT). The motor coordination deficits of the participants with stroke were analysed all together and separated, according to their levels of motor recovery, measured using the Fugl-Meyer lower-limb motor section scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-seven individuals with chronic stroke, 55 men, mean age 58 years, were evaluated. Motor coordination was significantly impaired on both paretic (mean: -22 touches; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) -24 to -19; deficit: 61%) and non-paretic (mean -6 touches; 95% CI -8 to -4; deficit: 17%) lower limbs. Significant differences in the LEMOCOT scores were found between the levels of motor recovery (p < 0.01), except between the participants with marked and moderate impairments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Motor coordination of the lower limbs is significantly impaired after stroke, but the deficits of the non-paretic lower limb (17%) appear not to be clinically relevant. These findings suggest that interventions prescribed to improve motor coordination after stroke should focus on the paretic lower limb and/or include bilateral activities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy , Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. keniakiefer@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Kênia K P
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Menezes
authors.forename: Lucas R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: Marina B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.forename: Aline A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Scianni
authors.forename: Christina D C M
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Faria
authors.forename: Patrick R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Avelino
authors.forename: Iza
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Faria-Fortini
authors.forename: Luci F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Teixeira-Salmela
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods*