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Change scores of serum BDNF level
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months)
Up-regulation of neurotrophic and vascular growth factors
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Change scores of Antioxidative marker
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months)
Antioxidative markers will be used to reflect the changes on oxidative stress. In particular, we will be analyzing the total antioxidant capacity (TAC).
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Change scores of Glucose indicator
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months)
HbA1C level will be tested to investigate the relationships between blood glucose level and aerobic exercise
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Change scores of Plasma lipid level
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months)
The cholesterol ratio (total cholesterol divided by high-density lipid) will be evaluated to reflect the lipid level in the blood.
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Change scores of Functional Independence Measure (FIM)
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months), follow-up (up to 9 months)
The FIM assesses the dependence level of individuals with stroke to perform 18 activities (13 motor and five cognitive tasks) in daily living. The score ranges from 18 to 126 and higher scores demonstrate greater independent participation in daily activities.
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Change scores of Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (Lawton IADL)
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months), follow-up (up to 9 months)
The Lawton IADL scale assesses independent living skills, such as shopping or managing finances.
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Change scores of Stroke Impact Scale (SIS)
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months), follow-up (up to 9 months)
The SIS 3.0 will be used to evaluate health-related quality of life for patients with stroke. The SIS assesses eight domains (strength, hand function, ADL/IADL, mobility, communication, emotion, memory and thinking, and participation/role function) with 59 test items.
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Change scores of Caregiver Burden (CB) scale
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months), follow-up (up to 9 months)
CB scale evaluates the burden of the primary caregiver of the participants. Lessening the burden of caregivers after the intervention may significantly improve the quality of life for patients with stroke and their family.
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Change scores of EuroQol (EQ)-5D questionnaire
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months), follow-up (up to 9 months)
The quality of life will be assessed by the EQ-5D questionnaire which comprises the following five dimensions: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression.
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Change scores of Timed up and go test (TUG)
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months), follow-up (up to 9 months)
The TUG assesses the dynamic balance ability and mobility. The participants will be required to stand up from a chair, walk 3 meters, turn around, walk back to the chair, and sit down.
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Change scores of Six-minute walk test (6MWT)
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months), follow-up (up to 9 months)
The 6MWT measures the maximum distance walked over 6 minutes, which assess the endurance and mobility level of the participants. The participants could rest as needed during the course of the test.
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Change scores of Mobility level
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months)
Accelerometers will be used to provide an objective measure of the amount of arm movements in real-life situations. The participants will be asked to wear an Actigraphy activity monitor.
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Change scores of International Physical Activity Questionnaires (IPAQ)
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months), follow-up (up to 9 months)
The IPAQ is an international measure of health-related physical activity.
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Change scores of Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA)
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months), follow-up (up to 9 months)
The UE-FMA subscale will be used to assess the sensorimotor impairment level of UE in patients after stroke. The UE-FMA contains 33 movements with a score range from 0 to 66. A higher UE-FMA score indicates less impairment of the paretic limb. The validity and reliability of FMA is good to excellent.
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Change scores of Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI)
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months), follow-up (up to 9 months)
The RMI evaluates the participant's bed mobility, postural transfers and walking ability. It contains a 15-item scale which includes 14 questions and one direct observation, with a total of score of 15.
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Change scores of muscle strength
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months), follow-up (up to 9 months)
Accelerometers will be used to provide an objective measure of the amount of arm movements in real-life situations. The participants will be asked to wear an Actigraphy activity monitor.
We will evaluate isometric knee flexors and extensors muscle strength using handheld dynamometer. Also, we will use hand dynamometer to measure grip strength of the affected and less affected hand while the participant is seated, with the elbow at 90-degree flexion. We will record the mean value of 3 attempts.
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Change scores of Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ)
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months), follow-up (up to 9 months)
The CIQ measures items relevant to home integration, social integration, and productive activities.
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Change scores of Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months), follow-up (up to 9 months)
The Chinese version of short form GDS will be used.
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Genotyping of the BDNF val66met polymorphism
Time frame: Once during the intervention(an expected average of 3 months)
Up-regulation of neurotrophic and vascular growth factors
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Change scores of Actigraphy
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months)
In addition to MAL, the ActiGraph GX3 accelerometers (ActiGraph, Shalimar, FL, USA) will be used to quantitatively assess the amount of arm use in the participants' home settings.The actigraphy will be placed on bilateral wrist for 3 consecutive days before and after the 1-month intervention. The participants will carry the actigraphy all day except for activities that involve water, such as swimming or bathing. Using the actigraphy, investigators will be able to record and calculate the number of hand movements per minute, and the data will be analyzed with the MAHUFFE software (http://www.mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk/). The actigraphy has often been used to evaluate arm use in patients with stroke.
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Change scores of Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE)
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months), follow-up (up to 9 months)
The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is the most commonly administered psychometric screening assessment of cognitive functioning. The MMSE is used to screen patients for cognitive impairment, track changes in cognitive functioning over time, and often to assess the effects of therapeutic agents on cognitive function. The total score of MMSE ranged from 0 to 30. Higher values represent a better cognitive functioning.
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Change scores of Medical Research Council scale (MRC)
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months), follow-up (up to 9 months)
The MRC is an ordinal scale that assesses muscle strength. The scoring for each muscle ranges from 0 to 5, with a higher score indicates stronger muscle. The reliability of MRC for all muscle groups was good to excellent in patients with stroke.
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Change scores of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale
Time frame: Baseline, posttest (an expected average of 3 months), follow-up (up to 9 months)
The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, or NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is a tool used by healthcare providers to objectively quantify the impairment caused by a stroke. The NIHSS is composed of 11 items, each of which scores a specific ability between a 0 and 4. For each item, a score of 0 typically indicates normal function in that specific ability, while a higher score is indicative of some level of impairment. The individual scores from each item are summed in order to calculate a patient's total NIHSS score. The maximum possible score is 42, with the minimum score being a 0.