Rehabilitation of the Stroke Hand at Home

The amount of recovery of arm-hand function is measured with the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT). The ARAT assesses activity limitations of the upper extremity. It includes 19 items divided into four subscales: grasp, grip, pinch, and gross movement. Scores range from 0-to-57 with a higher score indicating a better outcome.

The Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) is used to measure the degree of function using timed tasks. The WMFT is a 17-item measure used to assess activity limitations of the upper extremity. It is comprised of 2 strength items and 15 timed task performance items. The task performance items begin with the measurement of simple proximal movements and progress to more complex distal and whole limb movements. The WMFT yields two scores: 1) a functional ability score quantifying quality of performance, and 2) a timed score quantifying speed of performance in seconds. A shorter time is better outcome.

Upper Extremity neurological impairment will be measured using the Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity Test (FMA). The FMA is an impairment-based measure consisting of 33 movements with higher scores indicating increased ability of the patient to move out of synergistic patterns toward more isolated movements. Movement quality of the affected UE is compared to the non-affected UE on 0-2 ordinal scale with 0 indicating no movement at all, 1 indicating partial movement of the affected extremity, and 2 indicating movement equivalent to the non-affected UEs. The score ranges from 0-to-66.

Quality of Life changes are measured with the Stroke Impact Scale questionnaire. The SIS is a self-rated QOL questionnaire that addresses several domains following stroke: physical strength, memory, feelings and emotions, communication, activities of daily living (ADL), mobility, hand use, meaningful activities, and overall percentage recovery from the stroke. We report the Hand Function subscale, which ranges from 0-to-100. A higher score reflects better hand function.