Actigraphy – A Useful Tool for Motor Activity Monitoring in Stroke Patients

AIM: The aim of the present study was the evaluation of actigraphy as a tool to objectify the recovery process after motor paresis due to stroke. METHODS: The motor activity of both arms of patients suffering from stroke was actigraphically recorded at four different time points during the course of rehabilitation: 24-36 h, 5-7 days, 3 months, and 6 months after stroke. RESULTS: Motor activity monitored by wrist-worn actigraphs located at the impaired side revealed an increase in activity between the first two time points and the subsequent ones. Additionally, actigraphic recordings showed lower total motor activity at the impaired side as compared to the nonimpaired side. A significant positive correlation was found between the actigraphically recorded motor activity and the results of the Scandinavian Stroke scale, the Barthel Index, the Rankin Scale Score and with the Motoricity Index during the 1st week, which corresponds to the time when neurological deficits were most pronounced. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that actigraphy is a useful tool in the objective evaluation of motor activity after stroke. Moreover, actigraphy covers additional aspects that are not reflected by the usual stroke scales in a clinical situation.