Influence of neurorehabilitation on stroke-induced modifications of the quadriceps muscle in elderly subacute stroke patients with paresis.

ABSTRACT

The influence of intensive multifunctional neurorehabilitation on post-stroke changes at the level of the paretic leg quadriceps muscle was examined in elderly subacute stroke patients. We assessed paretic leg muscle mass thickness and muscle fatty infiltration thickness, as well as clinical outcome measures (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, modified Ranking Scale, and Barthel Index) both before and after neurorehabilitation. Improved outcome measures (p ≤ 0.01) and increased muscle mass thickness (p = 0.005) with decreased muscle fatty infiltration thickness (p = 0.005) were observed after neurorehabilitation. No correlations were found between clinical outcome measures and muscle parameters either before or after neurorehabilitation. The findings of this study suggest that neurorehabilitation has a positive influence on global functional recovery and on remodelling of the quadriceps muscle, even in elderly stroke patients, but they do not support the hypothesis that post-stroke muscle changes might have prognostic significance in terms of the severity of neurological deficit and disability, nor do they suggest that these changes can be regarded as a determinant of stroke severity.