Kênia K.P Menezes , Lucas R. Nascimento, Marina B. Pinheiro, Aline A. Scianni , Christina D.C.M Faria, Patrick R. Avelino , Iza Faria-Fortini , Luci F. Teixeira-Salmela
Department of Physical Therapy , Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.

DOI: 10.2340/16501977-2215

People with stroke should practice exercises to improve lower limb motor coordination

Motor coordination is the ability to perform a motor task in an accurate, rapid, and controlled manner. Previous studies have suggested that, after a stroke, individuals experience significant deficits in motor coordination, which limit their daily activities. We used a simple and inexpensive test, named Lower Limb Motor Coordination Test, to quantify the extent of loss of motor coordination of the lower limbs in 97 individuals with stroke, compared with 97 healthy individuals. The results indicated that motor coordination was severely impaired on the affected limb. Conversely, the deficits appeared not to be clinically relevant on the non-affected limb. These findings demonstrate the importance of including exercises aimed at improving motor coordination after stroke, during rehabilitation sessions