Impaired ability to shift weight onto the non-paretic leg in right-cortical brain-damaged patients |
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Authors: | Fumiyasu Ishii Noriyuki Matsukawa Mitsuya Horiba Takehiko Yamanaka Manabu Hattori Ikuo Wada Kosei Ojika |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Neurology, Nagoya City University Medical School, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan;2. Division of Rehabilitation Medicine, Nagoya City University Medical School, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan;3. Department of Information Technology for Human Welfare, Nihon Fukushi University, Toumi-cho, Handa 475-0012, Japan |
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Abstract: | Background: Stroke patients experience postural instability that can impede functional improvements in their gait. However, the precise functions of the dominant and non-dominant hemispheres in controlling static standing posture and weight-bearing remain unclear.Objective: To investigate differences in balancing ability between right-handed patients with right and left hemispheric lesions.Methods: Weight shifting was quantitatively evaluated to determine the ability of patients to control their balance in a static posture and during conscious weight shifting onto the paretic or non-paretic leg. Participants were enrolled from a consecutive series of stroke patients attending a rehabilitation program (n = 49; 31 male, 18 female; mean age 69.3 ± 9.4 years). Age-matched normal controls were recruited as volunteers (n = 12; 4 male, 8 female; mean age 67.9 ± 4.9 years).Results: Patients with cortical lesions in the right hemisphere were able to shift less weight onto the non-paretic leg than patients with cortical lesions in the left hemisphere (p < 0.05). There were no correlations between the existence of unilateral spatial neglect and the percentage of weight shifted onto the non-paretic leg, static standing posture (r = 0.27, p = 0.40) or dynamic standing posture (r = −0.37, p = 0.24). In contrast, there was a significant correlation between the percentage of weight consciously shifted onto the non-paretic leg and the existence of anosognosia (r = 0.74, p = 0.006), but not between static standing posture and anosognosia (r = −0.15, p = 0.63).Conclusion: Patients with right cortical hemispheric lesions were able to shift less body weight onto their non-paretic leg. These patients should be encouraged to practice shifting their weight towards their non-paretic leg to improve their balance. |
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Keywords: | LI left hemispheric infarction in territory of middle cerebral artery RI right hemispheric infarction in territory of middle cerebral artery LCI left hemispheric infarction in territory of middle cerebral cortical artery RCI right hemispheric infarction in territory of middle cerebral cortical artery LPI left hemispheric infarction in territory of middle cerebral perforating artery RPI right hemispheric infarction in territory of middle cerebral perforating artery NR normal control subjects through right leg NL normal control subjects through left leg 10s 20s and 60s 10 20 and 60 s after starting to keep static position |
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