Characterization of the Structural and Mechanical Changes of the Biceps Brachii and Gastrocnemius Muscles in the Subacute and Chronic Stage after Stroke

The objective of this study was to characterize the changes of muscle tone, stiffness, and thickness of upper and lower limb muscles in stroke survivors. Forty patients with subacute or chronic stroke and 31 controls were included and measured using myotonometry (MyotonPRO), with multiple site asses...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2023-01, Vol.20 (2), p.1405
Main Authors: García-Bernal, María Isabel, González-García, Paula, Madeleine, Pascal, Casuso-Holgado, María Jesús, Heredia-Rizo, Alberto Marcos
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arm
Humans
Mechanical properties
Motor task performance
Muscle, Skeletal - diagnostic imaging
Muscles
Software
Spasticity
Stiffness
Stroke
Stroke - diagnostic imaging
Stroke Rehabilitation
Structural analysis
Thickness
Ultrasonic imaging
Ultrasonography
Upper Extremity
Variance analysis
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Summary:The objective of this study was to characterize the changes of muscle tone, stiffness, and thickness of upper and lower limb muscles in stroke survivors. Forty patients with subacute or chronic stroke and 31 controls were included and measured using myotonometry (MyotonPRO), with multiple site assessments at muscle belly (MB) and musculotendinous (MT) locations of the biceps brachii and gastrocnemius muscles. Muscle thickness (ultrasonography) was obtained for each muscle. Upper and lower limb motor performance was evaluated with the Fugl−Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity and the Functional Ambulance Category. Overall, muscle tone and stiffness were significantly higher at MT than at MB sites. Among stroke patients, differences between the paretic and nonparetic limb were found for the biceps brachii, with lower muscle tone, stiffness, and thickness of the paretic side (all, p < 0.05). There were weak to moderate correlations between mechanical (myotonometry) and structural (ultrasound) muscular changes, regardless of the post-stroke stage. This suggests that myotonometry and ultrasonography assess similar, although different, constructs and can be combined in the clinical setting. Their discriminative ability between the paretic and nonparetic sides and between participants with and without stroke differs depending on the muscle, the functional level, and the stroke stage.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph20021405