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Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Some studies have reported on the influence of proximal (shoulder, elbow, and forearm) and distal (hand and fingers) upper limb function on self-care skills; however, the possibility of a spurious correlation caused by the level of function of the other affected region (proximal or distal) was not eliminated. This study investigated the partial correlations between the proximal or distal function of the affected upper limb with self-care skills after controlling for the effect of the other affected region.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 53 patients with stroke. We examined the relationship between the proximal or distal Fugl–Meyer Assessment- Upper Limb (FMA-UL) score and the total or individual self-care item Functional Independence Measure-Motor (FIM-M) scores before and after controlling the influence of the other region. The Pearson correlation coefficient and partial correlation were used for statistical analysis.

Results: A good-to-excellent correlation was observed between the proximal or distal FMA-UL score and the total or individual self-care item scores. However, after controlling the influence of the other region, significant, but weaker, correlations remained between the proximal FMA-UL and FIM-M grooming scores and between the distal FMA-UL score and FIM-M bathing and dressing the upper and lower body.

Conclusion: The relationship between the proximal or distal motor function of the affected upper limb and self-care skills is influenced by the function of the other affected region.

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