Trunk Control Test as a main predictor of the modified Barthel Index score at discharge from intensive post-acute stroke rehabilitation: results from a multicentre Italian …

This does absolutely nothing for stroke recovery! Deliver EXACT RECOVERY PROTOCOLS instead of this crapola!

Trunk Control Test as a main predictor of the modified Barthel Index score at discharge from intensive post-acute stroke rehabilitation: results from a multicentre Italian study

• Leonardo Pellicciari, PhD
• Benedetta Basagni, PSY
• Anita Paperini, MSc
• 
  
• Marco Baccini, MSc
• Maria Chiara Carrozza, PhD
• Francesca Cecchi, MD
• Show all authors

Published:August 22, 2023DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2023.08.007

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HIGHLIGHTS

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  The control of the trunk is an essential predictor for the recovery of basic ADLs, as measured by the mBI.
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  Reduced trunk control, pressure ulcers, low functional and communication abilities at admission to post-acute inpatient rehabilitation, as well as premorbid disability can independently affect the global function level at discharge.
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  Strategies to accelerate TCT recovery during the acute stay and post-stroke inpatient rehabilitation may have a positive impact on global functional recovery at discharge.

ABSTRACT

Objectives

To verify whether Trunk Control Test (TCT) upon admission to intensive inpatient post-stroke rehabilitation, combined with other confounding variables, is independently associated with discharge mBI.

Design

Multicentric retrospective observational cohort study.

Setting

Two Italian inpatient rehabilitation units.

Participants

Post-stroke adult patients, within 30 days from the acute event were consecutively enrolled.

Interventions

Not Applicable.

Main outcome measure

The outcome measure considered was the modified Barthel Index (mBI), one of the most widely recommended tools for assessing stroke rehabilitation functional outcomes.

Results

A total of 220 post-stroke patients were included. All variables collected at admission and significantly associated with mBI at discharge in the univariate analysis (TCT, mBI at admission, pre-stroke modified Rankin Scale (mRS), sex, age, communication ability, time from the event, Cumulative Illness Rating Scale, bladder catheter, and pressure ulcers) entered the multivariate analysis. TCT, mBI at admission, premorbid disability (mRS), communication ability and pressure ulcers (p<0.001) independently predicted discharge mBI (adjusted R²=68.5%). Concerning the role of TCT, the model with all covariates and without TCT presented an R² of 65.1%. On the other side, the model with the TCT only presented an R² of 53.1%. Finally, with the inclusion of both TCT and all covariates, the model showed an R² increase up to 68.5%.

Conclusions

TCT, with other features suggesting functional/clinical complexity, collected upon admission to post-acute intensive inpatient stroke rehabilitation, independently predicted discharge mBI.