Microprocessor-based ambulatory activity monitoring in stroke patients

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
MACKO, R. F., E. HAEUBER, M. SHAUGHNESSY, K. L. COLEMAN, D. A. BOONE, G. V. SMITH, and K. H. SILVER. Microprocessor-based ambulatory activity monitoring in stroke patients. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 34, No. 3, pp. 394–399, 2002. Recovery of ambulatory function after stroke is routinely assessed using standardized subject- or observer-rated instruments that do not directly measure ambulatory activities in the home-community setting. Accuracy of conventional pedometers in stroke patients is not established, limiting their application in mobility outcomes monitoring. This study investigates the accuracy and reliability of a mechanical pedometer versus microprocessor-based step activity monitoring (SAM) in gait-impaired hemiparetic stroke patients. Accuracy and test-retest reliability of ankle-worn SAM and belt-worn pedometer were tested directly against hand tallied stride counts and cadence during a battery of timed walks in 16 chronic hemiparetic stroke patients. Patients performed replicate 1-min floor walks at self-selected and fastest comfortable paces, and two 6-min walks on separate days. SAM cadence and total stride counts are more accurate than pedometers during 1-min walks at self-selected (99 ± 1 vs 87 ± 11.3%, mean ± SD, P P SAM, but not the conventional pedometer, provides accurate and reliable measures of cadence and total stride counts in hemiparetic stroke patients. Portable microprocessor-based gait monitoring offers potential to quantitatively measure home-community-based ambulatory activity levels in this population.