Postural control and fall risk in patients with acute thrombolised stroke

Abstract

Introduction. Patients with thrombilized acute stroke, admitted to a stroke unit, tend to have deficits in postural control (PC) that impact on functional mobility (FM) and increase the risk of falls (RF). Goals. Check the association between PC and FM and identify the main domains and tasks of the PC that impact on independent mobility. Methods. Cross-sectional study, carried out with 34 consecutive patients, with independent walking. PC and FM were measured by the PASS and TUG instruments, respectively, and prevented by the Pearson correlation test. PASS, the posture maintenance (MAP) and posture change (MUP) domains, and PASS tasks were compared to the TUG using the ANOVA and chi-square tests, respectively, and the RF was assessed by the TUG. The data were The data were analyzed using the SPSS 17.0 program, α ≥ 0.05 and 80% power. Results. Moderate negative Pearson correlation for PASS and TUG (r=-0.576; p=0.000), weak for MAP and TUG (r=-0.448; p=0.049) and moderate for MUP and TUG (r=-0.641; p=0.006). The tasks that most impacted FM were standing on the non-hemiparetic leg (r=-0.674; p=0.000) and standing on the non-hemiparetic leg (r=-0.631; p=0.000). The tasks seated without support (p=0.055) and supine for the affected side (p=0.058) were not statistically significant. Patients presented moderate to high RF. Conclusion. PC impacts on FM in patients with preserved and compromised mobility, with greater implication of static PC and greater impairment in unipodal condition and greater RF in these patients.