Serial multi‑time‑point assessments of well‑defined somatosensory domains and their associations with limb spasticity after ischemic stroke

The association between post-stroke somatosensory deficits and limb spasticity has been reported. This study aimed to assess patients at multiple time points to further investigate relationships between well-defined somatosensory domains and the occurrence of limb spasticity following ischemic stroke. Briefly, the study enrolled 514 patients with ischemic stroke.

Post-stroke proprioceptive deficits, pain-temperature deficits, sensory extinction, and stereognosis deficits were evaluated at 10, 20, and 30 days post-discharge. Limb spasticity was assessed using the Modified Ashworth Scale at 30 and 90 days post-discharge; a score ≥ 1 was defined as spasticity. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied to examine relationships between these variables.

The results showed that proprioceptive deficits and pain-temperature deficits at 10, 20, and 30 days post-discharge were associated with limb spasticity and moderate-to-severe limb spasticity (relative to mild spasticity), and an interaction was observed between these two deficits. Only post‑stroke sensory extinction and stereognosis deficits assessed at 10 days post‑discharge were associated with spasticity, but these associations were attenuated to non‑significance upon additional adjustment for admission affected‑limb muscle strength. In conclusion, proprioceptive and pain-temperature deficits at all three time points were associated with limb spasticity after ischemic stroke in this cohort.

These findings guide future stroke‑somatosensory research. Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1 East Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, P. China Jing Jing, Ran Du, Lijun Wen & Yanbo Fang This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and conducted in strict adherence to the Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association, as well as other applicable ethical guidelines and regulations.

All the subjects and their guardians gave their consent to participate in this study and signed a written informed consent form. All the subjects consented to the publication of this study. The authors declare no competing interests.

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