Article

We examined whether cognitive impairments or depressive symptoms
impeded improvement in upper limb function in a clinical repetitive task practice
program. DESIGN: Participants had mild to moderate upper limb impairment after
stroke (n = 20). We characterized baseline cognitive function and depressive
symptoms using the Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Status and the
Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. We measured upper limb function at
baseline, week 4, and week 24 using the Action Research Arm Test. RESULTS:
Participants with and without cognitive impairments improved significantly over
time (F(1,17) = 84.48, P < 0.001) regardless of cognitive status (t(31) = 1.42, P
= 0.16) or time since stroke (t(17) = 0.07, P = 0.95). Participants with and
without depressive symptoms improved significantly over time (F(1,18) = 86.29, P
< 0.001), but participants with depressive symptoms demonstrated greater
improvement than did participants with no depressive symptoms (t(31) = 3.19, P =
0.003), regardless of time since stroke (t(17) = 0.06, P = 0.95). CONCLUSIONS:
Preliminary findings suggest that cognitive impairments and depressive symptoms
may not impede benefit from repetitive task practice after stroke.

Langue : ANGLAIS