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Débora Pantuso Monteiro,1 Raquel Rodrigues Britto,2 Ana Clara Ribeiro Lages,3 Marluce Lopes Basílio,3 Monize Cristine de Oliveira Pires,3 Maria Luiza Vieira Carvalho,1 Ricardo Jayme Procópio,4 Danielle Aparecida Gomes Pereira21Rehabilitation Sciences of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte-MG, Brazil; 2Physiotherapy Department of the School of Physical Education, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte-MG, Brazil; 3Private Practice, Belo Horizonte-MG, Brazil; 4Hospital das Clínicas of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte-MG, BrazilIntroduction: The Heel-Rise Test (HRT) is a clinical instrument relevant to vascular rehabilitation that has been proposed to assess the function of the triceps surae muscle. To use HRT in the assessment of individuals with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD), its ability to detect differences in the functional performance of patients with PAOD must be verified.Aim: To verify whether the test is sensitive in differentiating between individuals with PAOD with distinct functional capacities.Materials and methods: A transversal study in which individuals with PAOD were assessed using the HRT, the Walking Impairment Questionnaire (WIQ), and the Shuttle Walk Test. The following variables were analyzed: number of plantar flexions performed in the HRT (time in seconds) and velocity (plantar flexions per second) when performing plantar flexions up to the point of volunteer fatigue, maximum distance walked in the Shuttle Walk Test, and scores obtained in each WIQ domain.Results: Twenty-five individuals (14 male) were included in the study, with a mean age of 63.36 ± 9.83 years. The variables number of plantar flexions and time to perform the HRT were sensitive enough to differentiate between distinct functional capacities in individuals with PAOD (P = 0.003 and P = 0.009, respectively). However, this result was not found for the variable of velocity in the HRT. The number of plantar flexions in the HRT was sensitive enough to differentiate individuals of extreme classes on the WIQ domain, stairs (P = 0.008).Conclusion: The HRT can be applied in clinical practice as a valid assessment of the distinct function capacities of individuals with PAOD.Keywords: peripheral arterial disease, heel-rise test, walking impairment questionnaire, functional capacity, shuttle walk test

Objective: To investigate upper limb (UL) energy demand during unilateral arm crank submaximal exercise testing in individuals with stroke compared with healthy controls and the relationship between UL energy demand and UL activity in individuals with stroke., Design: Cross-sectional, observational study., Setting: Research laboratory., Participants: Individuals with chronic stroke (n=14) and controls (n=12), matched for age, sex, and body mass index (N=26)., Interventions: Not applicable., Main Outcome Measures: UL energy demand was measured as peak oxygen consumption (V̇o 2 )/peak load during unilateral arm crank submaximal exercise testing. UL activity was measured using the Box and Block Test (BBT) and Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT)., Results: The energy demand of the paretic side compared with the nonparetic side of the stroke group was 0.43 mL/kg/min/W (95% confidence interval, 0.03-0.83, P=.005) greater than the dominant compared with the nondominant side of the control group. The median difference between sides in peak V̇o 2 /peak load was 52% for the group with stroke compared with 11% for the control group. Positive correlations between the median percentage difference between the paretic and the nonparetic side of peak V̇o 2 /peak load and BBT were 0.72 (P=.004) and of V̇o 2 /peak load and GPT was 0.77 (P=.002)., Conclusions: The higher energy demand of the paretic UL during unilateral arm crank submaximal exercise testing than the nonparetic and both UL of the controls together with the strong relationship between energy demand and UL activity suggest that the energy demand of the paretic UL has the potential to affect real-life UL activity after stroke., (Copyright © 2021 The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The ABILOCO is a self-reported questionnaire, specific for individuals with stroke, for the assessment of ability of locomotion. The ABILOCO has been investigated using the Rasch model and has shown satisfactory measurement properties. However, its test-retest reliability has not been investigated., Objective: To investigate the test-retest reliability, that is, agreement, systematic and random variability of the ABILOCO Questionnaire in individuals with chronic stroke., Design: A test-retest reliability study., Setting: Research laboratory., Participants: Thirty-one individuals (21 men and 10 women; mean age, 60 years), who had poststroke hemiparesis., Intervention: Not applicable., Main Outcome Measurement: The ABILOCO was applied twice, on two occasions, 5 to 7 days apart. Test-retest reliability was investigated, as follows: agreement by the calculation of intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs); systematic variability by the change in the mean; random variability by the standard error of measurement (SEM) and smallest real difference (SRD)., Results: Two outliers were identified in the sample. The ICC values for the whole sample were 0.76 (CI 95% 0.56 to 0.88), whereas the SEM (SEM%) and SRD (SRD%) were 0.55 (21%) and 1.52 (58%), respectively., Conclusion: The ABILOCO showed to be reliable to be applied within clinical and research contexts for the assessment of changes in locomotion ability of a group of individuals with chronic stroke. However, it appears to be less suitable to detect changes at individual levels., Level of Evidence: III., (© 2018 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.)

Purpose: To determine the potential predictors of participation of individuals with post-stroke hemiparesis, taking into account modifiable variables of impairments, activity limitations, and environmental factors., Methods: One hundred and nine individuals (58 ± 12 years; 64 men) participated in this study. Outcomes included measures of impairments (depressive symptoms: Geriatric Depression Scale and motor-based impairments: finger-to-nose test, lower extremity (LE) motor coordination test, and handgrip strength, isometric strength of the LE muscles), activity (capacity: 10-meter walking speed test and Test d'Évaluation des Membres Supérieurs de Personnes Agées; performance: locomotion and manual abilities; environmental factors (Measure of the Quality of the Environment); and participation: Assessment of Life Habits (LIFE-H 3.1 Brazil))., Results: Regression analyses revealed that the explanatory variables accounted for 59% and 49% of the variance in the LIFE-H 3.1 Brazil daily activity and social role sub-scales, respectively. Locomotion performance (R 2  = 39%; p < 0.0001) and walking speed (R 2  = 32%; p < 0.0001) were the best predictors of the LIFE-H 3.1 Brazil daily activity and social role sub-scales, respectively. Depressive symptoms were the only impairments, which were retained in both models., Conclusions: Performance and capacity-based measures of locomotion showed to be the best predictors of participation. Additionally, depressive symptoms should not be underlooked. Implications for Rehabilitation Activity-related measures of locomotion showed to be the main predictors of participation in individuals with post-stroke hemiparesis, as assessed by the daily activity and social role sub-scales of the LIFE-H 3.1. The daily activity model was best predicted by measures of performance, whereas the social role sub-scale, by measures of capacity. Although small, the impact of depressive symptoms on participation should not be underlooked. Locomotion appeared to be essential for participation and increases in walking speed and locomotion ability should be the main goals for both professionals and individuals, when the aim is to increase participation.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cross-cultural validity of the Brazilian version of the ABILOCO questionnaire for stroke subjects., Materials and Methods: Cross-cultural adaptation of the original English version of the ABILOCO to the Brazilian-Portuguese language followed standardized procedures. The adapted version was administered to 136 stroke subjects and its measurement properties were assessed using Rash analysis. Cross-cultural validity was based on cultural invariance analyses., Results: Goodness-of-fit analysis revealed one misfitting item. The principal component analysis of the residuals showed that the first dimension explained 45% of the variance in locomotion ability; however, the eigenvalue was 1.92. The ABILOCO-Brazil divided the sample into two levels of ability and the items into about seven levels of difficulty. The item-person map showed some ceiling effect. Cultural invariance analyses revealed that although there were differences in the item calibrations between the ABILOCO-original and ABILOCO-Brazil, they did not impact the measures of locomotion ability., Conclusions: The ABILOCO-Brazil demonstrated satisfactory measurement properties to be used within both clinical and research contexts in Brazil, as well cross-cultural validity to be used in international/multicentric studies. However, the presence of ceiling effect suggests that it may not be appropriate for the assessment of individuals with high levels of locomotion ability. Implications for rehabilitation Self-report measures of locomotion ability are clinically important, since they describe the abilities of the individuals within real life contexts. The ABILOCO questionnaire, specific for stroke survivors, demonstrated satisfactory measurement properties, but may not be most appropriate to assess individuals with high levels of locomotion ability The results of the cross-cultural validity showed that the ABILOCO-Original and the ABILOCO-Brazil calibrations may be used interchangeable.

Purpose: To evaluate which measures of physical impairments of both upper extremity (UE) and lower extremity (LE) would predict restrictions in participation with 105 community-dwelling stroke subjects., Methods: For this cross-sectional, exploratory study, participation was assessed by the daily activity and social role domains of the Assessment of Life Habits (LIFE-H). The potential predictors included measures of physical impairments (UE and LE motor recovery, sensation, motor coordination, and strength deficits)., Results: Step-wise multiple linear regression analyses revealed that, for the daily activity domain, LE strength deficits and UE motor recovery explained 28% of the variance in the LIFE-H scores and LE strength deficits alone explained 22% (F = 29.5; p< .0001). For the social role domain, LE strength deficits and sensation explained 22% of the variance in the LIFE-H scores and LE strength deficits alone explained 16% (F = 20.6; p< .0001)., Conclusions: Strength deficits of the LE muscles were the physical impairment variables that best predicted participation in both daily activity and social role domains of the LIFE-H. Although significant, UE motor recovery and LE sensation added little to the explained variance. Future research is needed to determine whether progressive resistance strength training program enhances participation after stroke. Implications for Rehabilitation Residual strength deficits of the LE muscles were the physical impairments that showed to be the main predictors of restrictions in participation, as determined by the daily activity and social role domains of the LIFE-H 3.1. It is possible that stroke individuals would benefit from physical interventions aiming at improving the strength of the LE muscles, when the goal is to enhance participation.

This article aimed to determine the recruitment rate of chronic stroke survivors to cross-sectional studies and to determine their retention at the two days of assessments. Participants after six months of a unilateral stroke were screened for eligibility and invited to participate in two cross-sectional studies, by telephone. The number of people who were screened, eligible, and successfully recruited was recorded. Retention at the two days of assessments was also recorded. From a list of 654 individuals, 87 were ineligible. Of the 567 left, 216 had wrong contact numbers, 144 refused to participate, and 12 had died. A total of 165 subjects participated in both studies. Out of the 56 who agreed to attend to the second day of assessment, eight did not return. The results showed that individuals with chronic stroke had low rates of recruitment and retention.

Restrictions in participation cause serious problems for individuals with chronic disabling conditions. The use of questionnaires to assess participation allows studying the impact of such chronic conditions on functionality, besides potentially improving intervention strategies. The aim of this study was to translate the Assessment of Life Habits (LIFE-H 3.1) into Brazilian Portuguese language and adapt the questionnaire to the Brazilian culture. The cross-cultural adaptation followed standard guidelines and was conducted in five stages: translation, back-translation, summary of the translations, expert committee consultation, and testing the pre-final version. The final version of the LIFE-H 3.1 for use in Brazil showed satisfactory semantic, linguistic, cultural, and conceptual equivalence. Future studies should continue the process of validating the questionnaire.

[Purpose] To evaluate the relationships between residual strength deficits (RSD) of the upper limb muscles and the performance in bimanual activities and to determine which muscular group would best explain the performance in bimanual activities of chronic stroke individuals. [Subjects and Methods] Strength measures of handgrip, wrist extensor, elbow flexor/extensor, and shoulder flexor muscles of 107 subjects were obtained and expressed as RSD. The performance in bimanual activities was assessed by the ABILHAND questionnaire. [Results] The correlations between the RSD of handgrip and wrist extensor muscles with the ABILHAND scores were negative and moderate, whereas those with the elbow flexor/extensor and shoulder flexor muscles were negative and low. Regression analysis showed that the RSD of handgrip and wrist extensor muscles explained 38% of the variance in the ABILHAND scores. Handgrip RSD alone explained 33% of the variance. [Conclusion] The RSD of the upper limb muscles were negatively associated with the performance in bimanual activities and the RSD of handgrip muscles were the most relevant variable. It is possible that stroke subjects would benefit from interventions aiming at improving handgrip strength, when the goal is to increase the performance in bimanual activities.

Objective: To evaluate the cross-cultural validity of the Brazilian version of the ABILHAND for stroke individuals., Subjects: A total of 107 community-dwelling chronic stroke survivors; mean age 58 years., Methods: Cross-cultural adaptation of the ABILHAND followed standardized procedures. Measurement properties of the adapted version were analysed using Rasch analysis. Cross-cultural validity was based on cultural invariance analyses., Results: The ABILHAND-Brazil demonstrated satisfactory performance as a rating scale. Only one item exhibited misfit to the Rasch model expectations. Principal component analysis of the residuals showed that the manual ability of the individuals encompassed different contents related to the degree of the paretic upper limb involvement in performing manual activities. Some minor local dependency was identified in 2 pairs of items (residual correlations > 0.3). Furthermore, the adapted version exhibited high levels of reliability, no floor effects, and minimal ceiling effect. Analyses of cultural invariance showed that the ABILHAND-Original and ABILHAND-Brazil calibrations can be used interchangeably., Conclusion: The ABILHAND specific for stroke individuals demonstrated satisfactory measurement properties for use within both clinical and research contexts in Brazil, and cross-cultural validity for use in international/multicentric studies between Brazil, Belgium, and Italy.