Rössler, Roland; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6763-0694, Rommers, Nikki; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0311-5009, Kim, Eun-Kyeong; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7986-8002, Iendra, Laura, Sofios, Alexander, Giannouli, Eleftheria, Portegijs, Erja, Rantanen, Taina, Infanger, Denis, Bridenbaugh, Stephanie; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1318-7428, Engelter, Stefan T, Schmidt-Trucksäss, Arno, Weibel, Robert, Peters, Nils, Hinrichs, Timo; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6200-307X, Rössler, Roland; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6763-0694, Rommers, Nikki; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0311-5009, Kim, Eun-Kyeong; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7986-8002, Iendra, Laura, Sofios, Alexander, Giannouli, Eleftheria, Portegijs, Erja, Rantanen, Taina, Infanger, Denis, Bridenbaugh, Stephanie; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1318-7428, Engelter, Stefan T, Schmidt-Trucksäss, Arno, Weibel, Robert, Peters, Nils, and Hinrichs, Timo; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6200-307X
Background: Stroke is a common cause of mobility limitation, including a reduction in life space. Life space is defined as the spatial extent in which a person moves within a specified period of time. We aimed to analyze patients’ objective and self-reported life space and clinical stroke characteristics. Methods: MOBITEC-Stroke is a prospective observational cohort study addressing poststroke mobility. This cross-sectional analysis refers to 3-month data. Life space was assessed by a portable tracking device (7 consecutive days) and by self-report (Life-Space Assessment; LSA). We analysed the timed up-and-go (TUG) test, stroke severity (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; NIHSS), and the level of functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale; mRS) in relation to participants’ objective (distance- and area-related life-space parameters) and self-reported (LSA) life space by multivariable linear regression analyses, adjusted for age, sex, and residential area. Results: We included 41 patients, mean age 70.7 (SD11.0) years, 29.3% female, NIHSS score 1.76 (SD1.68). We found a positive relationship between TUG performance and maximum distance from home (p = 0.006), convex hull area (i.e. area enclosing all Global Navigation Satellite System [GNSS] fixes, represented as a polygon linking the outermost points; p = 0.009), perimeter of the convex hull area (i.e. total length of the boundary of the convex hull area; p = 0.008), as well as the standard ellipse area (i.e. the two-dimensional ellipse containing approximately 63% of GNSS points; p = 0.023), in multivariable regression analyses. Conclusion: The TUG, an easily applicable bedside test, seems to be a useful indicator for patients’ life space 3 months poststroke and may be a clinically useful measure to document the motor rehabilitative process.