Estimation of Upper Limb Motor Function and Its Use in Activities of Daily Living Based on the Performance Time Required for the Cylinder Transfer Task in Patients with Post-Stroke Mild Hemiparesis: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objective: Evaluating the upper limb function of the paretic and non-paretic sides of patients post-stroke is important for predicting the efficient use of the upper limbs in activities of daily living. Although there are evaluation methods that can quantify bilateral upper limb function, they are insufficient for understanding the motor characteristics of individual patients. In this study, we aimed to quantitatively evaluate bilateral upper limb function from the performance time of the cylinder transfer task of The Southampton Hand Assessment Procedure and to estimate the use status of the paralyzed upper limb. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 88 participants with hemiparesis post-stroke. Performance time in the three phases of the cylinder transfer task and the total performance time of these phases were measured. Moreover, existing upper limb function assessments were made. Results: The total performance time of the paralyzed side showed a significant correlation with the existing upper limb function assessments. A regression model was calculated to estimate the score of the existing upper limb function assessment from the performance time of each phase. Conclusions: This new evaluation method is a useful tool for monitoring the recovery of motor paralysis in patients post-stroke. It is our hope that clinicians will use these objective performance data to provide more effective rehabilitation treatment for patients recovering from stroke.