Impact of early severity of finger paresis on upper limb motor recovery and functional outcomes in people after stroke: a retrospective cohort study
- 1Faculty of Rehabilitation, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Aichi, Japan
- 2Department of Rehabilitation, Fujita Health University Hospital, Aichi, Japan
- 3Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Aichi, Japan
Abstract
BackgroundUpper-limb hemiparesis is a frequent, disabling post-stroke complication. While initial severity is a dominant predictor of long-term recovery, performing complex motor assessments is often challenging during the unstable, very acute phase.ObjectivesTo evaluate the association between very acute hand-finger paresis severity and subsequent subacute outcomes across multiple domains: motor impairment, motor capacity, and activities of daily living (ADL).MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included post-stroke individuals (N = 473) receiving continuous rehabilitation from acute to subacute phases between 2019 and 2021. Initial hand-finger motor paresis severity was assessed using the Stroke Impairment Assessment Set Finger-Function (SIAS-FF). Outcomes at hospital discharge were evaluated using SIAS-FF, SIAS Knee-Mouth (SIAS-KM) test for proximal function, the Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function (STEF) for motor capacity, and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) selfcare items for ADL. Multivariable regression models (ordinal logistic regression and generalized linear models) adjusting for age and length of hospital stay were implemented to test associations between the acute hand-finger paresis severity and subacute outcomes.ResultsAnalyses included 356 participants (mean age, 66.7 years). Acute finger paresis severity (assessed at 1.7 days post-stroke) was associated with subacute outcomes (at 86.9 days) in multivariable regression models (p < 0.01). Participants with better SIAS-FF scores in the acute phase achieved better discharge outcomes across all measures, including SIAS-FF, SIAS-KM, STEF, and FIM selfcare scores, even after controlling for age and length of hospital stay.ConclusionsSeverity of hand-finger paresis in the very acute phase is significantly associated with global upper-limb recovery. The SIAS-FF is a simple clinical tool that provides useful information for estimating post-stroke functional outcomes.
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BibTeX
@article{uehara2026impact,
title = {{Impact of early severity of finger paresis on upper limb motor recovery and functional outcomes in people after stroke: a retrospective cohort study}},
author = {Shintaro Uehara and Kasumi Nagasaka and Daisuke Matsuura and Hirofumi Maeda and Yohei Otaka},
journal = {Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3389/fresc.2026.1923642},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fresc.2026.1923642},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Impact of early severity of finger paresis on upper limb motor recovery and functional outcomes in people after stroke: a retrospective cohort study
AU - Shintaro Uehara
AU - Kasumi Nagasaka
AU - Daisuke Matsuura
AU - Hirofumi Maeda
AU - Yohei Otaka
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
JO - Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences
DO - 10.3389/fresc.2026.1923642
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fresc.2026.1923642
AB - BackgroundUpper-limb hemiparesis is a frequent, disabling post-stroke complication. While initial severity is a dominant predictor of long-term recovery, performing complex motor assessments is often challenging during the unstable, very acute phase.ObjectivesTo evaluate the association between very acute hand-finger paresis severity and subsequent subacute outcomes across multiple domains: motor impairment, motor capacity, and activities of daily living (ADL).MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included post-stroke individuals (N = 473) receiving continuous rehabilitation from acute to subacute phases between 2019 and 2021. Initial hand-finger motor paresis severity was assessed using the Stroke Impairment Assessment Set Finger-Function (SIAS-FF). Outcomes at hospital discharge were evaluated using SIAS-FF, SIAS Knee-Mouth (SIAS-KM) test for proximal function, the Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function (STEF) for motor capacity, and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) selfcare items for ADL. Multivariable regression models (ordinal logistic regression and generalized linear models) adjusting for age and length of hospital stay were implemented to test associations between the acute hand-finger paresis severity and subacute outcomes.ResultsAnalyses included 356 participants (mean age, 66.7 years). Acute finger paresis severity (assessed at 1.7 days post-stroke) was associated with subacute outcomes (at 86.9 days) in multivariable regression models (p < 0.01). Participants with better SIAS-FF scores in the acute phase achieved better discharge outcomes across all measures, including SIAS-FF, SIAS-KM, STEF, and FIM selfcare scores, even after controlling for age and length of hospital stay.ConclusionsSeverity of hand-finger paresis in the very acute phase is significantly associated with global upper-limb recovery. The SIAS-FF is a simple clinical tool that provides useful information for estimating post-stroke functional outcomes.
SN - 2673-6861
ER -