Kênia K.P Menezes , Lucas R. Nascimento, Marina B. Pinheiro, Aline A. Scianni , Christina D.C.M Faria, Patrick R. Avelino , Iza Faria-Fortini , Luci F. Teixeira-Salmela
Department of Physical Therapy , Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
DOI: 10.2340/16501977-2215

Objectives: To establish the deficits of motor coordination of the lower limbs after stroke, in comparison with healthy controls, and to investigate whether the magnitude of the deficits would be influenced by the levels of motor recovery.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Subjects: Chronic stroke patients and healthy subjects.
Methods: Lower-limb motor coordination of both stroke and healthy volunteers was measured using the Lower Extremity Motor Coordination Test (LEMOCOT). The motor coordination deficits of the participants with stroke were analysed all together and separated, according to their levels of motor recovery, measured using the Fugl-Meyer lower-limb motor section scores.
Results: Ninety-seven individuals with chronic stroke, 55 men, mean age 58 years, were evaluated. Motor coordination was significantly impaired on both paretic (mean: –22 touches; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) –24 to –19; deficit: 61%) and non-paretic (mean –6 touches; 95% CI –8 to –4; deficit: 17%) lower limbs. Significant differences in the LEMOCOT scores were found between the levels of motor recovery (p < 0. 01), except between the participants with marked and moderate impairments.
Conclusion: Motor coordination of the lower limbs is significantly impaired after stroke, but the deficits of the non-paretic lower limb (17%) appear not to be clinically relevant. These findings suggest that interventions prescribed to improve motor coordination after stroke should focus on the paretic lower limb and/or include bilateral activities.

People with stroke should practice exercises to improve lower limb motor coordination
Motor coordination is the ability to perform a motor task in an accurate, rapid, and controlled manner. Previous studies have suggested that, after a stroke, individuals experience significant deficits in motor coordination, which limit their daily activities. We used a simple and inexpensive test, named Lower Limb Motor Coordination Test, to quantify the extent of loss of motor coordination of the lower limbs in 97 individuals with stroke, compared with 97 healthy individuals. The results indicated that motor coordination was severely impaired on the affected limb. Conversely, the deficits appeared not to be clinically relevant on the non-affected limb. These findings demonstrate the importance of including exercises aimed at improving motor coordination after stroke, during rehabilitation sessions