Functional and cognitive variables predicting successful use of chopsticks or a spoon by the paretic upper extremity in patients following stroke: a cross-sectional study.
BACKGROUND
The factors necessary for successful use of chopsticks or a spoon, by patients with a paretic upper extremity (UE) following stroke are unknown.


OBJECTIVES
We identified the functional capacities and interactions related to chopsticks or spoon use in patients with right hemiplegia following stroke.


METHODS
Participants were 139 stroke patients with right hemiplegia who required rehabilitation, divided into the following three categories: able to use chopsticks, able to use a spoon, or unable to use a spoon. We collected sociodemographic data, medical data, physical and cognitive function data, and functional grades associated with chopsticks or spoon use by the paretic dominant UE while eating. We identified a complex interaction of variables relating to functional use of chopsticks or a spoon using a classification and regression tree analytic process.


RESULTS
Patients with UE Brunnstrom recovery stage (BRS) >IV, and a Hasegawa Dementia Scale - Revised (HDS-R) score >16 had a 91.3% probability of being able to use chopsticks. Moreover, patients with a UE BRS of >IV, and the HDS-R score ≤16 had a 66.7% probability of being able to use a spoon. By contrast, patients with a UE BRS of ≤IV had a 90.5% probability of not being able to use a spoon.


CONCLUSIONS
The interaction of BRS as a measure of UE function and HDS-R score as a measure of cognitive function affect the ability of patients with stroke histories to functionally use the paretic UE to operate chopsticks or a spoon.
['Iokawa|Kazuaki|K|', 'Sone|Toshimasa|T|', 'Fujita|Takaaki|T|', 'Tsukada|Tetsu|T|', 'Kaneda|Mariko|M|', 'Hasegawa|Keiichi|K|']
D000203:Activities of Daily Living D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D003071:Cognition D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies D005260:Female D007839:Functional Laterality D006429:Hemiplegia D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D011597:Psychomotor Performance D012189:Retrospective Studies D020521:Stroke D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation D016896:Treatment Outcome D034941:Upper Extremity D055815:Young Adult
Stroke cognitive function activities of daily living classification and regression tree analysis dominant hand practical hand upper extremity function