The Muscle Strength in the Unaffected Side of the Stroke Patients

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine factors inducing the deterioration in quadriceps muscle strength of thigh of the unaffected side among the stroke patients Subjects consisted of twelve male stroke patients (average age; 64.3 year-old) and twelve healthy males (average age; 65.9 year-old) as controls. Stroke patients indicated a statistically significant lower muscle strength of thigh of the unaffected side compared with the controls (p<0.05). It was shown that the higher levels of fundamental movement and daily activity the patients has, the slighter the muscle deterioration remains. In addition, prolongation of the period from a stroke resulted in severer deterioration of muscle strength. A longitudinal study on change in quadriceps muscle strength of thigh is needed for further discussion of these reasons.