Background

Assessment of skilled reaching enables extensive analysis of upper limb function in clinical and preclinical studies on poststroke outcome. However, translational research if often limited by lack of correspondence between tests of human and rodent motor function.

Objectives

To determine (1) the translational value of skilled reaching performance for preclinical research by comparing the behavioral recovery profiles of skilled reaching characteristics between humans and rats recovering from stroke and (2) the relationship between skilled reaching performance and commonly used clinical outcome measures after stroke.

Methods

Twelve patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke and 17 rats with photothrombotic stroke underwent an equivalent skilled reaching test at different time points, representing early to late subacute stages poststroke. Success scores and a movement element rating scale were used to measure the skilled reaching performance. The Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity (FM-UE) assessment and the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) were used as clinical outcome measures.

Results

Both species had muscle flaccidity at the early subacute stage after stroke and showed motor recovery following a proximal-distal principle toward the early subacute stage, albeit for rats within a shorter time course. Human skilled reaching scores and FM-UE and ARAT scores in the first 3 months poststroke were significantly correlated (P < .05).

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that poststroke changes in skilled reaching performance are highly similar between rats and humans and correspond with standard clinical outcome measures. Skilled reaching testing therefore offers an effective and highly translational means for assessment of motor recovery in experimental and clinical stroke settings.

中文翻译：

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中风后运动恢复的临床和临床前研究中熟练达到评估的转化价值

背景

熟练到达的评估可以在中风后结果的临床和临床前研究中对上肢功能进行广泛的分析。然而，转化研究往往受到人类和啮齿动物运动功能测试之间缺乏对应关系的限制。

目标

确定 (1) 通过比较人类和中风康复大鼠之间熟练到达特性的行为恢复特征，确定 (1) 熟练到达性能对临床前研究的转化价值，以及 (2) 熟练到达性能与中风后常用临床结果测量之间的关系.

方法

12 名缺血性或出血性中风患者和 17 只光血栓性中风大鼠在不同时间点接受了等效的熟练到达测试，代表中风后早期到晚期的亚急性阶段。成功分数和运动元素评分量表被用来衡量熟练达到的表现。Fugl-Meyer 上肢 (FM-UE) 评估和行动研究手臂测试 (ARAT) 被用作临床结果测量。

结果

这两个物种在中风后的早期亚急性阶段都有肌肉松弛，并且在早期亚急性阶段按照近端-远端原则显示出运动恢复，尽管大鼠在较短的时间过程中。在卒中后前 3 个月，人类技能达到分数与 FM-UE 和 ARAT 分数显着相关（P < .05）。

结论

我们的研究表明，中风后熟练触球能力的变化在大鼠和人类之间非常相似，并且与标准的临床结果测量相符。因此，熟练的接触测试为在实验和临床中风环境中评估运动恢复提供了一种有效且高度转化的手段。