Investigation of Postural Control, Fall Risk, Functional Mobility, Manual Dexterity and Cognition of Patients with Hemiplegia

Objective: To examine relationships between postural control, fall risk, functional mobility, manual dexterity, and cognition in patients with hemiplegia and compare patients with right hemiplegia with patients with left hemiplegia. Methods: 51 patients with hemiplegia participated in the study. Manual dexterity, functional mobility, postural control, fall risk, and cognition were measured using the Grooved Pegboard Test, Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke Patients, Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment-1, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment, respectively. Results: No differences were between patients with right hemiplegia and patients with left hemiplegia (p > .05). Manual dexterity on the impaired side was correlated with manual dexterity on the healthy side (rho = .525, p = .025), TUG (rho = .507, p = .028), postural control (rho =-.623, p = .004), but not correlated with cognition and fall risk (p > .05). Manual dexterity on the healthy side was correlated with TUG (rho = .371, p = .008), postural control (rho =-.472, p = < .001), fall risk (rho =-.350, p = .013), and cognition (rho =-.628, p = < .001). Postural control was correlated with TUG (rho =-.868, p = < .001), fall risk (rho = .940, p = < .001), and cognition (rho = .872, p = < .001). TUG was correlated with fall risk (rho =-.756, p = < .001) and cognition (rho =-.452, p = < .001). Fall risk was also correlated with cognition (rho = .855, p = < .001). Conclusion: All should be addressed holistically regardless of which side is impaired in patients with hemiplegia.