Predictive Validity Of Brunnstrom Stages Of Recovery Of Hand For Functional Activities Measured By ICF Codes And Sollerman Hand Function Test In Persons With Stroke- A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study

Introduction: The Brunnstrom Recovery Stages (BRS) are widely used to assess motor recovery of the hand; however, evidence regarding their ability to predict functional hand performance remains limited. Linking motor recovery stages with activity-level outcomes aligned with the International Classification of Functioning (ICF) framework and performance-based tests is essential for clinical decision-making. Purpose of the Study: To determine the predictive validity of BRS hand for functional activities measured by ICF hand activity codes and the Sollerman Hand Function Test (SHFT) in patients with stroke. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 48 subacute and chronic stroke patients selected using convenient sampling from a tertiary healthcare center. Hand motor recovery was assessed using Brunnstrom Recovery Stages for hand. Functional hand performance was evaluated using ICF activity qualifiers (d4400–d4403: picking up, grasping, manipulating, releasing) and SHFT. Assessments were performed at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks. Descriptive statistics summarized demographic data. Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients were used to analyze relationships between BRS-hand and functional measures. Results: Strong positive correlations were observed between BRS-hand and SHFT (r = 0.91–0.92). Strong negative correlations were found between BRS-hand and ICF hand activity codes (r = –0.87 to –0.92), reflecting better function with higher BRS stages. Conclusion: Brunnstrom Recovery Stages of hand demonstrate strong predictive validity for functional hand performance measured by ICF activity codes and SHFT. BRS-hand can serve as a simple and clinically useful indicator of functional hand recovery in stroke rehabilitation.