Is segmental muscle strength recovery different in patients with dominant versus non-dominant hemispheric ischemic stroke?

Abstract Introduction & objectives: Starting from the well-known functional hemispheric asymmetry and concomitantly, from the clinical findings of practitioners involved in the post-stroke rehabilitation process, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether ischemic stroke in the dominant hemisphere results in more severe initial motor deficit and if its motor recovery is decreased compared to that of the non-dominant hemisphere. Material and method: This was a retrospective study, comprising 39 patients with ischemic stroke in the middle cerebral artery territory, divided into two groups depending on the hemispheric location of the lesion (left/right). They were evaluated for their segmental muscle strength using the Medical Research Council Muscle Strength Grading Scale, both in terms of initial value and evolution between two successive admissions. Results and conclusions: No significant difference was found for motor deficit evaluated on the occasion of the first admission between patients with left-side stroke and those with right-side stroke. Motor recovery was more obvious proximally in the paretic limbs, but without statistical significance. Key words: hemispheric dominance, functional laterality, stroke, motor rehabilitation,