Abstract:

Objective To evaluate peripheral nerve injury in convalescent patients with peripheral paralysis after stroke, and explore the correlation between injured nerve and upper limb motor function.Methods From December, 2015 to October, 2019, 77 stroke patients were examined motor nerve conduction, F wave, skin sympathetic response (SSR) and electromyography (EMG) on the affected side upper limbs. They were divided into the normal group and the injured group, according to motor nerve conduction. They were assessed with simplified Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremities (FMA-UE), and the correlation between the neuroelectrophysiological parameters and FMA-UE score was analyzed.Results There were 41 patients (53.25%) with peripheral nerve injury (injured group). FMA-UE score was less in the injured group than in the normal group (t = 2.193, P < 0.05), with lower amplitude and occurrence rate of F wave ( t > 2.002, P < 0.05), and lower amplitude and shorter latency of SSR ( t > 3.140, P < 0.01), although the occurrence rate of F wave and latency of SSR was in the reference range. There was correlation between numbers of injured nerves and FMA-UE score ( r= -0.858, P < 0.001). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the amplitudes of ulnar, radial and musculocutaneous nerves affected the FMA-UE score (B > 0.317, P < 0.05). Conclusion There may be peripheral nerves injury for patients with upper limb peripheral paralysis after stroke, which may impair the outcome of motor recovery, and need to be avoided and treated.

Key words: stroke, convalescence, peripheral paralysis, motor function, upper limb, peripheral nerves, neuroelectrophysiology