2.4. Outcome Measures
sensory loss, dysarthria, neurological disease, Stroke, stroke, ataxia, upper extremity motor impairment, visual-field loss
STROKE, NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE, STROKE
Stroke severity was recorded using the NIHSS through 15 items on the levels of consciousness, language, neglect, visual-field loss, extraocular movement, motor strength, ataxia, dysarthria, and sensory loss. Items were scored on a 3- to 5-point scale, with a maximum total score of 42 points. According to the NIHSS, stroke severity levels may be stratified as follows: very severe: >25; severe: 15–24; mild to moderately severe: 5–14; mild: 1–5 [The primary outcome for evaluating upper limb recovery was the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), as it values functional recovery of the arm through coordination, dexterity, and upper extremity function. The subject is seated upright in a chair with a firm back and no armrests for the test’s administration [Secondary outcomes were the Fugl-Meyer assessment score (FMA) and the Barthel Index (BI). The FMA is used to assess upper extremity motor impairment. A widely used FMA subscale for the assessment of motor function is the FMA-UE motor score, which assesses voluntary and synergistic movements of the upper extremity through evaluating the upper extremity as a whole, in addition to wrist, hand and coordination/speed. The body function test is scored on a three-point ordinal scale, and item scores are summed to provide a maximum score of 66 [The BI assesses ADL. It includes ten items of ADL, and all items are rated based on the amount of assistance required to complete each activity. The items bathing and grooming are scored 0 or 5; the items feeding, dressing, controlling the bladder, controlling the bowel, getting on and off the toilet, and ascending and descending stairs are scored as 0, 5, or 10. Items for transferring from a wheelchair to the bed and walking on a level surface are scored as 0, 5, 10, or 15. The maximum score is 100, which corresponds to complete independence, and the minimum score is 0, corresponding to total dependence [All outcomes were evaluated at baseline (start of the treatment), after the intervention (immediately after the treatment on day 21), and on the 90th day of rehabilitation treatment by a physiotherapist experienced in the rehabilitation of neurological disease patients who were blinded to group assignment.