Robot-aided neurorehabilitation in sub-acute and chronic stroke: does spontaneous recovery have a limited impact on outcome?
Spontaneous recovery seems to have a limited impact on the improvement of sub-acute patients, most of their changes being likely due to re-learning during rehabilitation. In addition, a longer recovery time was required to maximize outcome in sub-acute than in chronic patients.
Plantarflexor muscle-tendon properties were associated with mobility in older adults independent of lower extremity lean mass, leg extension strength, or power. Plantarflexion strength was a stronger predictor of mobility than leg extension strength or power. The novel finding of this study was that muscle architecture and tendon properties explained interindividual differences in mobility. This study highlights the importance of the plantarflexors for mobility in older adults and provides understanding of possible mechanisms of age-related decline in mobility.