Objective
To examine the association between observer-assessed functional status and perceived recovery in the late phase after stroke. The study also aimed to determine whether observer-assessed functional improvements as a result of horse-riding therapy (H-RT) are related to enhanced perception of stroke recovery.
Methods
This is a descriptive correlational study using data derived from a three-armed randomized controlled trial in which 123 individuals were enrolled, among whom 43 received H-RT for 12 weeks. The measures included the Modified Motor Assessment Scale, Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go, timed 10-m walk, and perceived recovery from stroke indicated by item #9 in the Stroke Impact Scale (version 2.0). Spearman rank order correlation (r_s) was used in the analyses.
Results
There were moderate to strong positive or negative correlations between all four observer-assessed motor variables and participants’ ratings of perceived late-phase stroke recovery at trial entrance, ranging from r_s=-0.49 to r_s=0.54 (p<0.001). The results of the correlational analyses of variable changes showed that, after the end of the H-RT intervention, both self-selected and fast gait speed improvement were significantly correlated with increments in self-rated stroke recovery (r_s=-0.41, p=0.01 and r_s=-0.38, p=0.02, respectively).
Conclusion
This study provided data supporting the association between individual ratings of self-perceived recovery after stroke and observer-assessed individual motor function. The results further demonstrate that enhancement in perceived stroke recovery after completing the intervention was associated with objectively measured gains in both self-selected and fast gait speed.

Citations

• Knowledge, attitude, practice and illness perception toward subarachnoid hemorrhage prevention and management among intracranial aneurysm patients
  Suiling Liu, Ping Zhang, Yeqing Wu, Dan Huang, Mengqiang Yu, Mingming Zhang
  Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery.2024; 242: 108347.     CrossRef
• Enhanced Gait Recovery in Chronic Post-COVID-19 Stroke: The Role of Combined Physical Rehabilitation
  Hunor Pál Fodor, Hunor Dávid, Attila Czont, Ildikó Miklóssy, Kálmán-Csongor Orbán, Gyöngyi Tar, Abony Fodor, Zita Kovács, Beáta Albert, Pál Salamon
  Reports.2023; 6(4): 51.     CrossRef
• The effect of animal-assisted interventions on the course of neurological diseases: a systematic review
  Veronika Mittly, Cecilia Farkas-Kirov, Ágnes Zana, Kata Szabó, Veronika Ónodi-Szabó, György Purebl
  Systematic Reviews.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Analysis of Clinical Effects of Comprehensive Nursing Based on Enhanced Recovery after Surgery in Patients with Embolization for Intracranial Aneurysms
  Jing Liu, Kunxian Zhang, Bei Wang, Qin Hu, Qing Zhang, Lei Wan, Xianpu Wang, Wenping Xiong, Min Tang
  Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine.2022; 2022: 1.     CrossRef
• Influence of Evidence-Based Nursing on Psychological Status, Neurological Function, and Life Quality of Patients with Acute Poststroke Depression
  Yan Song, Fei Wang, Yakun Yang, Xing Liu, Chenghong Zhu, Zhongjie Shi
  Disease Markers.2022; 2022: 1.     CrossRef