A high number of patient with stroke develops spasticity of the upper extremity, this
clinical sign of damage of 1 motoneuro (MN), causes postures and patterns of abnormal
movement, due to the hyperexcitability of the MN and the rheological alterations that occur
in the affected muscles. These alterations limit the use of upper extremity, restricting its
use in functional activities and affecting the quality of life and social participation of
the users. During the last few years the classification of the Hefter patterns for spasticity
of the upper limb was created, with the end of having a common language and orienting the
current therapeutic strategies oriented towards the arm.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of patterns and their impact on the quality of life of
patients after a stroke.
Material and method: Descriptive design of cross section, the sample will be composed of 600
people who attend integral rehabilitation center of regions V, VIII, IX and X in Chile, that
meet the inclusion criteria and sign the informed consent. The study will include a
measurement made by a trained professional from each participating center using a
registration form, the FIM scale and the Barthel index, to assess quality of life.
Results: It will be analyzed with the SPSS software through descriptive and inferential
statistics considering the nature of the variables, all the analyzes will consider as
statistically significant the results with p values less than or equal to 0.05. Depending on
the interval or ordinal level of the measurements, the coefficients r of Pearson and rho of
Spearman will be used to calculate the correlations.
Applicability: The results will determine the prevalence in this geographical sector,
disseminate this classification and promote the use of a common language among professionals
to enhance their daily work. In addition, it will allow to determine how the affectation of
the upper extremity through the identification of a certain pattern alters the quality of
life of the patient. This new information can be a fundamental input in the generation of
future studies that seek to guide in relation to the use of therapeutic strategies in these
people.
