NCT07357181

Influence of Handedness on Upper Limb Recovery

Impact of Manual Preference on Motor Deficits After Stroke

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 500 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Centre Hospitalier Régional d'Orléans · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This prospective, single-center observational study evaluates whether handedness is associated with upper-limb motor recovery after a recent unilateral stroke. Adults admitted to the stroke unit with a confirmed unilateral stroke within 5 days are included if they do not object to participation. Upper-limb impairment is assessed early after stroke and at 6 months using standardized clinical scales. Handedness is determined by self-report, and the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory is administered when feasible. The main hypothesis is that left-handed participants may show better upper-limb motor recovery at 6 months than right-handed participants, potentially due to differences in brain motor network lateralization.

Detailed description

Participants hospitalized in the stroke unit with a confirmed unilateral stroke are recruited consecutively. After eligibility verification and absence of objection, baseline data are collected within 5 days post-stroke. Baseline assessments include the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for the Upper Extremity (FMA-UE), the Shoulder Abduction and Finger Extension (SAFE) score, and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (post-acute treatment if thrombolysis or thrombectomy was performed). Handedness is recorded after the motor assessments to maintain assessor blinding regarding group membership; the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory is administered when cognitive status allows. A 6-month follow-up is performed during routine post-stroke consultation at the study site, with repeat FMA-UE and SAFE assessments. The primary analysis compares FMA-UE at 6 months between left-handed and right-handed participants among those with baseline FMA-UE less than 66, using propensity score matching (3:1 right-handed to left-handed) accounting for age, baseline motor deficit, lesion side relative to dominance (dominant vs non-dominant hemisphere), and stroke type (ischemic vs hemorrhagic).

Conditions

• Stroke

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	evaluation	Patients will be evaluated at baseline for Edinburgh Handedness Inventory Laterality Quotient. Patients will be seen again at 6 months as part of their standard post-stroke consultation at Orléans University Hospital by a neurologist from the neurology department. In conjunction with this consultation, an assessment specific to this research study of the FMA-UE and SAFE scores will be carried out by a physiotherapist from the department.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-03-01
• Primary completion: 2027-08-01
• Completion: 2028-03-01
• First posted: 2026-01-21
• Last updated: 2026-01-29

Locations

1 site across 1 country: France