- 1Department
of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese
Medicine, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine
and Western Medicine, Shanghai, China - 2Department of Rehabilitation, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- 3Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intelligent Rehabilitation, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
Objective: Insufficient motivation among
post-stroke survivors may be an important factor affecting their motor
function recovery. This study seeks to investigate the relationship
between motivation and functional recovery in stroke patients undergoing
rehabilitation training.
Materials and methods: 103 stroke patients with
upper limb impairments were studied during their hospital stays.
Assessments were done before and after rehabilitation training to
measure motivation, emotional state, motor function, and independence in
daily activities. Data analysis was conducted to examine the
distribution of these factors among the participants. Pearson and
Spearman correlation analyses were used to study the relationships
between motivation, emotional state, and motor function. Patients were
divided into high and low motivation groups based on the Rehabilitation
Motivation Scale (RMS), and chi-square and rank-sum tests were used to
compare functional differences before and after treatment among patients
with varying levels of motivation.
Results: 66 participants were found to have low
motivation in the initial assessment of the RMS (64.08%). Consistency in
motivation levels was observed among patients with high motivation (r = 0.648, P<0.001). Apathy was identified as the main factor affecting motivation in patients with low motivation (p = 0.027),
while depression and anxiety were not significantly correlated.
Motivation was strongly linked to improvements in upper limb motor
function, daily living activities, and self-exercise duration (p < 0.001)
for stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation. Post-training, there was
a notable increase in motivation, motor function, and independence in
daily activities (p < 0.001). Increased rehabilitation
motivation was linked to better upper limb motor function and daily
independence in patients, particularly those with low motivation. This
correlation was significant for both the FMA-UE and FIM scores.
Discussion: Old patients with poor upper limb
motor function often have low motivation, which hinders their recovery.
Using strategies to boost motivation in stroke patients with impaired
upper limb function could greatly improve their rehabilitation and motor
skills. It is crucial to prioritize these intervention strategies.
Conclusion: Enhancing rehabilitation motivation in
stroke patients with low motivation and upper limb motor impairments
can foster the restoration of their functional capabilities.
