Influence of the Sleep in the Functional Performance in Stroke Patients: A Pilot Study

*Corresponding author e-mail: graci.rtavares@yahoo.com.br Introduction: It is known that sleep plays an important role in the consolidation of motor memory. Recent studies have shown that the presence of sleep between the training of a motor task and retention test promotes a better learning than in the presence of only wake between training and testing. These findings have also been found in patients who suffered a stroke, however, how this sleep characteristics can interfere with motor learning during the rehabilitation, then we are studding what is the relationship of sleep wake/cycle with the functional performance in individuals after stroke. Methods: The sample was composed of 11 individuals (63,4 ± 8,8 years) with stroke motor sequel in the chronic state (16,9 ± 10,2 months after injury). The tools for assessment of sleep was the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the questionnaire of Horne and Ostberg (HO), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the actigraphy, whose used variables were: total hours of nighttime sleep (TST), sleep latency (SL), and sleep efficiency (SE). The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and the Berg Balance Scale (BSE) were the measures used to evaluate the performance of individuals. The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and the Mini-Mental State Examination was used to evaluate the neurological impairment and cognitive state, respectively. Data were analyzed using Spearman’s linear correlation with the significance level set at 5%. Results: A negative correlation was observed between the sleepiness (score of ESS) and equilibrium function (score of BSE) (p < 0,035). But we did not find any correlation between sleep parameters and functional performance (FIM). Conclusion: These findings suggest an association between sleepiness and balance in stroke patients and support the need for further studies. Publication History Article published online: 16 June 2026 © 2009. Brazilian Sleep Academy. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda. Rua Rego Freitas, 175, loja 1, República, São Paulo, SP, CEP 01220-010, Brazil