Relationship between proprioceptive and motor impairment in poststroke patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between proprioceptive and motor impairments in poststroke patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted using five databases from inception to August 21, 2024, to identify nonrandomized controlled trials using quantitative scale-based proprioception measures in poststroke patients. Studies focusing on sensory modalities other than movement or joint position sense were excluded. Data were extracted and pooled for meta-analysis to compare poststroke patients with controls and investigate the relationship between proprioceptive and motor impairments. Data were analyzed separately for movement and joint position sense. RESULTS: In total, 23 studies involving 397 healthy individuals and 622 poststroke patients were identified. Poststroke patients showed significant movement and joint position sense impairment compared with healthy individuals (movement sense: standardized mean difference [SMD]: 1.15, I 2 = 0.00% and joint position sense: SMD: 0.76, I 2 = 15.61%). Furthermore, these sensory impairments were moderately correlated with motor impairment, with movement sense showing no heterogeneity (movement sense: r = 0.59, I 2 = 0%; joint position sense: r = 0.59, I 2 = 68.76%). CONCLUSIONS: Movement sense impairments were more significant in poststroke patients than in healthy individuals and were linked to mobility and dexterity limitations. However, substantial evidence on integrated assessment in clinical practice is scarce. To achieve rehabilitation targeting sensorimotor integration, standardized proprioceptive measures must be designed to consistently identify valid proprioceptive types, modalities, and parameters.