Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41498601›Full record

Observational studyJournal of rehabilitation medicine2026

Longitudinal assessment of lower limb muscle quantity and quality in acute stroke patients.

Wataru Yamauchi, Hiroshi Akima

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Journal of rehabilitation medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Wataru YamauchiDepartment of Rehabilitation, Gifu Prefectural Tajimi Hospital, Tajimi, Gifu, Japan; Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. wkym215@gmail.com.
Hiroshi AkimaResearch Center of Health, Physical Fitness and Sports, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. akima.hiroshi.w9@f.mail.nagoya-u.ac.jp.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis longitudinal study evaluated acute-phase stroke patients, examining changes in skeletal muscle quantity and quality. The research aimed to determine when muscle quality deteriorates, its relationship with muscle quantity, and contributing factors.

designProspective observational study. PATIENTS: Forty stroke patients.

methodsMuscle quantity was assessed as the thickness of the anterior and lateral mid-thigh, while muscle quality was assessed by echo intensity of the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis. Measurements on paretic and non-paretic limbs were taken on the first day after stroke onset and on the 10th day.

resultsMuscle thickness of all regions of paretic and non-paretic limbs significantly decreased at 10 days, whereas echo intensity significantly increased only in the paretic limb. A significant negative correlation between changes in muscle thickness and echo intensity was observed in the paretic limb only. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the only variable that explains the changes in echo intensity was the changes in muscle thickness of the paretic limb.

conclusionMuscle quality begins to deteriorate as early as the acute phase of stroke. To prevent this deterioration, it is important to encourage skeletal muscle activity during the acute phase of immobilization and to minimise the reduction in muscle quantity.

Indexed as

Lower ExtremityMuscle, SkeletalQuadriceps MuscleStrokeAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedParesisProspective StudiesStroke RehabilitationUltrasonography

Identifiers

PMID41498601
PMCPMC12794298

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.