This clinical study showed that in patients with an acute vascular right hemiplegia, a motor deficit could be seen on their supposedly unaffected left side and this motor deficit recovered during the first weeks after the stroke.
Force (hand grip, isokinetic movements) and dexterity (nine hole peg test) were mainly concerned whereas repetitive movements (finger tapping) were spared.
Recovery at day 90 was not complete as the nine hole peg test test and hip extension peak torque were still significantly different from the controls.
We think that the left sided motor deficit is valid and does not correspond to an artefact.
Our data for patients did present a wide range of values with wide standard deviations but this was also the case in our control population and corresponds to the fact that the results depend on age, sex, and anthropometric data.
It is also our opinion that the motor tasks were performed in appropriate conditions and that the patients produced a maximum effort.
All the patients were able to understand and to perform the tasks. The repetition of trials and the reproducible shape of the four curves recorded for each set of isokinetic movements increases our confidence in the data.
Moreover, this left sided deficit does not seem to be related to bed rest as it is known that these prevail on weight bearing muscles and it would be very surprising if bed rest interferes with the nine hole peg test, hand grip, and isokinetic movements of the wrist.
In the same way, it seems that our data do not correspond to the consequences of controlateral axial deficit.
In fact, isokinetic tests were performed in a standardised position.
Segments not involved in the measurements were fastened by straps.
Moreover, even if controlateral deficit can explain proximal deficit, it is an unlikely explanation for distal impairment of the ankle and wrist.