Brain Symmetry Index Correlates with Time After Stroke and Lower Limb Function

Quantitative symmetry measures, such as brain symmetry indexes (BSIs), are commonly used in stroke studies, and have been proven useful for prognostic and evaluation, showing that individuals with stroke have more asymmetric brains and that greater asymmetry correlates with higher motor impairment. With the many proposed variations of BSIs, most studies generally evaluate only one type of BSI, neglecting insights from other variations, which may correlate differently with clinical scales. In this sense, this study aims to compare various BSI measures with clinical scales and other aspects for individuals with chronic stroke. Our findings suggest that BSIs are more highly correlated with lower limb function, evidencing the association between brain symmetry, gait, and balance. Additionally, significant correlations of BSIs with time post-stroke suggest a time-dependent reorganization of interhemispheric relations. These results provide valuable insights and highlight the need for future studies to further explore these relationships.