The relationships between proprioceptive awareness, balance, and spasticity in patients post-stroke with varying levels of trunk impairment

BACKGROUND: To examine relationships between cervical and trunk proprioceptive awareness, balance, and lower extremity spasticity in patients post-stroke with varying levels of trunk control. METHODS: This single-center cross-sectional observational study included patients post-stroke aged 35-65 years, stratified into low trunk control (LTC) and high trunk control (HTC) groups. Cervical proprioception was assessed using the Cervical Joint Position Error Test (CJPET), trunk proprioception using the Trunk Proprioception Test (TPT), balance performance using the Tecnobody ProKin 252 system, and lower extremity spasticity using the Modified Tardieu Scale (MTS). RESULTS: = .021-0.001). TPT scores were not correlated with spasticity in either group. CONCLUSION: Trunk control modulates the role of cervical and trunk proprioception in balance and spasticity post-stroke. Cervical proprioception primarily influences static balance and spasticity, whereas trunk proprioception supports dynamic balance when trunk stability is reduced.