Impact of motor anxiety on rehabilitation in elderly stroke patients: A retrospective study

BACKGROUND This study aimed to analyse the relationship between motor anxiety and rehabilitation outcomes in elderly stroke patients during the rehabilitation period, and to identify the key factors affecting motor anxiety. AIM To determine the impact of motor anxiety on rehabilitation outcomes in elderly stroke patients and to identify independent risk factors contributing to motor anxiety. METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted on stroke patients who underwent rehabilitation at our hospital from March 2021 to January 2024. Patients were divided into an exercise anxiety group [Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) ≥ 50, n = 139] and a non-exercise anxiety group (SAS < 50, n = 67) based on their SAS scores after rehabilitation training. Compare baseline data across the two patient groups and examine differences in the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS), Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale (SEE), Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). Correlations between the scores of the analysis functions were analysed. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for motor anxiety. RESULTS The mRS score (P < 0.001), TSK score (P < 0.001), and SDS score (P < 0.001) of patients in the exercise anxiety group were significantly higher than those of patients in the non-exercise anxiety group. In comparison, the SEE score (P < 0.001) was substantially lower than that of the non-exercise anxiety group. SAS was positively correlated with mRS (P = 0.015) and TSK (P < 0.01), and negatively correlated with SEE (P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that SEE score [P = 0.028, odds ratio (OR) = 8.94], TSK score (P = 0.027, OR = 8.7), SDS score (P = 0.012, OR = 9.727), educational level (P = 0.034, OR = 11.462), and monthly per capita income (P = 0.028, OR = 8.95) were independent risk factors affecting patients’ motor anxiety. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the model’s area under the curve for predicting patients’ motor anxiety was 0.887, and the externally validated model’s area under the curve was 0.646. CONCLUSION This study identified a significant negative relationship between motor anxiety and rehabilitation outcomes in elderly stroke patients during the rehabilitation period. The SEE, TSK, and SDS scores, along with lower educational levels and monthly per capita income, are independent risk factors for motor anxiety in elderly stroke patients during this period.