Delayed gait recovery by resolution of limb-kinetic apraxia in a chronic hemiparetic stroke patient: A case report

RATIONALE: This paper reports on a chronic hemiparetic stroke patient who showed delayed gait recovery due to resolution of limb-kinetic apraxia (LKA). PATIENT CONCERNS: A 49-year-old man underwent comprehensive rehabilitation at a local rehabilitation hospital since 3 weeks after spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage. However, he could not walk independently because of severe motor weakness in his right leg until 19 months after the onset. DIAGNOSIS: At the beginning of rehabilitation at our hospital (19 months after onset), we thought that he had the neurological potential to walk independently because the unaffected (right) corticospinal tract and corticoreticulospinal tract were closely related to the gait potential, representing intact integrities. As a result, we assumed that the severe motor weakness in the right leg was mainly ascribed to LKA. INTERVENTIONS: At our hospital, he underwent comprehensive rehabilitation including increased doses of dopaminergic drugs (pramipexole, ropinirole, amantadine, and carbidopa/levodopa). OUTCOMES: After 10 days to our hospital, he could walk independently on an even floor with verbal supervision, concurrent with motor recovery of the right leg. After 24 days after hospital admission, he could walk independently on an even floor. LESSONS: We believe that the resolution of LKA in his right leg by the administration of adequate doses of dopaminergic drugs was the main reason for the delayed gait recovery in this patient. The results suggest the importance of detecting the neurological potential for gait ability of a stroke patient who cannot walk after the gait recovery phase and the causes of gait inability for individual patients.