Comparison of two-point discrimination perception in stroke patients with and without diabetes mellitus

Abstract

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to compare two-point discrimination (TPD) perception in stroke patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and without diabetes mellitus (non-DM). [Subjects] The subjects were 53 poststroke hemiparetic patients (21 stroke patients with DM; 32 stroke patients without DM). [Methods] TPD was measured on the tips of the first through fifth fingers on both the affected and unaffected sides. [Result] Comparison of TPD between fingers on the unaffected side and affected side fingers showed significantly poorer responses in all five fingers on the affected side. TPD was also significantly poorer in the DM group compared with the non-DM group in all five fingers on the affected side, but no differences were observed for the unaffected side. [Conclusion] These findings suggest that TPD was significantly poorer in the fingers on the affected side vs. the unaffected side in poststroke hemiparetic patients. DM caused a significantly poorer TPD in the fingers on the affected side in post-stroke patients but had no significant effect on the fingers on the unaffected side.