Speakers - 2026

Title: Assessment of Dysmetria After Cerebellar Stroke: A Review of Clinical Scales and Quantitative Upper-Limb Accuracy Tasks

Abstract

Dysmetria is a common motor impairment following cerebellar stroke, characterized by inaccurate goal-directed movements such as overshooting or undershooting a target. Accurate assessment of dysmetria is essential for clinical evaluation and rehabilitation planning.

Current clinical assessment methods primarily rely on bedside tests, such as the finger-to-nose test, and standardized rating scales, including the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) and the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS). While these tools are widely used, they mainly evaluate overall ataxia severity and lack sensitivity in quantifying fine motor accuracy and endpoint error.

Recent studies have introduced quantitative approaches, such as kinematic reaching tasks and handwriting analysis, which provide objective measures including endpoint error, movement variability, and trajectory deviation. These methods enhance the precision of assessment and allow better tracking of recovery over time. Evidence suggests that motor recovery is most prominent in the early phase following cerebellar stroke and may continue to improve for several months.

Despite these advances, there remains a significant gap in the current literature. Specifically, there is no standardized functional task-based assessment, such as stamping or object placement tasks, that reflects real- world motor performance and daily functional activities.

This review highlights the need to integrate clinical scales with quantitative and functional assessments to improve the evaluation of dysmetria and support more effective rehabilitation strategies in occupational therapy and neurorehabilitation.

What will the audience take away from presentation?

• Understanding of dysmetria and its clinical significance in cerebellar stroke
• Knowledge of current assessment tools, including SARA and ICARS
• Awareness of quantitative assessment methods such as reaching and handwriting tasks
• Identification of limitations in current assessment approaches
• Insight into the need for functional, real-world task-based assessment tools Explain how the audience will be able to use what they learn?

The audience will be able to apply both clinical scales and quantitative assessment methods in their clinical practice to better evaluate motor coordination deficits. They can also incorporate more objective measures into rehabilitation planning and outcome tracking.

How will this help the audience in their job? This presentation provides clinicians with a clearer understanding of the strengths and limitations of existing assessment tools. It highlights the importance of objective and functional evaluation in improving treatment planning.

Additionally, this work offers a conceptual framework that may guide future research and clinical tool development, particularly in designing simple, low-cost, and function-oriented assessment methods that improve efficiency and accuracy in clinical settings.