Speakers - 2026

Title: Temporalis muscle thickness and functional outcome in patients with ischemic stroke

Abstract

Stroke is a major cause of muscle loss and secondary sarcopenia due to reduced physical activity, immobility, systemic inflammation, and malnutrition during the acute hospitalization period. Early identification of sarcopenia may provide clinically meaningful prognostic information and guide timely rehabilitation strategies. However, conventional methods for assessing muscle mass are often difficult to implement in patients with acute stroke because of medical instability, limited cooperation, or lack of specialized equipment. Temporal muscle thickness (TMT), which can be readily measured from routine brain imaging, has recently emerged as a practical surrogate marker of sarcopenia.

This study aimed to evaluate the association between TMT and functional outcomes in patients with ischemic stroke undergoing comprehensive rehabilitation. Patients with ischemic stroke who were transferred to the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine between 2023 and 2024 after acute stroke treatment were retrospectively reviewed. TMT was measured using non-contrast CT, CT angiography, or T1-weighted MRI obtained during hospitalization. Measurements were performed bilaterally in an axial slice located 5 mm above the orbital roof, perpendicular to the long axis of the temporalis muscle, and the average value was used for analysis. Functional outcomes were assessed using the Modified Barthel Index (MBI) at discharge and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 3 months after stroke onset. Multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine whether TMT was independently associated with functional outcomes.

Among 97 included patients, greater TMT was significantly associated with higher MBI scores at discharge and better functional outcome at 3 months after stroke, even after adjusting for age, sex, stroke severity, body mass index, and recanalization therapy. These findings suggest that TMT may serve as an accessible biomarker reflecting muscle status and functional recovery potential in patients with stroke. Early recognition of muscle loss using routinely acquired brain imaging may support timely implementation of rehabilitation strategies aimed at preventing muscle wasting and improving long-term outcomes.

What will the audience take away from presentation?

• Understand the clinical relevance of sarcopenia in patients with acute ischemic stroke and its impact on functional recovery.

• Learn how temporal muscle thickness (TMT) can be easily measured from routine brain imaging without additional cost, equipment, or patient burden.

• Recognize TMT as a practical imaging biomarker that may help predict rehabilitation outcomes and support early clinical decision-making.

• Gain insight into how early identification of muscle loss may guide rehabilitation planning and strategies to prevent muscle wasting during acute stroke care.

• Explore research opportunities using imaging-based muscle biomarkers to improve prognostic modeling and develop targeted rehabilitation interventions.