Evaluation Of The Relationship Between The Conut Score And Balance And Functional Status In Patients With Chronic Stroke

Berg Balance Scale

The Berg Balance Scale is a measure developed to assess individuals' balance performance and consists of 14 items that include activities of daily living. Each item is scored between 0 and 4, with the total score ranging from 0 to 56. Lower scores indicate poorer balance performance and an increased risk of falls.

Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment

This measure was developed to evaluate individuals' balance and gait performance and consists of balance and gait subscales. The balance subscale is scored between 0 and 16, while the gait subscale is scored between 0 and 12, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 28. Lower scores indicate a higher risk of falls and poorer mobility.

Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale (SS-QOL)

The Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale is a multidimensional measure developed to evaluate stroke-specific quality of life, encompassing physical, functional, and psychosocial domains in patients with stroke. The scale consists of a total of 49 items, each scored on a scale from 1 to 5, with higher total scores indicating a better quality of life.

Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score

The CONUT score is a laboratory-based screening index developed to assess patients' nutritional status. It is calculated using serum albumin level, total lymphocyte count, and total cholesterol concentration. Scoring is based on the combined evaluation of these three parameters, and the total score ranges from 0 to 12; higher scores indicate an increased risk of malnutrition and greater severity of nutritional impairment.

Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC)

It is a simple anthropometric method that indirectly assesses an individual's muscle and adipose tissue and is commonly used to evaluate nutritional status and the risk of malnutrition. The measurement is typically performed at the midpoint between the acromion and the olecranon using a flexible measuring tape and recorded in centimeters. The obtained values are interpreted by comparison with age- and sex-specific reference values. In our study, mid-upper arm circumference measurements will be obtained from both the hemiplegic and non-affected sides of the patients and evaluated comparatively.

Rectus Femoris Muscle Thickness

Rectus femoris muscle thickness is a parameter used in the assessment of muscle mass and sarcopenia and can be measured non-invasively using ultrasonography. The measurement is typically performed by placing the ultrasound probe at the midpoint between the anterior superior iliac spine and the superior border of the patella, and measuring the muscle thickness between the fascial boundaries in millimeters or centimeters. There is no standardized scoring system for this measurement; the obtained values are generally reported as absolute muscle thickness or interpreted by comparison with the contralateral side, population reference values, or clinical parameters. In our study, rectus femoris muscle thickness will be

Bone Mineral Densitometry (BMD)

Bone mineral densitometry is an imaging method used to assess bone mineral density and is most commonly measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Measurements are typically obtained from the lumbar spine and femoral neck regions, and bone mineral density is reported in g/cm². Evaluation is performed using the T-score and Z-score. A T-score ≥ -1 is considered normal, a T-score between -1 and -2.5 indicates osteopenia, and a T-score ≤ -2.5 is classified as osteoporosis.