Is the measurement of muscle strength appropriate in patients with brain lesions? A special communication.

Controversy exists as to whether muscle strength is a variable that should be measured in patients with brain lesions. The purpose of this special communication is to provide evidence for the inclusion of muscle strength testing in the assessment of these patients. This evidence consists of information that 1) is relevant to weakness following brain lesions and concerns about its measurement, 2) provides a precedent and support for muscle strength testing, and 3) relates muscle strength to patient capacity and outcome. I believe that this information justifies the inclusion of muscle strength in the assessment of patients with brain lesions, but not to the exclusion of other behavioral functional variables.