We investigated the differences of functions, activity of daily living (ADL), and quality of life (QoL) according to hand dominance in hemiplegic stroke patients.

The participants were diagnosed as stroke at P hospital. 370 participants (356 right dominant hand, 14 left dominant hand) were right hemisphere stroke, and 258 participants (248 right dominant hand, 10 left dominant hand) were left hemisphere stroke. To compensate the differences of imbalance in the number of participants' hand dominance, we performed the propensity score matching analysis. We analyzed the variation of stroke severity, disability, motor, mobility, cognition and language functions from 7 days until 3 months after onset using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Then, we performed independent t-test to compare hand dexterity, ADL, mood, subjective health condition and QoL of participants according to the hand dominance and the affected hemisphere.

All groups showed increased functions during 3 months without statistically significant differences according to hand dominance in both right and left hemisphere stroke patients. In addition, ADL, mood, subjective health condition and QoL were also not significantly different depending on hand dominance in the right and left hemisphere.

The difference of hand dominance did not influence stroke severity, disability, motor, mobility, cognition or language functions. It also didn't correlate with ADLs, mood or QoL.