Rehabilitation management for stroke patients with cognitive impairment: Influences of malnutrition on cognitive and motor impairment in stroke rehabilitation

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Stroke Vol. 32; no. 6; pp. 634 - 640
• Main Authors: Yokoyama, Eriko, Nakano, Akiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Japan Stroke Society 26.11.2010
• Subjects: cognitive impairment; dementia; malnutrition; stroke
• ISSN: 0912-0726; 1883-1923
• DOI: 10.3995/jstroke.32.634

Background and Purpose: Malnutrition is a common complication of strokes associated with poor clinical outcomes in rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to clarify influences of malnutrition on cognitive and motor function following stroke in the chronic phase. Methods: The present study included 381 stroke patients who underwent nutritional and functional assessment at admission and on discharge after a mean 107-days of rehabilitation. Functional measures were motor age (MA), Barthel index (BI), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Hasegawa scale (HDS), Standard Language Test for Aphasia (SLTA) and Behavioral Inattention Test (BIT). Nutritional states were evaluated by using body mass index (BMI), serum albumin concentration, body weight loss, and lymphocyte count. Malnutrition was defined if the patient had one or more abnormal nutritional parameters. All the patients had rehabilitation for cognitive and motor impairment during hospitalization. Results: Malnutrition was observed in 263 (69%) of 381 patients. Malnourished patients showed the lower BMI and serum albumin, and the poorer cognitive and motor function in MA, BI, FIM, HDS, SLTA and BIT. BMI and serum albumin showed significant association with cognitive and motor functional measures, including MA, BI, FIM, HDS, SLTA and BIT. Conclusion: Stroke patients with malnutrition had a greater risk of poor cognitive and motor functional outcome in the chronic rehabilitation phase. Appropriate nutritional support may have favorable improvement on clinical outcome.