The profile of recovery from stroke and factors influencing outcome

• Published in: Stroke (1970) Vol. 15; no. 6; pp. 1039 - 1044
• Main Authors: KOTILA, M, WALTIMO, O, NIEMI, M.-L, LAAKSONEN, R, LEMPINEN, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 01.11.1984
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebral Hemorrhage - rehabilitation; Cerebral Infarction - rehabilitation; Cerebrovascular Disorders - complications; Cerebrovascular Disorders - psychology; Cerebrovascular Disorders - rehabilitation; Depression - etiology; Emotions; Employment; Female; Finland; Hemiplegia - etiology; Humans; Intelligence; Intelligence Tests; Male; Medical sciences; Mental Disorders - etiology; Middle Aged; Neurology; Psychological Tests; Registries; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage - rehabilitation; Time Factors; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Finland; Stroke; Nervous system diseases; Prognosis; Cure; Cerebrovascular disease
• ISSN: 0039-2499; 1524-4628
• DOI: 10.1161/01.str.15.6.1039

The recovery from stroke of 154 survivors out of 255 stroke patients was analyzed. The outcomes documented were: discharge from hospital, activities of daily living (ADL) and return to work. A clear improvement in neurological and neuropsychological deficits was seen from the acute stage to three months, and this continued to twelve months, but to a lesser degree. 69% and 78% respectively, of the patients were at home three and twelve months after stroke. Independence in ADL increased from 32% acutely to 62% and 68% by three and twelve months, respectively. Of those gainfully employed prior to stroke, 55% had returned to work after twelve months. As a group, SAH patients seemed to recover better, but, for those that could be age-matched with infarction patients, there was no difference in outcome. Old age, acute stage hemiparesis, impairment of intelligence and memory, visuoperceptual deficits, nonadequate emotional reactions, and living alone all had a major negative influence on outcome. This study suggests that neurological and neuropsychological deficits, as well as emotional reactions, influence the outcomes after stroke, and all should be taken into consideration in prognosis.