Locked-in syndrome: improvement in the prognosis after an early intensive multidisciplinary rehabilitation.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate prognosis and recovery in patients with locked-in syndrome (LIS) receiving early intensive rehabilitative care.


METHODS
Consecutive sample and follow-up for 5 months to 6 years.


METHODS
Three rehabilitation centers in Italy.


METHODS
Fourteen patients with LIS who underwent the same treatment and subsequently recovered.


METHODS
Intensive nursing care and intensive and early rehabilitative program, including physiotherapy and respiratory, swallowing, and speech training. For 4 patients, occupational therapy was performed; 4 subjects also had oculomotor training. After discharge, rehabilitative maintenance care continued for each patient.


METHODS
Motor recovery according to the Patterson and Grabois classification, functional improvement, and mortality rate.


RESULTS
A significant motor recovery was found in 21% of subjects, within 3 to 6 months of onset of the morbid event; complete swallow recovery in 42%; verbal communication in 28%; communication through devices in 42%; effective bladder and bowel control in 35%; and good breathing patterns in 50%. At follow-up, the mortality rate was 14% and only 2 complications were reported.


CONCLUSIONS
Intensive and early rehabilitation, begun within about 1 month of the morbid event, improved the functional recovery and reduced the mortality rate, which, as reported in the literature, had been 60% about 10 years ago. Further studies are necessary to confirm these data.
Casanova
Emanuela
E
Centro Cardinal Ferrari, Fontanellato, Italy. manusan@interfree.it
Lazzari
Rosa E
RE
Lotta
Sergio
S
Mazzucchi
Anna
A
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001037:Aphasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011379:Prognosis; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D013577:Syndrome; D016896:Treatment Outcome