[Effects of three-stage rehabilitation treatment on acute cerebrovascular diseases: a prospective, randomized, controlled, multicenter study].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of tertiary rehabilitation treatment on acute cerebrovascular diseases.


METHODS
Fifteen tertiary rehabilitation networks were set up throughout the country. 1078 patients with acute cerebrovascular diseases were randomly divided into 2 groups: rehabilitation group and control group, out of which 19 patients died, 157 dropped out, and 7 successive evaluations were completed in 902 patients that. 439 of the remaining 902 patients in the rehabilitation group, 266 males and 173 females, aged 61 +/- 11, 278 cases with cerebral infarction and 161 with cerebral hemorrhage, received routine treatment and early rehabilitation for 28 days in the ward of neurology, and then went home and received community rehabilitation for 6 months or underwent specialized reinforcement training for 2 months and after that went home and received community rehabilitation for 4 months. The 463 patients in the control group, 281 males and 182 females, aged 60 +/- 11, 291 of which with cerebral infarction and 172 with cerebral hemorrhage, received only routine treatment and early rehabilitation for 28 days in the ward of neurology, and then went home to conduct rehabilitation training by themselves or their family members for 6 months. Evaluation was conducted 7 times, with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Fugl-Meyer motor function scale, Barthel index, SF-36 scale, Lowenstein occupational therapy cognitive assessment (LOTCA), Westen aphasia battery, Hamilton depression scale, and modified Ashworth spasm scale, one week after the onset and by the ends of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 months after the onset respectively.


RESULTS
The scores of clinical neurological impairment, Fugl-Meyer scores, SF-36 scores, incidence of PSD, and modified Ashworth scores (for upper and lower limbs) were lower, and LOTCA scores and Barthel indexes were higher at different time points in the rehabilitation group than in the control group; and the differences were statistically significant since the 2nd month after the onset. By the end of the 6th month, the patients of the rehabilitation group basically re-achieved the ability of self-care in daily activities with a Barthel index of 84 +/- 33. The patients of the control group also recovered to a certain degree, however, to a smaller extent in comparison with the rehabilitation group.


CONCLUSIONS
Tertiary rehabilitation treatment of cerebrovascular diseases is effective in improving motor function, ability of daily living activities, and quality of life and reducing the incidence rates of secondary complications.
Zhang
Tong
T
Neurorehabilitation Department of China Rehabilitation Research Center Affiliated to Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100068, China.
Li
Li-lin
LL
Bi
Sheng
S
Mei
Yuan-wu
YW
Xie
Rui-man
RM
Luo
Zu-ming
ZM
Wang
De-sheng
DS
Wang
Wei-zhi
WZ
Wang
Ning-hua
NH
Jia
Jian-ping
JP
Tan
Lan
L
Ding
Xin-sheng
XS
Cui
Li-ying
LY
Wang
De-xin
DX
Hu
Xue-qiang
XQ
Niu
Zhu
Z
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome