[Influence of factors on independence of patients after stroke in early rehabilitation stage].
Brain stroke is the main cause of disability starting from age of 40 years. Due to this disability, a person loses his ability to work because of long-lasting disorders of biosocial functions. According to literature, occupational therapy for such patients, taking regard to their social, cultural and economic background, significantly increases their self-care and independence and helps to educate working skills. OBJECTIVE. To evaluate conditional disorders of patients with stroke under rehabilitation and to establish the influence of extent of brain damage, localization, age and gender on effectiveness of occupational therapy.


METHODS
Study included 47 men and 53 women diagnosed with brain ischemia or hemorrhage (ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke). Out of them, 30 were of working age (18-59 years old) and 70 of non-working age (more than 60 years old). The mean age was 63.4+/-1.2 years. In order to assess the functional status of patients, they were tested using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM).


CONCLUSIONS
At the start of rehabilitation, the mean FIM score was 47.4+/-16.1 (48.9+/-15.6 for men and 46.3+/-16.6 for women, p>0.05). At the end of early rehabilitation, the mean FIM score reached up to 89.9+/-22.3 (94.7+/-18.9 for men and 85.7+/-24.3 for women, p<0.05). Evaluation of functional status showed that at the start of rehabilitation functional status was worse in women than men, nevertheless, women's functional status improved during rehabilitation, though the difference between men and women still remained. Occupational therapy was less effective for patients who suffered from hemiplegia than for patients with hemiparesis (p<0.01). Older patients (more than 60 years) had more expressed functional disorders, and worse functional recovery comparing with younger, working age patients (18-59 years old). Evaluation of occupational therapy effectiveness at the end of early rehabilitation showed that extent of brain damage influences independence of patients suffering from brain stroke (p<0.01).
Petruseviciene
Daiva
D
Department of Rehabilitation, Kaunas University of Medicine, Eiveniu 2, 50009 Kaunas, Lithuania.
Krisciūnas
Aleksandras
A
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000534:rehabilitation; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D010291:Paresis / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012737:Sex Factors; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation