Functional recovery differs between ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke patients.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether there is a difference between patients with a cerebral infarction and those with an intracerebral haemorrhage with respect to the development of independence in activities of daily living over the first year post-stroke.


METHODS
Patients after first-ever stroke who were admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation programme were included. The study had a longitudinal design and measurements took place at admission, 8, 10, 12, 26 and 52 weeks post-stroke. The relationship between the development over time of activities of daily living independence, measured by the Barthel Index, and type of stroke was analysed using Generalized Estimating Equations.


RESULTS
A total of 229 patients with cerebral infarction and 45 with intracerebral haemorrhage were included. From 12 to 26 weeks post-stroke, patients with cerebral infarction showed a significantly faster recovery. The time window for recovery was more restricted for patients with intracerebral haemorrhage; a statistically significant increase in activities of daily living was found until 10 weeks post-stroke in patients with intracerebral haemorrhage, whereas patients with cerebral infarction showed statistically significant recovery until 26 weeks post-stroke.


CONCLUSIONS
The differences in activities of daily living recovery between patients with cerebral infarction and those with intracerebral haemorrhage should be taken into consideration in rehabilitation management.
Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine Utrecht, Rehabilitation Center De Hoogstraat, Rembrandtkade 10, Utrecht, The Netherlands. V.Schepers@dehoogstraat.nl
Vera P M
VP
Schepers
Marjolijn
M
Ketelaar
Anne J M
AJ
Visser-Meily
Vincent
V
de Groot
Jos W R
JW
Twisk
Eline
E
Lindeman
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020127:Recovery of Function; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation