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.
Schepers
Vera P M
VP
Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine Utrecht, Rehabilitation Center De Hoogstraat, Rembrandtkade 10, Utrecht, The Netherlands. V.Schepers@dehoogstraat.nl
Ketelaar
Marjolijn
M
Visser-Meily
Anne J M
AJ
de Groot
Vincent
V
Twisk
Jos W R
JW
Lindeman
Eline
E
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