Aphasia among young patients with ischemic stroke on long-term follow-up.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to evaluate characteristics and long-term outcome of young patients with ischemic stroke (15-49 years at stroke onset) and aphasia.


METHODS
Aphasia was defined as less than 10 points in the speech subscale of the Scandinavian Stroke Scale on long-term follow-up. Risk factors, origin, complications, social factors, and the Nottingham Health Profile subscores were compared between aphasic and nonaphasic young patients with ischemic stroke. On long-term follow-up, patients with aphasia were invited for further assessment of severity and subtype of aphasia.


RESULTS
The study comprised 195 patients still alive after a mean follow-up of 6 years. Twenty (10.3%) patients had aphasia. Aphasia was associated with cardiac embolism (P = .007), myocardial infarction (P = .005), epilepsy (P < .001), loss of employment (P = .021), and social isolation (P = .054). On follow-up, 13 patients with aphasia underwent further assessment. These patients had all improved into milder aphasia subtypes.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests that relatively few young patients with ischemic stroke have clinically significant aphasia on long-term follow-up. However, there are clinically significant differences between patients with and without aphasia that should be the focus of future research.
Naess
Halvor
H
Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. halvor.naess@haukeland.no
Hammersvik
Liv
L
Skeie
Geir Olve
GO
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001037:Aphasia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult