Short-term prognosis for speech and language in first stroke patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the factors that can influence evolution of communication after a first stroke.


METHODS
Thirty-seven adult patients were evaluated for speech and language within 72 hours after a single first-ever ischemic brain injury and later on. Patients who were comatose, with decompensated systemic diseases, or history of chronic alcoholism or illicit drug use were not included. Brain CT and/or 2T-MR exams were solicited for topographic correlation. Size of infarct was classified as large or small according to the TOAST classification.


RESULTS
Patients who survived had lesser chances of presenting with aphasia or dysarthria 3 months after the stroke if the infarct size was small (p=0.017). Gender, age, schooling, aphasia subtype, infarct side and topography were non-significant in our sample. Subjects with global aphasia or lone cortical dysarthria had a slower evolution.


CONCLUSIONS
Brain injury size was the most influential factor for neurological outcome at 3 months post-stroke.
Department of Neurology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil. fabricioferreiradeoliveira@hotmail.com
Fabricio F
FF
Oliveira
Benito P
BP
Damasceno
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001037:Aphasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D004401:Dysarthria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*