title: Hemispatial neglect and rehabilitation in acute stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare 2 methods for determining neglect in patients within 2 days of stroke, and to investigate whether early neglect was related to rehabilitation practice, and whether this relationship was affected by an early, intensive mobilization intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from patients participating in a phase II randomized controlled trial of early rehabilitation after stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acute hospital stroke unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stroke patients (N=71).
  
  
  METHODS
  The 2 arms of the trial were very early mobilization (VEM) and standard care (SC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Neglect was assessed using the Star Cancellation Test and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) inattention item within 48 hours of stroke onset, and therapy details were recorded during the hospital stay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Assessing neglect so acutely after stroke was difficult: 29 of the 71 patients were unable to complete the Star Cancellation Test, and agreement between this test and the NIHSS measure was only .42. Presence of neglect did not preclude early mobilization. SC group patients with neglect had longer hospital stays (median, 11d) than those without neglect (median, 4d); there was no difference in length of stay between patients with and without neglect in the VEM group (median, 6d in both).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early mobilization of patients with neglect was feasible and may contribute to a shorter acute hospital stay.
authors.affiliation: National Stroke Research Institute, 300 Waterdale Rd, Heidelberg Heights, Victoria 3081, Australia. tcumming@nsri.org.au
authors.forename: Toby B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Cumming
authors.forename: Prudence
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Plummer-D'Amato
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Linden
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bernhardt
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D016896:Treatment Outcome