title: Assessment of quality of life in stroke patients with hemiplegia.
abstract: Stroke is a major public health issue. Even though most hemiplegic stroke patients may obtain a good functional outcome, many remain dissatisfied with their lives. Indeed, quality of life and subjective well-being should be taken into account in any assessment of stroke survival.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess long-term quality of life in stroke patients (compared with healthy controls) and the corresponding determinants and predictive factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patient population consisted of 80 of the 217 first-stroke survivors treated between January and June 2005 in the Clinical Neurosciences Department at Bordeaux University Hospital. After a mean follow-up period of 2 years, 24 patients were interviewed in their homes and data from the 56 others were obtained in a telephone interview. Demographic information, clinical status on admission and functional status (as assessed by Barthel Index) and depression (on the ADRS) at the time of the study visit were recorded. Quality of life was assessed by using the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP-65) and Bränholm and Fugl-Meyer's Satisfaction with Life Scale (LiSat 11). The patients' data were compared with those from 149 healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Life satisfaction and quality of life were significantly impaired in stroke patients, compared with controls. All life domains were impaired. The worst scores were observed for independence and health-related items in the LiSat 11 and the physical and communication items in the SIP-65. Quality of life was strongly correlated with functional independence, the persistence of hemiplegia and depressive mood, which is in agreement with literature findings. Neither gender nor the initial Rankin score had a significant impact on these parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Quality of life at 2 years is significantly impaired in stroke survivors and seems more difficult to predict than functional independence. However, in addition to these objective results, our interviews suggest that receiving adequate social support might be as important to patients as recovering independence.
authors.affiliation: EA, handicap et système nerveux, université Victor-Segalen Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Laurent
authors.forename: M-P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: De Sèze
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Delleci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koleck
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dehail
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Orgogozo
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mazaux
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents