title: Inpatient rehabilitation outcomes of patients with apraxia after stroke.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stroke-induced paresis commands much attention during rehabilitation; other stroke-related consequences receive less consideration. Apraxia is a stroke disorder that may have important implications for rehabilitation and recovery.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate association of apraxia with stroke rehabilitation outcomes during inpatient rehabilitation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cohort study compared patients with and without apraxia after a first left hemispheric stroke. All study patients received standard of care. Clinical measures were the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and the upper extremity section of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) administered upon admission and at discharge. Length of stay was also documented. Florida Apraxia Battery subtests were used to classify patients with apraxia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen patients were included in this study, 10 of whom had apraxia. Data analysis revealed that patients with apraxia exhibited improvement from admission to discharge in clinical measures; however, admission FIM score was significantly lower compared to patients without apraxia. There was no statistically significant difference between groups on FMA score, length of stay, or amount of change on clinical measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study of acute patients found those with apraxia to be significantly less independent upon admission to inpatient rehabilitation compared to patients without apraxia. Although both groups improved a similar amount during rehabilitation, patients with apraxia discharged at a level of independence comparable to patients without apraxia upon admission. Such disparity in independence is of concern, and apraxia as a factor in stroke rehabilitation and recovery deserves further attention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy Education, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas.
authors.forename: Andy J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: St. Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Burgard
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy Education, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas Departments of Ophthalmology and Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas.
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Radel
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001072:Apraxias / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: activities of daily living; apraxia; rehabilitation; stroke