title: Effect of dominant hand paralysis on quality of life in patients with subacute stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the degree to which the paralysis of a dominant hand affects quality of life (QOL) in patients with subacute stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 75 patients with subacute hemiplegic stroke. Patients were divided into two groups according to the location of the lesion and the side of the dominant hand. Group 1 consisted of patients whose strokes affected the dominant hand (i.e., right hemiplegia and right dominant hand or left hemiplegia and left dominant hand). Group 2 consisted of patients whose strokes affected the non-dominant hand (i.e., left hemiplegia and right dominant hand or right hemiplegia and left dominant hand). The primary outcome measure was the Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36), which was used to evaluate health-related QOL. Secondary outcomes were scores on the Modified Barthel Index (MBI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We did not find any statistically significant differences between the groups in any SF-36 domain including the summaries of physical and mental component. Similarly, the MBI and BDI scores were not significantly different between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The effect of paralysis on the dominant hand and QOL in patients with subacute stroke was not significantly different from the effect of paralysis on the non-dominant hand.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyungpook National University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyeon Uk
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyungpook National University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyungpook National University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Na
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyungpook National University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Moon
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyungpook National University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Byung Joo
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Yu-Sun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Min
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyungpook National University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Chul-Hyun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyungpook National University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea. ; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Du
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Jung
keywords: Dominance; Quality of life; Stroke