title: The Impact of Acute Phase Domain-Specific Cognitive Function on Post-stroke Functional Recovery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether the cognitive function in the acute stage evaluated by domain-specific neuropsychological assessments would be an independent predictor of functional outcome after stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients underwent 4 domain-specific neuropsychological examinations about 3 weeks after the onset of stroke. The tests included the Boston Naming Test (BNT), the construction recall test (CRT), the construction praxis test (CPT), and the verbal fluency test (VFT). The Korean version of Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) at 3 months and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 6 months were investigated as functional outcome after stroke. Functional improvement was assessed using the change in K-MBI during the first 3 months and subjects were dichotomized into 'good status' and 'poor status' according to mRS at 6 months. The domain-specific cognitive function along with other possible predictors for functional outcome was examined using regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The z-score of CPT (p=0.044) and CRT (p<0.001) were independent predictors for functional improvement measured by the change in K-MBI during the first 3 months after stroke. The z-score of CPT (p=0.049) and CRT (p=0.048) were also independent predictors of functional status at post-stroke 6 months assessed by mRS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Impairment in visuospatial construction and memory within one month after stroke can be an independent prognostic factor of functional outcome. Domain-specific neuropsychological assessments could be considered in patients with stroke in the acute phase to predict long-term functional outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jihong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Gangpyo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Shi-Uk
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Se Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jung
keywords: Cognition; Memory; Patient outcome assessment; Rehabilitation; Stroke