title: Outcomes of repetitive facilitation exercises in convalescent patients after stroke with impaired health status.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impact of stroke on health status and the effects of repetitive facilitation exercises (RFEs) for convalescent patients after stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was a prospective observational study of patients enrolled in an RFE programme. Between April 2008 and March 2012, 468 patients with stroke were enrolled in an intensive, comprehensive RFE programme. Patients participated in this interdisciplinary programme for 12 weeks, for an average of 5 hours per week. Before and immediately after the programme, several measures of rehabilitation outcomes and health-related quality-of-life were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, most patients (95.4%) had modified Rankin scale scores of 3-5. Their health-related quality-of-life was significantly impaired, with physical and mental component summary scores on the Short Form 36-item questionnaire (SF-36) of 30.7 and 35.8, respectively. After the RFE programme, all outcome measures improved significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results demonstrate that convalescent patients after stroke may benefit substantially from RFE programmes in stroke rehabilitation centres, even when patients have impaired health status or high levels of healthcare utilization. Thus, an RFE programme is a simple yet highly effective means to improve rehabilitation outcomes and health-related quality-of-life, with a relatively low dropout rate.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences , Kagoshima University , Kagoshima , Japan.
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: a Department of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences , Kagoshima University , Kagoshima , Japan.
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimodozono
authors.affiliation: b Department of Rehabilitation , Kirishima Rehabilitation Center of Kagoshima University Hospital , Kagoshima , Japan.
authors.forename: Tomokazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Noma
authors.affiliation: b Department of Rehabilitation , Kirishima Rehabilitation Center of Kagoshima University Hospital , Kagoshima , Japan.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uema
authors.affiliation: c Department of Rehabilitation, Kumamoto-Takumadai Rehabilitation Hospital , Kumamoto , Japan.
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horio
authors.affiliation: d Department of Rehabilitation, Tarumizu Municipal Medical Center, Tarumizu Central Hospital , Kagoshima , Japan.
authors.forename: Kazutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tomioka
authors.affiliation: d Department of Rehabilitation, Tarumizu Municipal Medical Center, Tarumizu Central Hospital , Kagoshima , Japan.
authors.forename: Jun-Ichi
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Sameshima
authors.affiliation: e Department of Rehabilitation, Miyanaga Hospital , Miyazaki , Japan.
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yunoki
authors.affiliation: a Department of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences , Kagoshima University , Kagoshima , Japan.
authors.forename: Kazumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawahira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019370:Observation; D011788:Quality of Life; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013070:Speech Therapy; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Repetitive facilitation exercise; convalescent stroke; quality-of-life; rehabilitation