Abstract

A Short Note on the Evolutionary Activity in Stroke Patients at the Early Stage of Rehabilitation

Author(s): Daiva Petruseviciene

The most common outcome of stroke is unilateral paralysis (hemiplegia) followed by disorders of coordination, balance, and movements. Due to dysfunctions of movements, self-care, cognition, behaviour, and communication, some part of stroke patients remains disabled. They need assistance and care provided by other people. Occupational therapy, which is part of rehabilitation of patients after stroke, is directed to independence training. There are scarce data related to effectiveness of occupational therapy depending on motor, cognitive, and psychosocial dysfunctions. Goals of study were to estimate effectiveness of occupational therapy at the early stage of rehabilitation depending on type of stroke, localization of brain injury, grade of lesion, age, and gender, to identify factors influencing effectiveness of occupational therapy, and to estimate their positive predictive value. In Lithuania, the stroke is not only medical, but social issue as well, since only 20% of patients suffering from stroke remain active at work. Yearly stroke incidence in Lithuania is 7000–8000 cases. The most common outcome of stroke is unilateral paralysis (hemiplegia) followed by disorders of coordination, balance, and movements. Due to dysfunctions of movements, self-care, cognition, behavior, and communication, some part of stroke patients remains disabled. They need assistance and care provided by other people. Effectiveness of occupational therapy in patients after stroke at then early stage of rehabilitation was influenced by gender, age, degree of lesion, type of stroke. Better effectiveness of occupational therapy was observed in men (P<0.05).