Optimizing functional outcome endpoints for stroke recovery studies

Functional Recovery From Stroke

Background and Purpose Shorter lengths of hospital stay in stroke units could be due to quicker functional recovery or mechanisms of expediting hospital discharge. Methods Stroke survivors with an intermediate prognosis at 2 weeks after stroke (n=146) were randomized for management in a stroke rehabilitation unit or in general wards. Barthel scores were monitored at weekly intervals until hospi...

Functional recovery after rehabilitation for cerebellar stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Relatively few data exist concerning functional recovery after ischemic and hemorrhagic cerebellar stroke. We studied patients admitted to a rehabilitation hospital after cerebellar stroke to quantify recovery after rehabilitation therapy and to identify variables that predicted functional outcome. METHODS This study was a retrospective review of consecutive cases admit...

Functional imaging in stroke recovery.

Assessing neurobiology of brain systems can provide information not available from anatomic or behavioral assessment. Such information may be of value in understanding, defining, and prescribing potential therapeutic interventions that target restorative brain events after stroke. A number of methods have been used to study stroke recovery, each with its relative merits and limitations. Several...

Depression and functional outcome after stroke: the effect of antidepressant therapy on functional recovery.

AIM The optimal strategy to prevent post-stroke depression is an important but still-unresolved issue. This study examined the differences in functional recovery among post-stroke depressed patients (DP) compared to post-stroke non-depressed patients (NDP) over the course of six months after stroke. METHODS On the basis of a semistructured psychiatric examination, DSM-IV diagnostic criteria a...

Imaging for prediction of functional outcome and assessment of recovery in ischemic stroke.