BACKGROUND stroke is predominantly a disease of older people. While age bias has been demonstrated in studies of pharmacological therapeutic interventions in stroke, the extent of discrimination by age in stroke rehabilitation studies is unknown. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature to assess the extent of ageism in stroke rehabilitation studies. METHODS all rando...

INTRODUCTION The poststroke acute and rehabilitation length of stay (LOS) are key markers of stroke care efficiency. This study aimed to describe the characteristics and identify the predictors of poststroke acute, rehabilitation and total LOS. This study also defined a subgroup of patients as "short" LOS and compared its complication rates and functional outcomes in rehabilitation with a "long...

Functional disability and motor impairments are important concerns post stroke, therefore improving functional and motor outcome is one of the main goals of stroke rehabilitation. Most recovery is seen in the first weeks after stroke, with the recovery slope reaching a plateau between 3 and 6 months. It remains unclear whether early improvements can be sustained long term after stroke. Knowledg...

BACKGROUND Patients with stroke are at a high risk for long-term handicap and disability. In the first weeks after stroke muscle wasting is observed frequently. Early post-stroke rehabilitation programs are directed to improve functional independence and physical performance. Supplementation with essential amino acids (EAAs) might prevent muscle wasting and improve rehabilitation outcome by aug...

BACKGROUND stroke is a common condition, frequently with significant effects on a patient's ability to live an active and independent life. Anything that may potentially have a beneficial effect on the rehabilitation of such patients should therefore be explored, and as ocular and visual problems are common in patients with stroke, it is important that their implications are understood. OBJEC...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to describe the outcomes of patients with a severe stroke admitted to a specialized "slow stream" rehabilitation program and to develop a model to predict discharge destination. METHODS Chart review of 196 consecutive non-ambulatory ("lower-band") stroke patients admitted between 1996-2001, to a specialized in-patient rehabilitation unit designed to acc...

BACKGROUND AND RESEARCH OBJECTIVE Stroke is the primary cause of long-term disability among older adults. This study identifies predictors of functional independence and perceived stress for stroke survivors discharged home from inpatient rehabilitation with a spousal caregiver. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Stroke survivors (N = 97) were interviewed immediately after discharge to obtain scores on the...

Objectives: Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability. Hand motor impairment resulting from chronic stroke may have extensive physical, psychological, financial, and social implications despite available rehabilitative treatments. The best time to start treatment for stroke, is in sub-acute period. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a method of stimulating and ...

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of health professionals who treat stroke patients in Kuwait regarding cultural influences on the experience of stroke and rehabilitation in Kuwait. Health professionals interviewed were from a variety of cultural backgrounds thus providing an opportunity to investigate how they perceived the influence of culture on stroke recovery...

Each year, about 150 000 people in the UK have a first or recurrent stroke. Despite UK health policies that place a great emphasis on reducing stroke (such as the National Stroke Strategy) and improvements in mortality and morbidity, guidance is needed on access to and provision of effective rehabilitation services to maximise quality of life after stroke. This article summarises the most recen...