Clinical application of the Loewenstein occupational therapy cognitive assessment in assessing the cognition of stroke patients / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the applicability of the Loewenstein occupational therapy cognitive assessment (LOTCA) in evaluating cognitive function and observing the curative effect of stroke treatment.Methods Thirty stroke patients with cognitive impairment (the cognitive impairment group) and thirty stroke patients without marked cognitive impairment (the stroke control group) were screened using the mini-mental status examination (MMSE),and thirty healthy subjects served as a normal control group.The gender distributions,ages and levels of education of the three groups were matched.All cases were examined with the LOTCA.After two months of treatment,the three groups were assessed again.Results The average total scores and the scores on the LOTCA subitems were significantly lower in the cognitive impairment group than in the stroke control group and were even lower than those in the normal control group.Particularly conspicuous were their lower scores on the thinking operations and orientation and visuo-motor organization LOTCA sub-items,In the stroke control group the average scores on the thinking operations,visuo-motor organization,attention,orientation and spatial perception sub-items were all significantly lower than those in the normal control group,especially on the thinking operations and visuo-motor organization sub-items.After treatment,the LOTCA scores in all three groups had improved significantly compared with before treatment.Conclusion The LOTCA can assess the severity and characteristics of cognitive impairment in stroke patients.It offers an effective method for identifying cognitive impairment and tracking any improvements.The scores reflect patients' cognitive levels,and so have clinical value.