Influencing Factors on Quality of Life after Stroke

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The cerebrovascular diseases including stroke have become prevalent in Korea, ranking first as the cause of death in the aged. The quality of life (QOL) in stroke patients has been studied with growing interest since every aspect of life after stroke is influenced by the sequelae of this illness. This study aimed at 1) describing QOL of stroke patients and 2) identifying predictors of two month QOL after the event in stroke survivors. METHOD: WHO QOL scale was used to evaluate two month QOL after the stroke in 69 ischemic stroke patients. Data on age at the stroke event, sex, education level, brain MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) findings, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and neurologic disabilities were collected. Analyses were performed to explore the predictors of two month QOL. RESULTS: Stroke survivors with higher number and volume of frontal cortex lesions had lower two month QOL. Also, patients with more severe subcortical gray matter lesions had significantly lower two month QOL. Stroke patients with depression at the event had lower two month QOL than patients without depression. CONCLUSION: Lesions in frontal cortex and subcortical gray matter hyperintensities on MRI T2 images and depression in acute phase were of paramount importance in predicting two month QOL. Accurate and prompt neurologic and psychiatric interventions are required to improve QOL after stroke.