A Preliminary Study on the Functional Recovery after Acute Stroke (Assessed by Barthel ADL index)

ABSTRACT

We evaluated the performance of activities of daily living by using Barthel ADL index and the factors affecting the quality of life were also analyzed in 82 survivors who suffered from single cerebral infarction in MCA territory and followed for more tham 3 months. The results were as follows: 1. Among the patients, 56(68.3%) patients regained functional indepeadency.but they were not necessarily normal or socially independent. 2. They improved markedly in first 4 weeks after onset of the stroke. 3. Functional recovery in the left hemiplegic patients was better than the right, but there was no difference in functional recovery related to sex and etiologic factors. 4. There was no correlation between age and ADL score 5. The major determinants for long term quality of life were the initial neurologic signs and the size of infarcted area demonstrated by Computed Tomography.