ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Sequelae after a stroke are common and may lead to disability. Aphasia - defined as an acquired language disturbance - can cause important limitations in quality of life. AIM: To describe the epidemiological features of patients who had an aphasia after a first episode of ischemic stroke and their functional outcome at six months. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Review of a database of a population study on the incidence, 30-day case fatality rate, and prognosis of stroke performed in a northern Chilean city between 2000 and 2002. RESULTS: Aphasia was diagnosed in 28 of 142 patients in whom the disorder was sought (20%). The projected incidence rate in the city where the study was carried out is 7.06 per 100,000 inhabitants. The mean age of these 28 patients was 66 ± 20 years and 53% were women. The main risk factor for stroke was hypertension in 62%. The etiology of stroke was undetermined in 64% of these patients. Partial anterior circulation infarction was the most common stroke location in 61%. CONCLUSIONS: Twenty percent of patients with a first episode of ischemic stroke have aphasia.
Subject(s)
Aphasia/epidemiology , Brain Ischemia/epidemiology , Stroke/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Age Distribution , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Aphasia/etiology , Brain Ischemia/complications , Child , Child, Preschool , Chile/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Incidence , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Middle Aged , Prognosis , Retrospective Studies , Severity of Illness Index , Stroke/complications , Young AdultABSTRACT
Background: Sequelae after a stroke are common and may lead to disability. Aphasia - defined as an acquired language disturbance - can cause important limitations in quality of life. Aim: To describe the epidemiological features of patients who had an aphasia after a first episode of ischemic stroke and their functional outcome at six months. Material and Methods: Review of a database of a population study on the incidence, 30-day case fatality rate, and prognosis of stroke performed in a northern Chilean city between 2000 and 2002. Results: Aphasia was diagnosed in 28 of 142 patients in whom the disorder was sought (20%). The projected incidence rate in the city where the study was carried out is 7.06 per 100,000 inhabitants. The mean age of these 28 patients was 66 ± 20 years and 53% were women. The main risk factor for stroke was hypertension in 62%. The etiology of stroke was undetermined in 64% of these patients. Partial anterior circulation infarction was the most common stroke location in 61%. Conclusions: Twenty percent of patients with a first episode of ischemic stroke have aphasia