MEASUREMENT OF WALKING IMPAIRMENT RECOVERY AFTER STROKE

Abstract

Introduction: One of the most important goals in rehabilitating patients affected by stroke is re-establishing independent movement by activating as many motor patterns as possible and changing existing preexisting abnormal motor patterns

Objective:  To determine recovery level with the accent on motor functions recovery in a patient affected by an ischemic stroke for the first time. The study included patients with anterior circulation syndrome, posterior circulation syndrome, and lacunar syndrome in the acute and post-acute phases of physical therapy and rehabilitation.

Material and methods: We conducted a prospective study, which included a total of 90 patients with the first onset of ischemic stroke. The first group consisted of 30 patients with the  anterior circulation syndrome of; the second group of 30 patients with the posterior circulation syndrome and the third group of 30 patients with the lacunar syndrome.  At the beginning of their early rehabilitation treatment at the Clinic of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the Bamford Scale was used in the initial assessment of the clinical classification of stroke. After the rehabilitation treatment and six months after the stroke, an assessment of motor functions and improvement in overall functionality was performed using a six-minute walk test.

Results: The six-minute walk test in all the studied groups showed significant improvement six months after the stroke compared to testing done immediately after their rehabilitation treatment (p = 0.01 anterior circulation, p = 0.05 posterior circulation, p = 0.01 lacunar syndrome). The six-minute walk test was statistically significantly better in patients with lacunar syndrome compared to patients with posterior circulation syndrome after the rehabilitation treatment (p = 0.005) and six months after stroke; p = 0.02.

Conclusion: The importance of rehabilitation in the acute and post-acute phases of patients with first ischemic stroke is evident. The six-minute walk test in all studied groups showed statistically significant improvement after six months post-stroke period compared to post-rehabilitation testing. The results were statistically significantly better in patients with lacunar syndrome compared to patients with posterior circulation syndrome after the physical treatment and the time period of six months after the stroke.