Factors influencing recovery of activities of daily living in stroke patients

Abstract

In 79 stroke patients admitted to our department from 1983 to 1985, the recovery of activities of daily living (ADL) was studied in relation to aging and various types of neurological impairment.
Among these types of neurological impairment, agnosia, apraxia, aphasia and intellectual decline were important factors influencing recovery of ADL. Only 37% of 27 patients with these forms of impairment were independent as regards ADL, while 98% of 52 patients without them were independent.
The outcome of patients with these impairments was very poor, especially in those who were seventy and above. Only 9% of 11 patients were independent, while 56% of 16 patients with these impairments, who were under seventy, were independent.
On the other hand, the outcome was very good in 15 patients without these impairments who were seventy and above. All of them were independent as regards ADL.
It was suggested that the following types of neurological impairment -apraxia, agnosia, aphasia and intellectual decline-were very important factors influencing recovery of ADL, especially in stroke patients of seventy and above.