Examination of Sitting Ability at 10 Days Post-Stroke as a Walking Prognosis Factor in Acute Phase Stroke Patients

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of the sitting ability at 10 days post-stroke as a factor of prognosis for walking ability within 1 month post-stroke. Methods: The subjects were 79 stroke patients suffering a first stroke. First, we divided the patients into two groups, those who could walk (independence and observation) and those who could not (partial or total assistance) on day 20 and day 30 post-stroke, and performed univariate analysis (χ^2 test and t-test) with age, consciousness disorder, higher cortical function disorder, paralysis of each of the lower limbs, and sitting ability as the variables. Then, with the object variable as ability to walk on day 20 and day 30 post-stroke, and explanatory variables as age, consciousness disorder, higher cortical function disorder, paralysis of each of the lower limbs and sitting ability, we performed multivariate analysis (logistic regression). Result: In the univariate analysis significant differences were found for consciousness disorder, higher cortical function disorder, paralysis of each of the lower limbs, and sitting ability, between ability to walk and lack of ability to walk (p<0.05). However, in multivariate analysis, only two factors, sitting ability and paralysis of each of the lower limbs, were found to be significant (p<0.05). Conclusions: Sitting ability at 10 days post-stroke may be useful as a walking prognosis factor.