Age is Associated with the Clinical Course of Severely Hemiplegic Stroke Patients in a Rehabilitation Hospital

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to clarify the influence of age on the clinical course of severely hemiplegic patients. [Subjects and Methods] Among stroke patients admitted to our rehabilitation hospital, those with first attack and severe hemiplegia in the lower extremity were included in this study. We divided them based on age at admission into two groups: the non-elderly group (n=28), and the elderly group (n=18). We compared background factors, cognitive function, neurological symptoms, physical function, ambulation ability, activities of daily living (ADL), and destination both at admission and discharge. [Results] No differences were observed in the background factors, cognitive function, neurological symptom, physical function, ambulation ability, activities of daily living (ADL) at admission, or the length of stay and destination. On the other hand, trunk ability, ambulation ability, and ADL of the non-elderly group were higher than those of the elderly group at discharge. [Conclusion] Elderly patients tend to have a worse prognosis even when the severity of stroke is comparable with non-elderly patients.