Impact of intracerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction on ADL and outcome in stroke patients: A retrospective cohort study

What is it about?

Strokes can affect a person's ability to perform everyday activities, but different types of strokes might impact recovery in different ways. Our study focused on two common types of strokes: intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and cerebral infarction (CI). We found that patients with ICH had more difficulty improving their daily activities during rehabilitation compared to those with CI. For instance, ICH patients struggled more with tasks like getting dressed, moving between the bed and chair, using the bathroom, and walking. This was surprising because it suggests that the type of stroke can significantly influence how well someone recovers their ability to perform basic daily tasks. Understanding these differences can help doctors and therapists create better rehabilitation plans tailored to each patient's needs.

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Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash

Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Previous research has looked at how two types of strokes, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and cerebral infarction (CI), affect a patient's ability to regain daily living skills. Generally, patients with ICH start off with lower physical abilities during the early stages of hospitalization but eventually recover to a similar level as those with CI. However, these studies mostly focused on the overall scores of a standard test called the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). This approach overlooks the differences in specific physical and mental tasks, making it harder to draw clear conclusions and plan effective rehabilitation. To improve rehabilitation practices, it’s important to look at these details more closely. For example, understanding which specific tasks patients struggle with the most can help therapists develop better-targeted rehabilitation strategies. Additionally, no research has yet looked at how ICH and CI might differently affect predictions for recovery outcomes. Therefore, it’s crucial to explore whether these differences between ICH and CI play a role in predicting how well a patient will recover.

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