Abstract

Objectives: We examined cases of hemiparesis with various aetiological reasons, before and after treatment in order to analyse the factors which may affect functional recovery rates, motor development and complications.

Patients and Methods: Eighty-two patients (52 males; mean age 57.06±15.43; range 8-82 and 30 females; mean age 56.17±14.41; range 18-78) were retrospectively evaluated. Patient characteristics including age, gender, side of hemiparesis, type of stroke, mental condition, speech ability, the onset to rehabilitation admission interval, Brunnstrom values, the Ashworth index, the Functional Ambulation Categories (FAC), Barthel index (BI) on admission and before discharge from the hospital, complications and length of inpatient stay were recorded.

Results: There were significant differences between admission and discharge Brunnstrom values, BI and FAC's in all the patients. There was a negative correlation between the onset to rehabilitation admission interval and the rate of change after treatment. A positive correlation was observed between the length of inpatient stay and the rate of change in the scores. It was determined that infections negatively affected the changes in BI and FAC's after treatment.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that the functional outcome of hemiparetic patients was positively affected by rehabilitation, and that the aetiological reasons and complications did not affect the results of the treatment.