Effects of inpatient rehabilitation on functional recovery of stroke patients: A comparison of chronic stroke patients with and without cognitive impairment

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of inpatient rehabilitation on functional recovery of chronic stroke patients with cognitive impairment. [Subjects] This study recruited 63 patients, who underwent a rehabilitation program after stroke between May, 2008 and May, 2010. Patients were divided according to the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) total scores into a cognitive impairment group (MMSE<21) and a non-cognitive impairment group (MMSE≥22). All patients were evaluated ADL performance, balance and walking ability at admission and discharge. [Results] The scores of Modified Barthel Index (MBI), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and walking ability of chronic stroke patients with cognitive impairment improved significantly after 3 months of the rehabilitation program. [Conclusion] These results suggest that inpatient rehabilitation improves the functional recovery of chronic stroke patients with cognitive impairment.