Prognostic factors in the recovery of the ability to walk after stroke

Abstract We have studied the recovery of walking ability on being discharged from a department of physical medicine and rehabilitation in patients with hemiplegia after stroke, and the factors influencing this recovery. This prospective study was based on 93 patients. The patients, who were considered to be ambulatory, were able to move 10 metres on their own or with supervision when they were discharged. The potentially influential factors studied were: age, the aetiology and the side of hemiplegia, co-morbidity, the delay in starting rehabilitation, the neurological damage evaluated by the middle cerebral artery scale of Orgogozo, the initial functional damage evaluated by the functional score carried out within the scale of Functional Independence Measure (FIM), the existence of aphasia, of a depressive or hemineglect syndrome, presence of superficial or profound sensory disorders, incontinence at the start of rehabilitation and at one month after stroke, the existence of cognitive or psychiatric disorders. The non-parametric Mann-Whitney, the [Chi ] 2 , and the correlation test were used. The threshold of significance was .05. Based on 93 patients (47 women and 46 men, average age 64.8) 87.1% were walking at discharge, on average 3 months after stroke. The predictive factors or those linked to an absence of recovery were the presence of superficial sensory disorders, the initial neurological damage, the initial functional damage, the presence of a depressive syndrome, and urinary incontinence. We stress the significance of the sensorimotor and initial functional damage, and of incontinence in establishing a prognosis for recovery of walking ability, in order to decide the objectives and the rehabilitative treatment for each patient.