Recovery, Functional Status, and Health-Related Quality of Life Status up to 4 Years after First-Ever Stroke Onset: A Population-Based Study.

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of acquired disability in adults worldwide, and the burden of stroke is projected to increase. Current long-term stroke outcome data including functional status, activity, and participation limitations as well as information on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are vital for future rehabilitation and resource planning of stroke survivors.

Methods: First-ever stroke survivors from a population-based cohort with ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage were followed up 3-4 years after stroke onset via clinic appointments, home visits, or telephone.

Survival, causes of death and recurrence up to 3 years after stroke: A population-based study.

Background And Purpose: Up-to-date population-based information about long-term survival, causes of death and recurrence after stroke is needed.

Methods: Four hundred consecutive individuals in a population-based cohort of first-ever stroke between 2015 and 2016 in Lund, Sweden, were followed up to 3 years regarding (i) survival (Swedish Population Register); (ii) causes of death (Swedish Causes of Death Register); and (iii) stroke recurrence (interview and medical chart review). Index and recurrent ischaemic stroke cases were classified using the Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) and Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project; and comorbidities were classified using the Charlson Comorbidity Index.

Completeness of case ascertainment in Swedish hospital-based stroke registers.

Background: There is a worldwide development toward using data from hospital-based stroke registers to estimate epidemiological trends. However, incomplete case ascertainment may cause selection bias. We examined the completeness of case ascertainment and selection bias in two hospital-based Swedish stroke registers.

Temporal Trends of Stroke Epidemiology in Southern Sweden: A Population-Based Study on Stroke Incidence and Early Case-Fatality.

Background: Up-to-date epidemiological stroke studies are important for healthcare planning and evaluating prevention strategies. This population-based study investigates temporal trends in stroke incidence and case-fatality in southern Sweden.

Methods: First-ever stroke cases in the local catchment area of Skåne University Hospital in Lund, Sweden, between March, 2015 and February, 2016, were included from several sources, including 2 prospective hospital-based registers, retrospective screening of primary care visits, and autopsy registers.

Spontaneous Recovery of Upper Extremity Motor Impairment After Ischemic Stroke: Implications for Stem Cell-Based Therapeutic Approaches.

Preclinical studies suggest that stem cell therapy (SCT) may improve sensorimotor recovery after stroke. Upper extremity motor impairment (UEMI) is common after stroke, often entailing substantial disability. To evaluate the feasibility of post-stroke UEMI as a target for SCT, we examined a selected sample of stroke patients potentially suitable for SCT, aiming to assess the frequency and recovery of UEMI, as well as its relation to activity limitations and participation restrictions.

Attitudes to Stem Cell Therapy Among Ischemic Stroke Survivors in the Lund Stroke Recovery Study.

Preclinical studies suggest that stem cell therapy (SCT) may improve poststroke recovery, and clinical trials investigating safety are ongoing. However, knowledge about patients' attitudes to SCT in stroke is limited. We evaluated the knowledge and attitudes to this therapeutic approach as well as possible factors influencing this among stroke patients potentially suitable for SCT.