[Stroke Patients After Inpatient Neurological Rehabilitation - A Prospective Study to Determine Predictors of Survival at Home up to Five Years After Discharge].

Purpose: To identify factors influencing the long-term survival at home in stroke patients after neurological inpatient rehabilitation.

Methods: The study was conducted as a prospective cohort study in 204 stroke patients who were treated in the course of one year in the Herzogenaurach Rehabilitation Hospital (rehabilitation phases C and B). The social data and clinical data were collected during inpatient rehabilitation.

Synergistic effect of acupuncture and mirror therapy on post-stroke upper limb dysfunction: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Upper limb dysfunction is common after stroke, posing an important challenge for post-stroke rehabilitation. The clinical efficacy of acupuncture for the recovery of post-stroke upper limb function has been previously demonstrated. Mirror therapy (MT) has also been found to be effective.

Measuring stroke patients' exercise preferences using a discrete choice experiment.

Physical activity post stroke improves health, yet physical inactivity is highly prevalent. Tailored exercise programs considering physical activity preferences are a promising approach to promote physical activity. Therefore, this study seeks to measure exercise preferences of stroke survivors.

Visual feedback explains why propointing is better than antipointing in spatial neglect.

Rossit et al. (2011) showed that neglect patients perform normally in a propointing task but not in an antipointing task which requires pointing towards the mirrored position of a target. It is assumed that antipointing relies on information from the perceptual pathway of our visual brain.

A comparative study of medication use after stroke in four countries.

Objectives: The use of medication plays an important role in secondary stroke prevention and treatment of post-stroke comorbidities. The Collaborative Evaluation of Rehabilitation in Stroke across Europe (CERISE) was set up to investigate the inpatient stroke rehabilitation process in four centres, each in a different European country: Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom and Switzerland.

Patients And Methods: Patients' medication use 5 years post-stroke was compared between countries.

Long-term impact of stroke on patients' health-related quality of life.

Purpose: This international study aims to examine the size and determinants of the impact of stroke on five-year survivors' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in four different European countries.

Method: Patients were recruited consecutively in four European rehabilitation centers. Five years after stroke, the EuroQol-visual analog scale (EQ-VAS) was administered in 226 first-ever stroke patients.

Effects of acupuncture and computer-assisted cognitive training for post-stroke attention deficits: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: A majority of stroke survivors present with cognitive impairments. Attention disturbance, which leads to impaired concentration and overall reduced cognitive functions, is strongly associated with stroke. The clinical efficacy of acupuncture with Baihui (GV20) and Shenting (GV24) as well as computer-assisted cognitive training in stroke and post-stroke cognitive impairment have both been demonstrated in previous studies.

Predictors of health-related quality of life in stroke patients after neurological inpatient rehabilitation: a prospective study.

Background: The goal of the study was to investigate the long-term course of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in stroke survivors during and up to 2.5 years after inpatient neurological rehabilitation and to identify predictors of HRQoL.

Methods: HRQoL was determined in 152 stroke survivors in a single-centre prospective cohort study at four time points: upon admission to inpatient rehabilitation, at discharge, and one and 2.

Functional and motor outcome 5 years after stroke is equivalent to outcome at 2 months: follow-up of the collaborative evaluation of rehabilitation in stroke across Europe.

Background And Purpose: Recovery of patients within the first 6 months after stroke is well documented, but there has been little research on long-term recovery. The aim of this study was to analyze functional and motor recovery between admission to rehabilitation centres and 5 years after stroke.

Methods: This follow-up of the Collaborative Evaluation of Rehabilitation in Stroke Across Europe study, included patients from 4 European rehabilitation centres.

Stroke patients after neurological inpatient rehabilitation: a prospective study to determine whether functional status or health-related quality of life predict living at home 2.5 years after discharge.

We carried out a prospective study to determine whether stroke patients' functional status or health-related quality of life would predict whether they lived at home 2.5 years after discharge from neurological inpatient rehabilitation. We carried out a single-center prospective cohort study.

Long-term prediction of functional outcome after stroke using single items of the Barthel Index at discharge from rehabilitation centre.

Purpose: To determine the prognostic value of single items of the Barthel Index (BI) at discharge from rehabilitation, in predicting independence in personal activities of daily living (ADL) (BI score ≥ 95/100) at five years after stroke.

Method: People with stroke were recruited consecutively from four European rehabilitation centres. BI was assessed on discharge and at five years after stroke.

Five-year mortality and related prognostic factors after inpatient stroke rehabilitation: a European multi-centre study.

Objective: To determine 5-year mortality and its association with baseline characteristics and functional status 6 months post-stroke for patients who received inpatient rehabilitation.

Design: A prospective rehabilitation-based cohort study.

Subjects: A total of 532 consecutive stroke patients from 4 European rehabilitation centres.

The use of a biplot in studying outcomes after stroke.

Background And Purpose: This study aimed to unravel the multidimensional profile of stroke outcomes by investigating the global correlation structure of motor, functional, and emotional problems of patients, as well as their caregivers' strain, at 6 months after stroke. Potential differential associations based on patients' level of functioning on admission to the rehabilitation center were analyzed.

Methods: Data were collected within the CERISE-study (Collaborative Evaluation of Rehabilitation in Stroke across Europe).

Anxiety and depression in the first six months after stroke. A longitudinal multicentre study.

Purpose: To document the prevalence, severity and time course of anxiety and depression in stroke rehabilitation patients in four European countries.

Method: At two, four and six months post-stroke, the prevalence and severity of anxiety and depression were determined in 532 consecutively recruited patients, using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Time course of prevalence and severity was examined, using Cochran-Q and Friedman-tests, respectively.

Computer-aided therapy in aphasia therapy: evaluation of assignment criteria.

Recent studies in neurorehabilitation research show that success in aphasia therapy is linked to a high treatment frequency. Computer-aided therapy offers a solution to the dilemma of increasing therapy frequency while maintaining or reducing the load on therapists' resources. Until now it has, however, been unclear which patients can reasonably be treated with computer-aided therapy.

Motor and functional recovery after stroke: a comparison of 4 European rehabilitation centers.

Background And Purpose: Outcome after first stroke varies significantly across Europe. This study was designed to compare motor and functional recovery after stroke between four European rehabilitation centers.

Methods: Consecutive stroke patients (532 patients) were recruited.

Inpatient stroke rehabilitation: a comparative study of admission criteria to stroke rehabilitation units in four European centres.

Objective: To explore the clinical and non-clinical factors involved in decision-making concerning admission to European stroke rehabilitation units.

Design: Observational study on case-mix at intake combined with questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with the medical consultants of each European stroke rehabilitation unit.

Patients And Settings: Clinical data on 532 first-ever patients after stroke.

Trunk performance after stroke: an eye catching predictor of functional outcome.

Background And Aims: Trunk performance is an important predictor of functional outcome after stroke. However, the percentage of explained variance varies considerably between studies. This may be explained by the stroke population examined, the different scales used to assess trunk performance and the time points used to measure outcome.

Effect of socioeconomic status on functional and motor recovery after stroke: a European multicentre study.

Background: Previous studies have shown an inverse gradient in socioeconomic status for disability after stroke. However, no distinction has been made between the period in the stroke rehabilitation unit (SRU) and the period after discharge. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of education and equivalent income on motor and functional recovery for both periods.

Factors contributing to patient satisfaction with medical rehabilitation in German hospitals.

The objective of this study was to quantify overall patient satisfaction, through the identification of the particular aspects of patient satisfaction that were most likely to cause patients to recommend the rehabilitation hospital to others. The research entailed analysing secondary data from a quality improvement programme for medical rehabilitation, conducted from 1997 until 2004, in seven rehabilitation hospitals in Germany. Overall patient satisfaction and several potential predictors were examined in relation to 120,825 patients who had received inpatient medical rehabilitation.

Use of time by physiotherapists and occupational therapists in a stroke rehabilitation unit: a comparison between four European rehabilitation centres.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the time allocated to therapeutic activities (TA) and non-therapeutic activities (NTA) of physiotherapists (PT) and occupational therapists (OT) in stroke rehabilitation units in four European countries.

Method: Therapists documented their activities in 15-min periods for two weeks. They recorded: activity, number of patients, number of stroke patients, involvement of other people, location and frequency of each activity.

Stroke rehabilitation in Europe: what do physiotherapists and occupational therapists actually do?

Background And Purpose: Physiotherapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) are key components of stroke rehabilitation. Little is known about their content. This study aimed to define and compare the content of PT and OT for stroke patients between 4 European rehabilitation centers.

Use of time by stroke patients: a comparison of four European rehabilitation centers.

Background And Purpose: Differences exist between European countries in the proportion of patients who die or become dependent after stroke. The aim of the present study was to identify differences in the use of time by stroke patients in 4 rehabilitation centers in 4 European countries.

Methods: In each of the 4 centers, 60 randomly selected stroke patients were observed at 10-minute intervals using behavioral mapping.