Effects of early rehabilitation on the motor function of post-stroke hemiplegic patients after intravenous thrombolysis

Abstract

Objective To observe the effects of early rehabilitation on the motor function of post-stroke hemiplegic patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis. Methods Thirty-six post-stroke hemiplegic patients after intravenous thrombolysis with rtPA were recruited in this study. They were randomly divided into the early rehabilitation group (with the course less than three days) and the control group (with the course between three and seven days), 18 cases in each group. Both group received a two-week rehabilitation programme. They were assessed using the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) of up extremity, FMA of lower extremity and ADL score (modified Barthel index, MBI) before and after treatment, as well as at the 3rd month after treatment (during the following-up). Results After treatment and at the following-up, FMA scores of up extremity, FMA scores of lower extremity and MBI scores had improved significantly compared with before treatment in both groups. Furthermore, after treatment, in the early rehabilitation group the average FMA score of lower extremity and MBI score reached (23.33±4.37) and (56.11±22.27) respectively, significantly higher than those of the control group [(17.06±4.70) and (40.00±15.81) respectively]. Conclusion Early rehabilitation contributes to short-term recovery of lower extremity motor function and ability in the activities of daily living in post-stroke hemiplegic patients after intravenous thrombolysis. Key words: Stroke; Thrombolysis; Early rehabilitation; Motor function