Effects of nutritional support on serum amino acid spectrum and neurological function in acute stroke patients

Abstract

Objective To investigate serum amino acid spectrum in patients with acute stroke in response to different nutritional support strategies and its effects on neurological function. Methods A total of 60 cases of acute stroke with dysphagia were randomly distributed into two groups: enteral nutrition group (30 cases) and control group (30 cases) using simple randomized design. Serum amino acid spectrum, hemoglobin, total protein, albumin, prealbumin, immunoglobulins, complement, and infection rate were assessed at three time points: within 48 hours, (7±1) days and (14±1) days after admission, and neurological deficit and activities of daily living are scored according to National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and Barthel Index (BI). Results (7±1), (14±1) days after admission, serum amino acid spectrum, hemoglobin, total protein, albumin, prealbumin, immunoglobulins, complement, and neurological deficit scores of enteral nutrition group patients were significantly better than those of non-enteral nutrition control group; and infection rate was lower than that of control group. Follow-up for a month，3 months，NIHSS of enteral nutrition group patients（9.0±1.4，7.9±1.3）were significantly better than non-enteral nutrition control group（11.1±1.5，10.6±1.4, F=46.042，P 0.05). Conclusion For patients suffering acute stroke with dysphagia, enteral nutrition support could reduce infectious complications, improve short-term neurological function and long-term prognosis by improving serum amino acids level and thus the whole body’s nutritional status. Key words: Nutritional support; Stroke; Deglutition disorders; Amino acids; Nervous system; Recovery of function