Features of Mental Disorders in Right- and Left-Hemisphere Localization of Stroke on the Background of Motor Rehabilitation: Comparative Study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. In post-stroke patients have a high incidence of cognitive and emotional pathology, it is very important to take into account the particular features of mental state in order to achieve significant results of rehabilitation. The data on brain asymmetry indicate a certain lateralization of some mental functions (speech, emotional and cognitive functions).
 AIM. To study cognitive, emotional disorders and quality of life in patients with ischemic stroke depending on the localization of the lesion in the right or left cerebral hemisphere and their dynamics on the background of motor rehabilitation.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS. 39 patients with localization of an ischemic focus in the middle cerebral artery territory (group 1 (n = 19) — right hemisphere, and group 2 (n = 20) — left hemisphere) in the recovery period after an ischemic stroke, underwent an inpatient course of motor rehabilitation. Conditions of the patients were assessed at the beginning and at the end of hospitalization using the 6-point muscular strength scale, the modified Ashfort scale, a TUG test, the FIM and Berg balance scales, MMSE, MoCA, the Schulte Table methods, he Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger-Khanin) and the Quality of Life at stroke.
 RESULTS. Attention disorders were found in patients of groups 1 and 2 in 84.6 and 75 %, respectively. Emotional disorders were diagnosed in almost half of post-stroke patients, anxiety disorders prevailed over depressive ones. In group 2 patients scoring ≤ 23 points on the MMSE were found 5 times more frequently. In group 1 depression was 4 times more frequent. However, the obtained intergroup differences were not statistically significant. At the end of the rehabilitation, both groups demonstrated a significant decrease in the level of trait anxiety, and in group 1 an increase in the attentional stability.
 DISCUSSION. The observed prevalence of more severe cognitive impairments in the LMCA group and emotional impairments in the RMCA group are consistent with the data on brain asymmetry.
 CONCLUSION. Motor rehabilitation has a positive effect on the emotional state of patients after a stroke, and insignificantly on their cognitive functions, which, along with a high incidence of cognitive impairments, necessitates consideration of the transition from motor to cognitive-motor rehabilitation in order to improve the effectiveness of the treatment.