Possibility of treatment of emotional and behavioral disorders in patients with stroke during rehabilitation

Abstract

To assess the effect of the comprehensive rehabilitation, which includes mechanotherapy and cognitive stimulation based on tablet technologies, on emotional and behavioral disorders in patients in the acute stage of ischemic stroke. The study enrolled 100 patients admitted to the hospital in the acute stage of ischemic stroke. The patients were randomized into treatment and control groups. Patients of the treatment group (n=50) underwent daily robotic mechanotherapy using the MOTOmed movement trainer and tablet technologies for self-training to improve memory, perception, reaction, counting. Patients of the control group (n=50) received standard therapy. The functional state of patients was assessed with the Rankin modified scale. Psychometric scales (the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories) were used to measure emotional and behavioral disorders. The program of comprehensive rehabilitation in the acute stage of ischemic stroke helps to decrease emotional and behavioral disorders (p=0.0001). In patients of the treatment group, the severity of depressive disorders was lower at discharge from the hospital and continued to decrease for 6 months (p=0.001). The level of anxiety decreased over the study period (p=0.0001) compared with the patients of the control group who did not demonstrate improvement. Patients of the treatment group displayed better functional recovery reflected by significant changes in Rankin scale scores. The rehabilitation program, which includes mechanotherapy and cognitive stimulation based on tablet technologies, is an easy and accessible method for treatment of emotional and behavioral disorders in patients in the acute stage of ischemic stroke. The results are maintained during the study period with further improvement after 3 and 6 months.