Abstract
Stroke survivors often experience serious cognitive impairment which may impact on their functional activity and the ability to lead an independent life. However, there is paucity of information on the relationship between post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) and functional activity of Nigerian stroke survivors. This study therefore examined the relationship between post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) and functional activity of stroke survivors attending physiotherapy clinics in Maiduguri, north-eastern Nigeria. A cross sectional study design was utilized and a purposive sampling technique was used to recruit participants for this study. One hundred stroke patients from Physiotherapy clinics in Maiduguri, north-eastern Nigeria participated in this study. Data forms were used to obtain information on socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of the participants while Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Barthel Index (BI) scale were used to obtain information on cognitive impairment and functional activity of the participants respectively. Descriptive statistics of mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentages were used to summarise the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of the participants. Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation was used to investigate the relationship between PSCI and overall functional activity of the participants on one hand and between PSCI and components of functional activity of the participants. Out of the 100 stroke survivors that participated in the study, 55% were male while 45% were female. The mean age and post-stroke duration of the participants were 55.16 ± 10.01 years and 9.90 ± 10.07 months respectively. The results showed that a positive and significant relationship existed between PSCI and overall functional activity of the participants (r = 0.55, p = 0.00). Similarly, there was a significant and positive correlation between PSCI and the components of functional activity except with the bowel control component of functional activity. The correlations were varied with the highest correlation observed between PSCI and mobility component (r = 0.58, p = 0.001) while the lowest correlation was between PSCI and the bowel control component (r = 0.17, p= 0.10). the correlation coefficient for the other components namely the feeding, bathing, grooming, dressing, bladder control, toilet use, transfer and stair climbing were 0.40, 0.45, 0.40, 0.41, 0.39, 0.44, 0.50 and 0.53 respectively. The outcome of this study showed that the relationship between PSCI and functional activity of the stroke survivors was significant and positive. Furthermore, correlation was highest between PSCI and mobility component of functional activity. It is concluded that reducing PSCI could positively impact on the functional activity of stroke survivors, and enhancing functional activity could also reduce Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment (PSCI) and therefore Physiotherapists should endeavor to assess cognitive impairment among stroke patients and incorporate treatment strategies that will enhance functional outcome.
Highlights
Stroke, known as cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is a rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain
A total of 106 stroke survivors were approached for this study from the Physiotherapy Departments of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and the State Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri, Borno State, out of which six (6) of the stroke patients were excluded thereby resulting to a response rate of 94.3%
1) A significant and positive relationship existed between post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) and overall functional activity of the stroke survivors
Summary
Known as cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is a rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. Loss of brain function could result to inability to move one or more limbs of one side of the body, inability to understand or formulate speech, or an inability to see on one side of the visual field depending on the area of the brain affected (Donnan et al, 2008). Stroke is the leading cause of disability in both the developed and the developing world (Feign et al, 2009) and results in significant impairment and activity limitation in many functional domains (Hommel et al, 2009). Stroke can result to a wide range of deficits affecting cognitive functions both during the acute and long term (Nys et al, 2005). Functional status, co-morbidities, and cognitive functions are known to be the predictors of functional outcome in stroke (Denti et al, 2008)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
