Auditory Problems Research Articles

Effect of Nursing Interventions on Feeding Difficulties of Children with Cerebral Palsy

Context: Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a static non-progressive brain disorder defined as a group of motor disorders resulting from brain damage before, during, or after birth. Children with CP frequently have feeding problems, growth disorders, feeding complications, communication disorders, mental obstruction, seizure disorders, auditory problems, and visual deficiency, which may significantly impact their health.
 Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of nursing interventions on feeding difficulties of children with cerebral palsy.
 Methods: A quasi-experimental (pre/post-test) research design was utilized in this study that was conducted at the Neurologic Specialized Clinic at Children's Hospital affiliated to Ain Shams University Hospitals. A convenient sample of forty-five children with CP having feeding difficulties and their mothers was selected from the previously mentioned setting. Data were collected by using three tools, a structured interview questionnaire and a Children Observation Assessment Record to assess the child's ability and feeding difficulties of the studied children before and after the intervention.
 Results: The study reveals a mother's mean age of 31.33±4.46 and a child's mean age of 6.28±2.91. The children's assessment reveals that 84.4% of cerebral palsy children were hypotonic. Pre and post-test comparisons of children's BMI revealed a statistically significant difference at p=0.018, and feeding difficulties revealed a statistically significant difference in spoon feeding p= 0.007, biting p=0.002, chewing p=0.003, cup drinking p= 0.005, swallowing p=0.001, and drooling during eating p=0.009.
 Conclusion: The study concluded that the supportive nursing intervention program was successful in improving the feeding difficulties as regards spoon feeding, biting, chewing, cup drinking, swallowing, and drooling during eating after the intervention compared to the children's pre-intervention level. The study recommended applying supportive nursing interventions for children with CP having feeding difficulties as a main supportive nursing intervention to overcome feeding difficulties.

Alleviating reading difficulty in elementary students based on learning styles

This study focuses on the effects of learning styles on correcting the reading errors and improving the reading comprehension skills of elementary school 4th and 5th grade students. The study was conducted over eight weeks with a total of 128 hours, 32 hours each with a total of four students from two elementary schools in the Western Black Sea region, who has reading difficulties without mental, auditory, or visual problems. Ministry of National Education’s Turkish textbooks for grades 1-5 were used in the study. The Marmara Learning Styles Scale showed the learning style preferences of three students as auditory and that of the remaining student as visual. For students with a auditory learning style, the researcher created audio recordings with appropriate stress and speed. Before the students read the text, audio recordings were played through headphones. After listening, the students were asked to read aloud. For students with visual learning style, illustrated texts; texts with underlined words; texts with words, syllables and sentences highlighted in colored letters were used. The students' reading errors were corrected by using the word box strategy. The findings showed that, at the final reading that took place at the end of the study, student A was at the frustration level (90%), while students B and C were at the instructional level and student D had progressed to the independent reading level. Consequently, it was concluded that reading and comprehension activities based on learning styles are effective in diagnosing reading difficulties in elementary school students.

Self-Reported Reasons for Activity Limitations According to Age and Sex in Community-Dwelling Stroke Survivors.

We examined self-reported reasons for activity limitations among Korean community-dwelling stroke survivors, focusing on age and sex differences. Data from 1547 stroke survivors who participated in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analysed. The study outcomes were the self-reported reasons for activity limitations, encompassing general medical factors and stroke-related problems. These reasons were compared by age (<65 vs. ≥65 years) and sex using a complex-sample chi-square test. Stroke survivors reported different musculoskeletal, medical, and neurological problems as reasons for activity limitations, which differed by age and sex. Older stroke survivors reported more problems related to dementia, memory loss, auditory problems, back or neck problems, arthritis, or leg pain than younger survivors. Women reported more psychiatric problems, headaches or dizziness, back or neck problems, arthritis, gastrointestinal problems, and dental or oral problems than men. Older and female stroke survivors reported a higher mean number of reasons for activity limitations compared to younger and male survivors. Thus, a tailored approach considering age and sex is necessary to help stroke survivors with activity limitations in the Korean community. This study highlights the importance of considering demographic factors when designing interventions to improve their quality of life.

Dichotic listening deficits in children with hearing loss.

This correlational study compared dichotic listening among children with significant hearing loss to typically developing children and children clinically assessed for auditory processing disorder. Recorded versions of two dichotic tests were delivered under earphones or in the sound field for children using amplification. Individual ear scores and interaural asymmetry were compared to normative data. Matched deficit patterns from both tests were identified, ranked for severity of deficit, and compared across groups. Relationships between dichotic scores and factors related to amplification were investigated in the children with hearing loss. Dichotic scores were significantly poorer among children with hearing loss without the large interaural asymmetries seen in children assessed clinically for auditory processing problems. Device type and age of implantation had no effect on scores; non-dominant ear scores on the digits test were significantly correlated to age of device use in the left ear and duration of device use in the right ear. Non-dominant ear scores with digits were also significantly correlated with bilateral word recognition. Poor dichotic perception in children with significant hearing losses may be related to the use of recorded test materials, immature skills in attention and working memory, or other factors that contribute to development of vocabulary and language. These weaknesses may interfere with successful mainstream educational placement in these children. Assessment of dichotic performance in this population could lead to deficit-specific interventions that may improve outcomes and enhance educational opportunities for children with hearing loss.

An Approach for Automated Kannada Subtitle Generation from Kannada Video

This paper presents an automated Kannada subtitle generator from Kannada video which is implemented to assist people with auditory problems for watching videos. Henceforth the subtitle generation has become an important task for supporting such special people and it integrates an audio extraction and a speech recognition module. Three phases of the proposed technique were implemented, such as extracting audio from video, Recognition of Speech and Generation of Subtitle. An adaptive speech recognition module is implemented AMFCC for feature extraction which was an alternative to the most commonly used FFT. Hankel transform which was similar to FFT, but includes no elementary particles such as FFT. In addition to it, in the decoder acoustic module, such as Adaptive Hidden Markov Model using the Baum-Welch algorithm is utilized instead of a Viterbi algorithm to reduce the computational time and memory usage. The text file from the speech recognition module is rendered to synchronize the missing offset with the video using parallel processing by defining the start time, the end time, the delay time. Best outcomes are demonstrated by the experimental results of the proposed technique with 98.4% of accuracy compare with existing techniques. The proposed technique which gives 3.8% better accuracy performance compare with existing technique i.e. MFCC, DNN and CNN.

Assessment of Transient and Spatial Noise Pollution Levels at Selected Junctions in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State

This study focused on assessing of transient and spatial noise levels at selected Port Harcourt Metropolis junctions. Spatial noise measurement and vehicle count were conducted at Eleme and Akpajo junctions. Comparative analyses of noise level and noise pollution level using line graph/t-test and determination of decline rate of noise pollution level using regression analysis were carried out. Comparative analyses of noise levels at the two study locations using traffic count were also done. The noise pollution level was compared with National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and World Health Organization (WHO) noise standards and a safe zone determined at study locations. Maximum and minimum noise recorded were 88.99dB(A) and 50.05dB(A) at Eleme junction, 87.51dB(A) and 49.02dB(A) at Akpajo junction. Findings showed that the noise pollution level was relatively higher than noise level with distance away from the junctions; however, there was no significant difference between noise level and noise pollution level. Maximum noise pollution level average decline rate of -0.3691dB was observed at Eleme junction in the morning, while the minimum noise pollution level average decline rate of -0.2656dB was observed at Akpajo junction, in the morning hours. External sources also contributed to noise level at the junctions. Those living or doing business within 100m and 120m of Akpajo and Eleme junctions, respectively are at risk of having noise-induced auditory, physiological and behavioral problems. There is need for continuous monitoring of noise level at study locations. Regular health assessment of people living within the study locations. Noise control regulations should be made and enforced by the Government.

Gender Differences in Auditory and Visual Attentional Performance in Children with and without ADHD.

Despite the relatively high prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the impairment of ADHD in women is underestimated due to the different ways the phenomenon manifests compared to traditional male symptoms. In order to close the gender gap in diagnosis and treatment, this study aims to explore the impact of gender on auditory and visual attention in children with and without ADHD. A total of 220 children with and without ADHD participated in this study. Their auditory and visual attention performances were analyzed by comparative computerized auditory and visual subtests. Auditory and visual attention performance in children with and without ADHD did affect by gender, including typically developing (TD) boys are better than TD girls at distinguishing visual targets from non-target stimuli. When performing attention tasks, TD girls generally maintained a cautious response, which was different from TD boys, who generally adopted positive response methods. ADHD girls suffered from more serious auditory inattention problems than ADHD boys; however, ADHD boys suffered from more auditory and visual impulsive problems than ADHD girls. The internal attention problems of female ADHD children were broader than that of their male ADHD peers and were also more severe, especially in problems of auditory omission and auditory response acuity. ADHD children had a significant gap in auditory and visual attention performance compared to TD children. The research results support the impact of gender on the performance of auditory and visual attention in children with and without ADHD.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of self-reported sensory issues in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and specific learning disorders (SLD) have various types of sensory characteristics. This study investigated sensory issues in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders using a web-based questionnaire for qualitative and quantitative analysis, categorized the contents of their three most distressful sensory issues, and evaluated their order of priority. Auditory problems were reported as the most distressing sensory issue among the participants. In addition to auditory problems, individuals with ASD frequently reported more tactile problems, and individuals with SLD reported more visual problems. Among the individual sensory issues, in addition to aversion to sudden, strong, or specific stimuli, some participants reported confusions regarding multiple stimuli presenting concurrently. Additionally, the sensory issues related to foods (i.e., taste) was relatively more common in the minor group. These results suggest that the diversity of sensory issues experienced should be carefully considered when aiding persons with neurodevelopmental disorders.

PTSD is associated with self-perceived hearing handicap: An evaluation of comorbidities in Veterans with normal audiometric thresholds.

Background Cases of self-reported hearing difficulty despite normal audiometric results have risen with the return of Veterans from recent conflicts in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn. Auditory outcomes improved despite low compliance among those receiving treatment. Medical chart data appeared more comprehensive for Veterans with, rather than without, auditory complaints. One possibility is that self-reported hearing problems are associated with a subset of these comorbidities, the treatment of which improved auditory outcomes. Purpose This study examined the relationships between Veterans' self-reported auditory problems and other diagnosed medical conditions. Research Design A retrospective chart review was used. Study Sample Participants were 286 Veterans, aged 21 - 52 with normal hearing. Veterans were dichotomized into a group with either self-reported hearing complaints (n = 143) or an aged-matched control group with no auditory complaints (n = 143). Data Collection and Analysis A query of the Computerized Patient Record System was performed with the date range restricted to 2009 to 2018. Metrics of self-perceived hearing handicap, APD testing, and hearing aid use were collected. All diagnoses and related symptoms were recorded. A best subsets regression with principled model selection was performed to investigate the role of these comorbidities on self-perceived hearing loss. Results The Self-Report group had 16 comorbidities that were classified as prevalent, having occurred in ≥33.3% of the group, compared to the age-matched control group, which had 2 comorbidities. The number of diagnosed medical conditions was associated with self-perceived hearing impairment. Specifically, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related symptom clusters constituted the largest group of comorbidities that were significantly associated with self-reported hearing problems. Conclusions The significant association between PTSD and self-perceived hearing impairment warrants investigations on whether treatment of PTSD would reduce perceived hearing handicap severity. Further, PTSD assessments could be useful for audiologists to identify potential candidates for auditory complaints with normal audiometric thresholds. Keywords: Auditory processing disorder, hidden hearing loss, comorbidities, Veterans, posttraumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury Abbreviations: APD, auditory processing disorder; CAP, central auditory processing; HHIA, Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults; mTBI, mild traumatic brain injury; PTSD, posttraumatic stress disorder; TBI, traumatic brain injury; U.S., United States.

Prevalence of Developmental Delay in 12-month-old Infants, Urban Health Centers, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, 2018 - 2019

Background: Developmental delay (DD) in children is a crucial issue in pediatric health. The most practical evaluation way for early detection of developmental delay is parent-completed tool by the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of developmental delay in 12-month-old infants. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 5,025 ASQs of 12-month-old children who presented in urban health centers of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences from 23 August 2018 to 23 August 2019, were evaluated. Total scores in five main domains and six final questions were extracted. Results: Fifty-one-point-five percent were boys. Also, 243 cases (4.8%) had problem in at least one out of the five domains, 68 cases (1.35%) had DD in two domains, five cases (0.09%) in three domains, four cases (0.07%) in four domains, and two cases (0.03%) had an essential delay in all five domains. Developmental delay was seen more in gross motor (1.6%), followed by communication (1.5%), problem-solving (1%), fine motor (0.4%), and personal-social (0.3%), respectively. There were significant statistical differences in personal-social and problem-solving in boys. Among six questions in ASQ, the most common problem was in question 4 (1.4%), which is related to auditory problems. Conclusions: Developmental screening is a basic tool for developmental delay detection. Developmental delay diagnosis and early intervention may be possible through cost-effective screening tools.

Efficacy of active noise-canceling headphones in patients undergoing ultrasonic scaling.

Dental fear hinders patients from receiving appropriate dental treatment. In particular, the noise generated by high-speed air turbines and ultrasonic scalers can adversely affect patients. Many efforts have been made to reduce the discomfort caused by noise, but no methods are definitively recommended. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of active noise-canceling (ANC) headphones in reducing the pain and discomfort associated with dental scaling. Fifty-five patients requiring scaling and root planing, aged ≥19 years and showing no auditory problems, were included. Scaling was performed for the bilateral maxillary molars and premolars while patients wore headphones, with ANC turned either on or off. The degree of noise and pain reduction in the on and off conditions were surveyed using a visual analog scale (VAS). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed to compare noise- and pain-related discomfort with ANC turned on and off. The sample included 28 men and 27 women with a mean age of 45.45±13.12 years. The average noise-related discomfort score was 3.84±2.12 and 2.95±1.99 when noise-canceling was turned off and on, respectively, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). Similarly, the average pain-related discomfort score was 3.78±2.00 and 3.09±1.96 when noise-canceling was turned off and on, respectively, which was a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The use of ANC headphones seems to reduce the discomfort caused by noise and pain in patients undergoing scaling. Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: KCT0007093.

Noise Annoyance from Tram Traffic in the Urban Environment

Abstract The paper deals with the process of environmental risk assessment from exposure to noise from tram traffic. As part of the monitoring of the acoustic situation, measurements of sound pressure levels A were made and evaluated. The survey confirmed the existence of an acoustic risk in the form of a disturbing wailing sound when a tram vehicle passes through a directional curve with a radius of less than 50m. In addition to causing annoyance, the tonal variation of sound above 65 dB causes frostiness, cardiovascular, psychological and auditory problems, thereby damaging the health of people living and moving around the transport routes.

Ichthyosis vulgaris: An updated review.

Ichthyosis vulgaris is an inherited, non-syndromic form of ichthyosis that presents with skin problems. Making up more than 95% cases of ichthyosis, ichthyosis vulgaris is caused by heterozygous loss-of-function mutation of the filaggrin gene, raising the fragility and permeability of the stratum corneum. It typically presents in infancy as xerosis, skin lesions, keratosis pilaris, palmoplantar hyper linearity, scaly dermatosis, and erythroderma, clearly identifiable by age 5. Although majority of patients have a normal lifespan, possible complications include a vitamin D deficiency and auditory problems due to scaling in the ears, besides a drop in quality of life due to dermatological changes. Urea-based creams with 10% urea, ceramides, and other ceramides are often the first line therapy in ichthyosis vulgaris. There is no known curative treatment for ichthyosis vulgaris, but lifelong treatment can alleviate the symptoms. Urea-based creams are highly therapeutic, whereas ammonium lactate 12% lotion with a physiological lipid-based repair cream can help with scaling and dryness. There is also evidence in favour of propylene glycol solutions. Risankizumab, an anti-interleukin-23 drug, and enhancement of natural moisturizing factors are also two highly promising solutions that require additional research. This review aims to provide updates on the manifestation, evaluation, and treatment of ichthyosis vulgaris.

Effect of Colour Usage and Dialogue Reading Practices in Solving the Visual and Auditory Perception Problems of Students with Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability in reading. It is the most prevalent learning disability. This study aims to reveal the effect of the use of colours, peer assessment and reading dialogues on the education of students with dyslexia. The study uses a technical collaborative action research method. Two male students diagnosed with dyslexia and studying in the second year of primary school were participants in the study. The study lasted for 12 weeks following the research plan. The students were required to read the chosen tales in Aesop’s Tales aloud. After reading the stories, the students also read selected dialogues in the elementary school course books determined by the Ministry of National Education. Two letters by which the students got confused were marked in two different colours in the first text. The colouring gradually reduced in the new text. There was no colouring in the last text. Results show that the use of colours was effective in reducing the confusion of letters. The students corrected their mistakes mutually through the peer assessment method. The students liked the reading activity and made fewer reading errors compared to other texts.

Attentional modulation of interhemispheric (a)symmetry in children with developmental language disorder

The nature of auditory processing problems in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) is still poorly understood. Much research has been devoted to determining the extent to which DLD is associated with general auditory versus language-specific dysfunction. However, less emphasis has been given to the role of different task conditions in these dysfunctions. We explored whether children with DLD demonstrate atypical interhemispheric asymmetry during the auditory processing of speech and non-speech sounds and whether this interhemispheric balance is modulated by attention. Magnetoencephalography was used to record auditory evoked fields in 18 children (9 to 10 years old), 9 with DLD and 9 with language typical development, during active or passive listening to speech and non-speech sounds. A linear mixed model analysis revealed a bilateral effect of attention in both groups. Participants with DLD demonstrated atypical interhemispheric asymmetry, specifically in the later (185–600 ms) time window but only during the passive listening condition. During the active task, the DLD group did not differ from the typically developed children in terms of hemispheric balance of activation. Our results support the idea of an altered interhemispheric balance in passive auditory response properties in DLD. We further suggest that an active task condition, or top–down attention, can help to regain leftward lateralization, particularly in a later stage of activation. Our study highlights the highly dynamic and interhemispheric nature of auditory processing, which may contribute to the variability in reports of auditory language processing deficits in DLD.

Does Evidence Inform Intervention by Professionals? Reporting on Research into Auditory Stimulation for Auditory Processing Disorders in Children with ASD and Related Disorders

Since the 1980’s there has been an acceleration of interest by neuroscientists in the Auditory Problems of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The focus of study has largely shifted from attempting a differential diagnosis between the symptoms of ASD and of Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), towards an improved understanding of APD and its impact on the lives and wellness of people with this disorder. A large amount of research data has accumulated, and sheds light on the manner in which auditory brain potentials of children with ASD differ from those of the neurotypical learner. This article will offer a summarised overview of this data, and will discuss how this body of evidence is informing and directing our intervention strategies, both clinical and educational. The author will further summarise the most recently published research papers on the impact of Auditory Integration Training (AIT)– the Bérard Method (also named Filtered Sound Training - FST), The statistical significance and implications of this data for the planning of intervention programmes to remediate auditory problems of children with ASD will be discussed. In conclusion some new insights into the breadth of the impact of auditory processing problems on the social, emotional, learning, language and well-being of children with ASD will be mentioned. (208 words)

Emanuel Sendromunda Oral bulgular ve Dental Tedaviler: Olgu sunumu

Emanuel syndrome (ES, OMIM 609029), also known as supernumerary der(22)t(11;22), is a rare syndrome (1:110000 people) characterized by pre- and postnatal developmental delays and multiple congenital abnormalities. This is a case report of an 8-year-old boy with ES who has cardiac, musculoskeletal, auditory, visual, and renal problems and a general growth restriction with an intellectual disability and impaired speech. All primary dentition demonstrated hypomineralized areas, deep caries and mild gingival hyperplasia. Delayed eruption of both primary and permanent dentition, congenitally missing permanent second premolars and primary lateral incisors, short root forms and open apices of permanent molars, and a right posterior cross-bite were significant oro-dental findings. A necessary pulpotomy and subsequent composite restorations and extractions were performed under general anaesthesia. This case report provides a comprehensive list of systemic and oro-dental ES findings along with late dental interventions and 2-year follow-up observations that have not been reported in detail previously.

Arousal-based pupil modulation is dictated by luminance

Pupillometry has become a standard measure for assessing arousal state. However, environmental factors such as luminance, a primary dictator of pupillary responses, often vary across studies. To what degree does luminance interact with arousal-driven pupillary changes? Here, we parametrically assessed luminance-driven pupillary responses across a wide-range of luminances, while concurrently manipulating cognitive arousal using auditory math problems of varying difficulty. At the group-level, our results revealed that the modulatory effect of cognitive arousal on pupil size interacts multiplicatively with luminance, with the largest effects occurring at low and mid-luminances. However, at the level of individuals, there were qualitatively distinct individual differences in the modulatory effect of cognitive arousal on luminance-driven pupillary responses. Our findings suggest that pupillometry as a measure for assessing arousal requires more careful consideration: there are ranges of luminance levels that are more ideal in observing pupillary differences between arousal conditions than others.

Effects of Obesity on the Auditory Function of Children and Adolescents.

Introduction Childhood and adolescent obesity is associated with insulin resistance, abnormal glucose metabolism, hypertension, dyslipidemia, inflammation, liver disease, and compromised vascular function. Objective We aimed to evaluate the effects of obesity on the auditory function and speech audiometry of children and adolescents. Methods Subjects with a body mass index (BMI) higher than +2 standard deviation (SD) were classified as obese, and subjects with normal BMI SD were classified as the control group. Blood samples were taken for glucose, insulin, and lipid profiles following an 8-hour fasting period, and a hepatobiliary ultrasound was performed. The homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated. The audiological evaluation included pure-tone audiometry (PTA), speech reception threshold (SRT), and speech discrimination score (SDS). Results The study included 100 children (50 girls) with obesity, with a mean age of 11.4 ± 2.9 years and 30 children with normal body weight, with a mean age of 11.9 ± 3.3 years. Of the children with obesity, 55% ( n = 55) were found to have hyperlipidemia, 68% ( n = 68) insulin resistance, and 21% ( n = 21) hepatosteatosis. There were no statistically significant differences between children with obesity and the control group in terms of SDS or PTA, while SRT was found to be higher in children with obesity. There was no difference between obese children with or without hyperlipidemia, between obese children with or without insulin resistance, and between obese children with or without hepatosteatosis, according to hearing tests. Conclusion The result of the present study indicates that children with obesity are more prone to having auditory problems than the normal population. We recommend more frequent audiological evaluations, including speech audiometry, in children and adolescents with obesity problems

Causes and Trends of Disabilities in Community-Dwelling Stroke Survivors: A Population-Based Study.

Many stroke survivors live with disabilities in the community. This study aimed to investigate the causes and trends of disabilities among community-dwelling stroke survivors. A total of 1547 community-dwelling stroke survivors ≥ 19 years were identified using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) database from 2007 to 2018. We analyzed the causes and trends of disabilities in strokes survivors using complex-samples procedures. During 2007-2018, 38.0% of stroke survivors were found to have disabilities. Stroke itself was the most common cause of disabilities (21.3%). Musculoskeletal (back or neck problems, 7.0%; arthritis, 5.7%; and leg pain excluding arthritis, 2.3%), sensory (visual problems, 3.6%; and auditory problems, 1.4%), and medical problems (diabetes 2.6%; hypertension, 2.3%; heart disease, 1.5%) accounted for the rest of the other causes of disabilities. Upon analyzing the trends, we found that both the proportion of stroke survivors with disabilities and that of stroke survivors with stroke-related disabilities decreased from KNHANES IV (2007-2009) to V (2010-2012). After 2010-2012, the proportion of both groups stayed constant. The burden of disabilities in non-hospitalized stroke survivors has decreased but still remains high. Attention is warranted because many other problems than a stroke can cause disabilities in community-dwelling stroke survivors.