Stroke. Neurologic and Functional Recovery the Copenhagen Stroke Study

Neurologic and functional recovery is dependent on a large variety of factors such as initial stroke severity, body temperature and blood glucose in the acute phase of stroke, stroke in progression, and treatment and rehabilitation on a dedicated stroke unit. The most important factor for recovery remains the initial severity of the stroke. In unselected patients 19% of the strokes are very severe, 14% are severe, 26% are moderate, and 41% are mild. In survivors, neurologic impairment after completed rehabilitation is still severe or very severe in 11%, moderate in 11%, mild in 47%, and 31% have achieved normal neurologic function. The ability to perform basic activities of daily living initially is reduced in three out of four patients with stroke. Most often affected is the ability to transfer, dress, and walk. After completed rehabilitation the group with moderate and severe disability is reduced from 50% to 25%, and the group with mild or no disability is increased from 50% to 75%. The prognosis of patients with mild or moderate stroke generally is excellent. Patients with severe stroke have a very variable recovery. Although the prognosis of patients with the most severe stroke is generally poor, one third of the survivors in this group are able to be discharged back to their own homes with no or only mild disability, if rehabilitated on a dedicated stroke unit. Functional recovery generally was completed within 3 months of stroke onset. Patients with mild stroke, however, recover within 2 months, patients with moderate stroke within 3 months, patients with severe stroke within 4 months, and patients with the most severe strokes have their functional recovery within 5 months from onset. Functional recovery is preceded by neurologic recovery by a mean of 2 weeks.