Deans' stroke musings: “Good Outcome” Isn’t Good Enough

Changing stroke rehab and research worldwide now.Time is Brain! trillions and trillions of neurons that DIE each day because there are NO effective hyperacute therapies besides tPA(only 12% effective). I have 523 posts on hyperacute therapy, enough for researchers to spend decades proving them out. These are my personal ideas and blog on stroke rehabilitation and stroke research. Do not attempt any of these without checking with your medical provider. Unless you join me in agitating, when you need these therapies they won't be there.

What this blog is for:

My blog is not to help survivors recover, it is to have the 10 million yearly stroke survivors light fires underneath their doctors, stroke hospitals and stroke researchers to get stroke solved. 100% recovery. The stroke medical world is completely failing at that goal, they don't even have it as a goal. Shortly after getting out of the hospital and getting NO information on the process or protocols of stroke rehabilitation and recovery I started searching on the internet and found that no other survivor received useful information. This is an attempt to cover all stroke rehabilitation information that should be readily available to survivors so they can talk with informed knowledge to their medical staff. It lays out what needs to be done to get stroke survivors closer to 100% recovery. It's quite disgusting that this information is not available from every stroke association and doctors group.

Friday, April 28, 2017

“Good Outcome” Isn’t Good Enough - post-stroke

Using the Rankin scale as a measurement device for stroke disability is incredibly stupid. It has nothing objective in it at all except for 6 - death.
http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/early/2017/04/24/STROKEAHA.117.016728?papetoc=

Cognitive Impairment, Depressive Symptoms, and Social Restrictions in Physically Recovered Stroke Patients

Arunima Kapoor, , , Alex Kiss, Nathan Herrmann, Brian J. Murray, Richard H. Swartz

https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.117.016728

Stroke. 2017;STROKEAHA.117.016728

Originally published April 24, 2017

Abstract

Background and Purpose—Functional outcome after stroke is often only evaluated using the modified Rankin Scale, which primarily assesses activities of daily living. Stroke patients may experience difficulties with social reintegration and mental functions, feel isolated, and experience poor quality of life, even after physical recovery is complete. Functional assessments based solely on activity limitations may not be able to capture the full range of problems experienced by stroke survivors.

Methods—Telephone interviews were conducted 2 to 3 years poststroke to assess outcome on multiple levels of functioning as stated in the WHO International Classification of Functioning: body function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Patient Health Questionnaire-2), activity (modified Rankin Scale), and participation (Reintegration to Normal Living Index).

Results—Ninety-six (68%) patients had a favorable functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale <2). Of these, 79, 91, and 93 patients completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Reintegration to Normal Living Index, and Patient Health Questionnaire-2, respectively. Forty-three (54%) patients were cognitively impaired, 47 (52%) had restrictions in reintegration, and 30 (32%) endorsed symptoms of depression. There was no difference in Montreal Cognitive Assessment or Patient Health Questionnaire-2 scores between those who had activity limitations and those who had not.

Conclusions—More than half of stroke patients with excellent functional recovery measured by the modified Rankin Scale continue to have cognitive impairment and participation restrictions, and one third of patients continue to have depression 2 to 3 years later. Current definitions of good functional outcome used in the majority of stroke acute trials focus on activity limitations, but greater attention to multiple levels of recovery is required.