Functioning and disability in stroke patients: Results from eu murinet project

Abstract

Background: The Neurology, Public Health and Disability Unit in collaboration with Cerebrovascular Unit of Italian Neurological Institute "Carlo Besta" Foundation is coordinating a longitudinal research study on functioning and disability in patients with stroke in the framework of EU MURINET Project. The study aims to get a broad view on stroke patients' functioning using the WHO-International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health theoretical and practical model. MURINET research aims to demonstrate that stroke diagnosis alone does not explain differences and variety in patients' functioning and disability. Methods: Data from 100 stroke patients was collected and patients were evaluated in three time points: baseline, 6 months and 12 months. The protocol consisting of ICF Brief Core Sets for Stroke, Sociodemographic Questionnaire, SF-36 and WHO-DAS II was administered in postal and phone surveys in all three time points. Results: This paper reports baseline results that reveal that main problems in ICF Body functions are in attention, memory and language, major difficulties in Activities are in walking and speaking. Relevant Environmental factors are close family and health operators that act as important facilitators affecting positively persons' performance in daily activities. Stroke patients tend to report few environmental barriers from what was expected and this could be the area for further research. Conclusions: Results show that functioning and disability after Stroke are strictly related not only to disease severity but also to the presence or absence of environmental facilitators that increase persons' performance and social participation. The complexity of functioning and disability as described by ICF model should be also considered when care and rehabilitation interventions for stroke patients are designed.