Functional Motor Recovery in Stroke Survivors-Determinants in a Sub-Saharan African Stroke Unit

Objective: To find out the determinants of functional motor recovery in stroke survivors.Design: A prospective cross-sectional studySetting: Stroke outpatient clinic tertiary care hospitalSubjects: One hundred and two stroke survivors had their basic data captured as well as the modified Rankin score (both at the time of discharge after admission and at the time of evaluation in the clinic).Results: Twenty nine (28.4%) had functional recovery versus 73(71.6%) that did not. Younger age (OR = 0.95{CI 0.90-0.99} P=0.048), higher Rankin score at discharge (OR = 2.35{CI 1.40-3.95} P = 0.001), fewer informal caregivers at home (OR = 0.68{0.48-0.97} P = 0.034) and higher frequency of visits to the physical therapist (OR = 1.30{0.99-1.71}P = 0.05) predicted functional recovery. Age, modified Rankin score at discharge, duration between discharge from in-patient care and evaluation in clinic and frequency of visits to the physical therapist predicted group membership between functional recovery and others.Conclusion: In spite of the lean neurorehabilitation facilities in the setting of this study, increased frequency of visits to the physical therapist predicted functional recovery in stroke survivors as in more resource robust climates. It should therefore be prescribed until functional recovery is achieved