The Relation between Perceptual Deficits after Stroke and Independence in Activities of Daily Living

Abstract

The impact of perceptual difficulties on daily life was evaluated using standardised procedures. One hundred and fifty stroke patients (75 right hemiplegic and 75 left hemiplegic) of all ages, admitted consecutively to two general hospitals, were assessed one month after stroke. They were assessed on the Rivermead Perceptual Assessment Battery to identify perceptual difficulties and on an activities of daily living (ADL) scale. Patients without perceptual deficits were more often independent than those with perceptual deficits. On simple ADL tasks, left hemiplegic patients were more often independent than right hemiplegic patients, but not on more complex ones. There was a significant correlation between perceptual abilities and independence in all ADL scales. There was no correlation between visual neglect and independence in ADL in left hemiplegic patients.