The effects of community-based rehabilitation on stroke patients in China: a single-blind, randomized controlled multicentre trial

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effects of community-based rehabilitation therapy on neurological function deficit in stroke patients. Design: Prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled multicentre trial. Setting: At home, in Shanghai, China. Subjects: A total of 737 stroke patients in the community. Intervention: The rehabilitation group received additional standardized community-based rehabilitation therapy at home for five months. Main outcome measures: Patients were evaluated using the Clinical Neurological Function Deficit Scale before intervention and at the end of two and five months. Results: Although both the rehabilitation group and the control group improved over time, the rehabilitation group showed a greater improvement in Clinical Neurological Function Deficit Scale scores. The differences between the groups were significant. After five months, the Clinical Neurological Function Deficit Scale scores of the cerebral infarction rehabilitation group improved by 6.77; the haemorrhage rehabilitation group by 7.99; the total rehabilitation group by 7.03. In comparison, the Clinical Neurological Function Deficit Scale scores of the cerebral infarction control group improved by 1.57; the haemorrhage control group by 5.34; the total control group by 2.43. This implies a difference in improvement of 5.2 in the cerebral infarction group, 2.65 in the haemorrhage group, and 4.6 in the total group in favour of the rehabilitation group between groups. Conclusion: Standardized community-based rehabilitation therapy may help stroke patients to improve their neurological function.