Abstract

OLIVEIRA, Fabricio F.  and  DAMASCENO, Benito P.. Short-term prognosis for speech and language in first stroke patients. Arq. Neuro-Psiquiatr. [online]. 2009, vol.67, n.3b, pp. 849-855. ISSN 0004-282X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0004-282X2009000500013.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the factors that can influence evolution of communication after a first stroke. METHOD: Thirty-seven adult patients were evaluated for speech and language within 72 hours after a single first-ever ischemic brain injury and later on. Patients who were comatose, with decompensated systemic diseases, or history of chronic alcoholism or illicit drug use were not included. Brain CT and/or 2T-MR exams were solicited for topographic correlation. Size of infarct was classified as large or small according to the TOAST classification. RESULTS: Patients who survived had lesser chances of presenting with aphasia or dysarthria 3 months after the stroke if the infarct size was small (p=0.017). Gender, age, schooling, aphasia subtype, infarct side and topography were non-significant in our sample. Subjects with global aphasia or lone cortical dysarthria had a slower evolution. CONCLUSION: Brain injury size was the most influential factor for neurological outcome at 3 months post-stroke.

Keywords : linguistics; stroke; brain infarction; language; speech; disability evaluation; prognosis.