Results of motor rehabilitation of patients with pseudobulbar syndrome
Gialanella, B.
Giornale Italiano di Medicina del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia 20(2): 98-102
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 1592-7830 PMID: 9658242 Document Number: 497143
The aim of this study was to determine whether rehabilitation treatment has a real effect on the functional capacity of patients with pseudobulbar syndrome (SP), and whether there is any difference in efficacy between rehabilitation treatment initiated as early as possible following stroke, compared to treatment initiated some months after the last occurrence. We studied 50 SP patients divided into three groups according to time passed since the last stroke: group 1, 20 patients, less than 180 days after stroke; group 2, 30 patients, more than 180 days after stroke, At the end of the rehabilitation treatment, there was an improvement in motility (p < 0.005), functional capacity (p < 0.001) and reduction in disability (p < 0.001) only in group 1. We attribute this result to the specific pathological substrate of the syndrome and its chronic-progressive course, which would seem to hinder the action of compensatory mechanisms involved in late recovery.