[Examination of the quality of life in post stroke patients]

The clinical assessment of patients after stroke is usually focused on the detection and determination of neurological deficits. However, the full picture of the patient after stroke should take into account also cognitive deficits, emotional and intellectual disturbances as well as limitations in performing one's social functions. Thus, assessing quality of life after stroke is an alternative to traditional methods of evaluation of the patient's condition. The study presents the attempts to define quality of life determined by the health status and to review questionnaires devised for the examination of post-stroke patients. Despite a considerable variety of methods used, reliable evaluation of all the areas of the patients life after stroke seems impossible using only one research tool. There is also an urgent need to develop an uniform system of evaluation, appropriate for Polish cultural standards.