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Updated: Apr 11, 2026
Dual-Task Stroop Paradigm for Detecting Cognitive Deficits in High-Functioning Stroke Patients
Published on: December 16, 2022
Executive dysfunction and balance function post-stroke: A cross-sectional study
Sara Hayes1, Claire Donnellan2, Emma Stokes3
1Department of Clinical Therapies, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Objectives:
This study investigated the: (1) prevalence of executive dysfunction (ED); (2) demographic and clinical differences between participants with ED and without ED and; (3) independent association between executive function (EF) and balance post-stroke.
Design:
Prospective observational cross-sectional study.
Setting:
Four large acute hospitals.
Participants:
Convenience sample of people with first stroke.
Main Outcome:
Balance function.
Secondary Outcomes:
EF, stroke severity, depression and global cognition.
Methods:
Descriptive statistics were used to report the prevalence of ED post-stroke. Comparisons of demographic and clinical characteristics were made between participants with ED and participants without ED using independent t-tests. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis determined the association between EF and balance post-stroke.
Results:
Participant (n=100) age ranged from 31 to 98 years, time since stroke ranged from 4 to 180 days and the participants reported formal education ranging from 7 to 21 years. Participants with ED had more severe strokes (BADS) [median (IQR) vs. median (IQR), p-value] [(44 (16) vs. (51 (7), p<0.01], poorer global cognition [24 (6) vs. 29 (2), p<0.01] and poorer balance [29 (40) vs. 46.5 (17), p<0.01] in comparison with participants without ED. Age (β=-0.24, p<0.05), years in education, (β=-0.21, p<0.05), stroke severity (β=0.71, p<0.01), time since stroke, (β=-0.17, p<0.01) and EF (β=0.19, p<0.05) were independently associated with balance post-stroke. The total variance in balance explained by the model was 72%.
Conclusions:
ED is independently associated with balance post-stroke. Physiotherapists should consider this when developing rehabilitation strategies to improve balance post-stroke.
