Motor and perceptual impairments in acute stroke patients: effects on self-care ability

The relative importance of motor, perceptual, and some cognitive functions for self-care ability was analyzed in a representative sample of 109 subjects within 2 weeks of acute stroke. Forty-nine patients (45%) were dependent or partly dependent in self-care. Profound motor dysfunction was present in 39%, low-order perceptual deficits in 10%, high-order perceptual deficits in 60%, and disorientation in time and space in 13% of the patients. There was a significant covariation between motor function and self-care ability and between low-order perception and orientation function. Low-order and high-order perception covaried only weakly. Discriminant analyses showed that the actual level of self-care proficiency could be correctly predicted in 70% of the cases by the 4 indexes of motor function, low-order perception, high-order perception, and orientation. The dominating predictor was motor function, and the next highest was high-order perception. When a program for early training is designed with the aim to alleviate long-term self-care disability after stroke, correct assessment of motor and perceptual functions in the individual stroke patient is essential.