Functional ambulation recovery in MCA stroke survivors: Predictive role of cognitive function and extremely low...

Stroke is a leading cause of disability, significantly impacting mobility. Effective rehabilitation depends on accurate predictors of recovery. Recent studies suggest that both cognitive function and certain initial laboratory biomarkers, such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), could be crucial for predicting recovery outcomes. This study investigates how cognitive function and ALT levels can predict functional ambulation in survivors of middle cerebral artery stroke. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 87 patients who began rehabilitation within 30 days of their first middle cerebral artery stroke. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to identify predictors of ambulation recovery. The variables assessed included age, sex, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, Berg Balance Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination, and extremely low ALT levels. Multivariate binary logistic regression revealed that female sex, lower Mini-Mental State Examination and Berg Balance Scale scores, and extremely low ALT levels were associated with poorer odds of achieving functional ambulation. This research underscores the critical role of integrating cognitive assessments and routine biomarkers into rehabilitation practices to enhance prognostic accuracy and personalize rehabilitation strategies. The findings highlight the need for further investigation to confirm these results and explore the underlying mechanisms, with the aim of advancing individualized rehabilitation approaches and improving patient outcomes.