Prediction of Relationship of Visual Attention Deficits to Balance and Functional Outcome in Persons with Subacute Stroke

Background: Stroke is a focal neurological disorder lasting for more than twenty-four hours, giving rise to functional disabilities in speech, vision, balance and ADL. As stroke has been found to impair vision, balance and ADL, this study is done to predict the relationship of visual attention deficits to balance and functional outcomes in persons with subacute stroke. Awareness of such relationship may be of useful assistance to the physiotherapists in planning treatment interventions in persons with subacute stroke.

Objective: To predict and estimate strength of the relationship of visual attention deficit to balance and functional outcomes in persons with subacute stroke.

Materials and Methods: 50 subjects with subacute stroke were selected for the study. All the patients were assessed on the basis of Star Cancellation Test (SCT), Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Barthel Index (BI) for visual attention, balance and functional outcomes respectively both at the time of discharge from the hospital and also after 6 months post-stroke. At the end of the study, visual attention scores were correlated (using Pearson product correlation "r" value) with the balance scores and functional outcome scores obtained at the time of discharge from the hospital and 6 months post-stroke.

Result: Mean±SD of scores for Star Cancellation test, Berg Balance scale and Barthel index measured at the time of discharge from hospital and 6 months post stroke was 48.09±2.04, 49.86±1.91, 40.00±2.00, 42.60±1.90, 70.00±10.00, 75.10±9.92 respectively. Moreover, there was strong positive and highly significant correlation of SCT scores with BBS scores and BI scores both at the time of discharge and 6 months post stroke.

Interpretation & Conclusion: Visual attention deficit is an important factor to predict the balance and functional outcomes in persons with subacute stroke.