RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: this study determines recovery in physical activity and activities of daily living in the early stages after cardiogenic internal carotid artery infarction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: this retrospective comfort study compares assessment data for 334 patients: 150 patients had atherosclerotic infarction (67 internal carotid artery, 87 middle cerebral artery) and 180 had cardiogenic infarction (32 internal carotid artery infarction, 148 middle cerebral artery). We used Brunnstrom recovery score, posture assessment scale for stroke, and functional independence measure. RESULTS: on initial assessment, median Brunnstrom recovery for the cardiogenic internal carotid artery infarction group was I-II in the upper limb, I in the finger, I-II in the lower limb, and IV or higher in all other groups. The median Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke score for the cardiogenic internal carotid artery infarction group was 0; all other groups scored 14 or higher. The median Functional Independence Measure for the cardiogenic internal carotid artery infarction group was 18 (maximum of 100) and the median score for other infarct groups was 25-50 (maximum 126), with P < .01. After a month, final assessment results for the cardiogenic internal carotid artery infarction group were much lower than for the other groups. Only both internal carotid artery infarctions were compared. Atherosclerotic infarctions showed recovery across assessments, except understanding, onset, and memory (P < .01), and cardiogenic infarctions did not change from the initial assessment in all criteria assessed. CONCLUSIONS: adapting cardiogenic internal carotid artery infarction as a stroke recovery model is difficult.
