The effect of sex and physical frailty on incident disability after 2 years among community-dwelling older adults: KFACS study.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the impact of physical frailty on the development of disabilities in mobility, activities of daily living (ADL), and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) according to sex among community-dwelling Korean older adults. METHODS: We used data of 2,905 older adults aged 70-84 years from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study (KFACS) at baseline (2016-2017) and Wave 2 (2018-2019). Fried's physical frailty phenotype was used to identify frailty. RESULTS: After adjustment, frailty showed a higher impact for women than men on developing mobility disability (odds ratio [OR]=14.00, 95% confidence interval [CI]=4.8-40.78 vs. OR=9.89, 95% CI=4.28-22.86) and IADL disability after two years (OR=7.22, 95% CI=2.67-19.56 vs. OR=3.19, 95% CI=1.17-8.70). Pre-frailty led to mobility disability for women and men (OR=2.77, 95% CI=1.93-3.98 vs. OR=2.49, 95% CI=1.66-3.72, respectively), and IADL disability only for women (OR=3.01, 95% CI=1.28-7.09). Among the IADL components, both men and women who were prefrail or frail showed increased disability in 'using transportation'. Among men, pre-frailty was significantly associated with disability in "going out" and "shopping". In women, frailty was significantly associated with disability in "doing laundry," "performing household chores," "shopping," and "managing money". CONCLUSIONS: Physical frailty increased disability over 2 years for women more than men. Physical frailty increased disability in outdoor activity-related IADL components in men and household work-related IADL components in women. This study highlights the need for gender-specific policies and preventative programs for frailty, particularly restorative interventions that focus on women who are physically frail.

Gender differences in risk factors for the 2 year development of sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is an age-related chronic condition that can lead to mobility disabilities. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for incident sarcopenia in older Korean adults. METHODS: The Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study (KFACS) is a multicentre prospective study with a baseline examination in 2016-2017. A prospective follow-up study was conducted in 2018-2019. Changes in muscle-related variables were evaluated for subjects aged 70-84 years lacking sarcopenia at baseline. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the 2019 updated Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia consensus. RESULTS: Among the 1636 participants (54.4% women, age 75.9 ± 3.7) who did not have sarcopenia at baseline, 101 men (13.5%) and 104 women (11.7%) developed sarcopenia by the follow-up. Those who developed sarcopenia were older (men, 77.9 ± 3.9 vs. 75.7 ± 3.5, P < 0.001; women, 77.5 ± 4.0 vs. 75.5 ± 3.6, P < 0.001) with a lower body mass index at baseline (men, 23.9 ± 2.4 vs. 24.5 ± 2.9 kg/m2 , P = 0.025; women, 23.7 ± 2.8 vs. 25.2 ± 2.9 kg/m2 , P < 0.001) compared with older adults who remained nonsarcopenic; levels of glycated haemoglobin (men, 6.2 ± 1.0% vs. 5.9 ± 0.8%, P = 0.029) and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (men, 2.0 ± 1.3 vs. 1.7 ± 1.2, P = 0.022) were higher in men who progressed to sarcopenia but not in women. Development of sarcopenia was associated with older age and the frequency of resistance training (≥2 per week) after adjusting for potential risk factors in men [age, odds ratio (OR) 1.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-1.25; frequent resistance training, OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.30-0.82]. In women, advanced age, poor nutritional status, and physical inactivity contributed to the development of sarcopenia (age, OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.08-1.21; mini nutritional assessment short form, OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.70-0.90; moderate to high physical activity, OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.34-0.95). CONCLUSIONS: In this 2 year KFACS follow-up, modifiable risk factors for incident sarcopenia differed between genders. Resistance training (≥2 per week) helped to prevent sarcopenia in these community-dwelling older men. In older women, adequate nutritional support and being physically active might play a role in preventing progression to sarcopenia.

Impact of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease on the risk of sarcopenia: a nationwide multicenter prospective study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Despite the association between sarcopenia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), no study has evaluated the predictive role of NAFLD in sarcopenia. We investigated impact of NAFLD on the risk of low muscle mass (LMM) and low muscle strength (LMS) in a nationwide multicenter study. METHODS: A total of 1595 community-dwelling people aged 70-84 years were followed for 2 years in the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. Muscle mass was estimated by dividing appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) by body mass index (BMI). Muscle strength was measured as handgrip strength (HGS) divided by BMI. The sex-specific lowest quintiles of ASM/BMI and HGS/BMI of the study population were used as cutoffs for LMM and LMS, respectively. The risk of LMM and LMS were assessed according to hepatic steatosis index (HSI) and fatty liver index (FLI) quartiles. RESULTS: As HSI quartiles increased, the LMM risk increased gradually, after adjusting for age, sex, lifestyle factors, comorbidities, and several causative factors (insulin resistance, inflammation, and vitamin D) (Q4 vs. Q1 OR [95% CI] 3.46 [2.23-5.35]). The increased risk of LMS was even higher according to HSI quartiles (Q4 vs. Q1 5.81 [3.67-9.21]). Multivariate analyses based on FLI showed similar results. People with NAFLD (HSI > 36) were at higher risk of developing LMM and LMS compared to those without (1.65 [1.19-2.31] and 2.29 [1.61-3.26], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of NAFLD may predict future risk of LMM and LMS, with greater impact on LMS than on LMM.

Erratum: Role of Intensive Inpatient Rehabilitation for Prevention of Disability after Stroke: The Korean Stroke Cohort for Functioning and Rehabilitation (KOSCO) Study.

[This corrects the article e4 in vol. 9.].

Post-stroke Hyperglycemia in Non-diabetic Ischemic Stroke is Related With Worse Functional Outcome: A Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate long-term and serial functional outcomes in ischemic stroke patients without diabetes with post-stroke hyperglycemia. METHODS: The Korean Stroke Cohort for Functioning and Rehabilitation (KOSCO) is a large, multi-center, prospective cohort study of stroke patients admitted to participating hospitals in nine areas of Korea. From KOSCO, ischemic stroke patients without diabetes were recruited and divided into two groups: patients without diabetes without (n=779) and with post-stroke hyperglycemia (n=223). Post-stroke hyperglycemia was defined as a glucose level >8 mmol/L. Functional assessments were performed 7 days and 3, 6, and 12 months after stroke onset. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the groups, except in the age of onset and smoking. Analysis of the linear correlation between the initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and glucose level showed no significant difference. Among our functional assessments, NIHSS, Fugl-Meyer Assessment (affected side), Functional Ambulatory Category, modified Rankin Scale, and Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) showed statistically significant improvements in each group. All functional improvements except K-MMSE were significantly higher in patients without post-stroke hyperglycemia at 7 days and 3, 6, and 12 months. CONCLUSION: The glucose level of ischemic stroke patients without diabetes had no significant correlation with the initial NIHSS score. The long-term effects of stress hyperglycemia showed worse functional outcomes in ischemic stroke patients without diabetes with post-stroke hyperglycemia.

Association of plasma FGF21 levels with muscle mass and muscle strength in a national multicentre cohort study: Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: despite of the beneficial effects of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 21 in several metabolic diseases, the association of plasma FGF21 with muscle mass and muscle strength is still unclear. METHODS: a total of 386 community-dwelling older adults aged 70-84 years were analysed. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and normalised to the square of height (ASM/ht2). Muscle strength was assessed using the hand grip strength (HGS) test. The definitions of low muscle mass (LMM) and low muscle strength (LMS) were based on the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. RESULTS: plasma FGF21 was significantly lower in participants with LMM than in those with normal muscle mass (289.7 [192.4-448.3] vs. 345.6 [238.6-503.2] pg/ml, P = 0.008). In contrast, the LMS group had a significantly higher plasma FGF21 level than the normal muscle strength group (369.7 [244.4-591.1] vs. 309.7 [205.3-444.8] pg/ml, P = 0.006). In the partial correlation analysis, following adjustment for age, sex and body mass index, FGF21 levels had no significant association with ASM/ht2, but were negatively associated with HGS (r = -0.112, P = 0.029). Furthermore, after multivariate adjustment for confounding variables, the odds ratio for the risk of LMS was 2.32 (95% confidence interval 1.20-4.46) when comparing the highest with the lowest FGF21 quartile. CONCLUSIONS: circulating FGF21 levels are negatively associated with muscle strength but are not independently correlated with muscle mass.

Sex differences in sarcopenia and frailty among community-dwelling Korean older adults with diabetes: The Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: We aimed to examine the prevalence of sarcopenia and frailty in Korean older adults with diabetes compared with individuals without diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the data of 2,403 participants aged 70-84 years enrolled in the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. Sarcopenia was defined using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. Frailty was assessed by the Cardiovascular Health Study frailty phenotype criteria. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 76.0 ± 3.9 years, and 47.2% were men. The prevalence of diabetes was 30.2% in men and 25.8% in women. Adults with diabetes showed a lower muscle mass index (appendicular skeletal muscle mass/body mass index) and handgrip strength in both sexes, but only the women showed decreased physical performance. Women with diabetes presented a higher prevalence of sarcopenia diagnosed by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health criteria, and frailty compared with participants without diabetes (sarcopenia 14.7% vs 8.5%, P = 0.001; frailty 9.5% vs 4.9%, P = 0.003). Men in the high and middle tertiles for homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance presented a significantly higher prevalence of sarcopenia, compared with men in the low tertile homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (high tertile 16.6%, middle tertile 13.3%, low tertile 8.6%). CONCLUSIONS: In older adults with diabetes, muscle mass index and muscle strength were lower than in those without diabetes. However, the prevalence of sarcopenia and frailty was higher and physical performance was lower only in women with diabetes.

Effects of exercise timing and intensity on neuroplasticity in a rat model of cerebral infarction.

Exercise therapy plays key roles in functional improvements during neurorehabilitation. However, it may be difficult for some people to properly perform exercise because mobility and endurance might be restricted by neurological deficits due to stroke. Additionally, there is little evidence detailing the biological mechanisms underlying the most effective swimming exercise protocols for neuroplasticity after stroke. Thus, the present study investigated the effects of swimming exercise on neuroplasticity in a cerebral infarction rat model according to the timing and intensity of exercise. A total of 45 male Sprague-Dawley rats (300 ±â€¯50 g, 10 weeks old) were subjected to photothrombotic cerebral infarction and randomly divided into five groups: non-exercise (group A, n = 9); early submaximal (group B, n = 9); early maximal (group C, n = 9); late submaximal (group D, n = 9); and late maximal (group E, n = 9). Swimming exercise was performed five times a week for 4 weeks, and cognition was evaluated with the Morris water maze (MWM) test. Assessments of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and immunohistochemical analyses of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were conducted in the ipsilesional hippocampus region. After 4 weeks of exercise, the escape latency was shorter and velocity was greater in group B than in groups A, C, D, and E (p = 0.046, p <  0.001, respectively). Furthermore, SOD activity was higher and MDA levels were lower in group B than in groups A, C, D, and E (p = 0.004, p = 0.019). The immunohistochemistry results revealed that the greatest BDNF immunoreactivity was in group B. Taken together, these results indicate that early submaximal swimming exercise may be the most effective protocol for the recovery of neurological deficits in a rat model of cerebral infarction.

Korean frailty and aging cohort study (KFACS): cohort profile.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study (KFACS) is to initiate a nationwide, population-based prospective cohort study of older adults living in the community to assess their frailty status and explore transitions between frailty states over time in Korea. PARTICIPANTS: The KFACS is a multicentre longitudinal study with the baseline survey conducted from May 2016 to November 2017. Each centre recruited participants using quota sampling stratified by age and sex. The number of participants recruited through 2 years of baseline study from 10 centres was 3014, with each site accounting for approximately 300 participants. The inclusion criteria were: having an age of 70-84 years, currently living in the community, having no plans to move out in the next 2 years, having no problems with communication and no prior dementia diagnosis. FINDINGS TO DATE: To define physical frailty, the KFACS used a modified version of the Fried Frailty Phenotype (FFP) consisting of five components of frailty: unintended weight loss, weakness, self-reported exhaustion, slowness and low physical activity. In the baseline study of 2016-2017, 2907 of 3014 individuals fulfilled all five components of FFP. The results indicated that 7.8% of the participants (n=228) were frail, 47.0% (n=1366) were prefrail and 45.2% (n=1313) were robust. The prevalence of frailty increased with age in both sexes; in the group aged 70-74 years, 1.8% of men and 3.7% of women were frail, whereas in the 80-84 years age group, 14.9% of men and 16.7% of women were frail. Women tended to exhibit a higher prevalence of frailty than men in all age groups. FUTURE PLANS: The KFACS plans to identify outcomes and risk factors associated with frailty by conducting a 10-year cohort study, with a follow-up every 2 years, using 3014 baseline participants.

Development and validation of a prediction model for home discharge in patients with moderate stroke: The Korean stroke cohort for functioning and rehabilitation study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have investigated the predictors for home discharge without considering stroke severity. OBJECTIVES: To develop a practical assessment tool that predicts home discharge for moderate stroke patients after subacute rehabilitation therapy in the tertiary hospitals. METHODS: Stroke patients with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores of 6 to 13 were included in this prospective cohort study. Various demographic, clinical, and functional factors were analyzed as potential predictive factors. A weighted scoring model was developed through the following three-step process: 1) selection of the factors by logistic regression analyses, 2) development of a weighted scoring model, and 3) validation of the generalizability of the model. RESULTS: The home discharge rate was 51% (n = 372), and the overall mean length of stay of hospitalization was 32.5 days. 1) The Cognitive Functional Independence Measure, 2) the Functional Ambulation Categories, 3) the modified Charlson Comorbidity Index, and 4) marital status were independent predictors of home discharge. The coefficient value for marital status was adjusted to 1 in the scoring system, and the values of the other parameters were proportionally converted to the nearest integer. Possible total scores ranged from 0 to 13 in the model, with a higher score indicating a higher probability of home discharge. With a cutoff point of 7, this model showed 87.0% sensitivity and 86.2% specificity (area under the curve = 0.90). CONCLUSIONS: This novel assessment tool can be useful in predicting home discharge after subacute rehabilitation of moderate stroke patients.

Determining the cut-off score for the Modified Barthel Index and the Modified Rankin Scale for assessment of functional independence and residual disability after stroke.

Assessment of functional independence and residual disability is very important for measuring treatment outcome after stroke. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and the modified Barthel Index (MBI) are commonly used scales to measure disability or dependence in activities of daily living (ADL) of stroke survivors. Lack of consensus regarding MBI score categories has caused confusion in interpreting stroke outcomes. The purpose of this study was to identify the optimal corresponding MBI and modified Rankin scale (mRS) grades for categorization of MBI. The Korean versions of the MBI (K-MBI) and mRS were collected from 5,759 stroke patients at 3 months after onset of stroke. The sensitivity and specificity were calculated at K-MBI score cutoffs for each mRS grade to obtain optimally corresponding K-MBI scores and mRS grades. We also plotted receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of sensitivity and specificity and determined the area under the curve (AUC). The K-MBI cutoff points with the highest sum of sensitivity and specificity were 100 (sensitivity 0.940; specificity 0.612), 98 (sensitivity 0.904; specificity 0.838), 94 (sensitivity 0.885; specificity 0.937), 78 (sensitivity 0.946; specificity, 0.973), and 55 (sensitivity 937; specificity 0.986) for mRS grades 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. From this result, the K-MBI cutoff score range for each mRS grade can be obtained. For mRS grade 0, the K-MBI cutoff score is 100, indicating no associated score range. For mRS grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, the K-MBI score ranges is from 99 to 98, 97 to 94, 93 to 78, 77 to 55, and under 54, respectively.The AUC for the ROC curve was 0.791 for mRS grade 0, 0.919 for mRS grade 1, 0.970 for mRS grade 2, 0.0 for mRS grade 3, and 0.991 for mRS grade 4. The K-MBI cutoff score ranges for representing mRS grades were variable; mRS grades 0, 1, and 2 had narrow K-MBI score ranges, while mRS grades 3, 4, and 5 exhibited broad K-MBI score ranges. mRS grade seemed to sensitively differentiate mild residual disability of stroke survivors, whereas K-MBI provided more specific information of the functional status of stroke survivors with moderate to severe residual impairment.

Factors Associated with Changes in Functional Independence after Six Months of Ischemic Stroke.

The aim of this study is to investigate the changes in functional independence and their associated factors during the first 6 months to 1 year after stroke onset. This study is the interim results of the Korean Stroke Cohort for Functioning and Rehabilitation. A total of 1,011 participants were included and classified into 3 subgroups according to changes in the Korean version of Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) scores that occurred between 6 months to 1 year after stroke onset: the improved group (IG), with scores that increased 5 points or more; the stationary group (SG), with the K-MBI score changes ranging from -4 to +4 points; and the declined group (DG), with the K-MBI scores that decreased 5 points or more. Ordinal logistic regression analyses were used to assess the factors influencing changes in the K-MBI score. Among 1,011 patient, 436 patients (43.1%), 398 patients (39.4%) and 117 patients (17.5%) were classified into the IG, SG, and DG, respectively. Obesity and Geriatric Depression Scale score were significant influencing factors for changes in the K-MBI scores. Obesity showed a positive influence on the K-MBI score, while depression showed a negative influence.

KSNR Clinical Consensus Statements: Rehabilitation of Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

Clinical consensus statements (CCSs) aim to improve care for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and reduce the variability of rehabilitation methods in clinical practice. A literature search was conducted to find available evidence on the rehabilitation of patients with PD and to determine the scope of CCSs. The selection of PD rehabilitation domains and key questions was done using the modified Delphi method in 43 expert panels. These panels achieved a consensus on 11 key questions regarding rehabilitation assessment and goal setting, gait and balance, activities of daily living, and swallowing and communication disorders. After the completion of an agreement procedure, 11 key consensus statements were developed by the consensus panel. These statements addressed the needs of rehabilitation as a continuum in patients with PD. They included the appropriate rehabilitation initiation time, assessment items, rehabilitation contents, and complication management. This agreement can be used by physiatrists, rehabilitation therapists, and other practitioners who take care of patients with PD. The consensus panel also highlighted areas where a consensus could not be reached. The development of more focused CCS or clinical practice guidelines that target specific rehabilitation approaches is considered the next needed step.

Factors Associated to Returning Home in the First Year after Stroke.

The objective of this study was to investigate factors affecting the return home one year after a stroke. The subjects of this study consisted of patients who participated in a large-scale multi-objective cohort study of initial stage stroke patients who were admitted to 9 representative hospitals in Korea. We analyzed the distribution of the subjects who had experienced stroke a year earlier by distinguishing the group who returned home and the other group that was hospitalized in rehabilitation hospitals. Based on this distribution, we evaluated the demographic, environmental, clinical, and psychological factors that can affect the return home. Overall, there were 464 subjects in the 'Return home' group and 99 subjects in the 'Rehabilitation hospitalization' group. job status, inconvenient housing structures, residential types, diagnosis, Functional Ambulation Categories, modified Rankin Scale, Korea-Modified Barthel Index, Function Independence Measure, Fugl-Meyer Assessment, Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination, Korean version of Frenchay Aphasia Screening Test, Psychosocial Well-being Index-Short Form, Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form, EuroQol-five Dimensional showed a significant difference between the 2 groups one year after the stroke. The factors affecting the return home one year after a stroke include functional status, activities of daily living, cognition, depression, stress, quality of life, job status. It is expected that factors affecting the rehabilitation of patients with stroke can be considered as basic data for establishing rehabilitation goals and treatment plans.

Effect of Cognitive Reserve on Risk of Cognitive Impairment and Recovery After Stroke: The KOSCO Study.

Background and Purpose- The theory of cognitive reserve (CR) was introduced to account for individual differences in the clinical manifestation of neuropathology. This study investigated whether CR has a modulating effect on cognitive impairment and recovery after stroke. Methods- This study is an interim analysis of the Korean Stroke Cohort for Functioning and Rehabilitation. A total of 7459 patients with first-ever stroke were included for analysis. Education, occupation, and composite CR scores derived from those 2 variables were used as CR proxies. Scores from the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination analyzed for 30 months after stroke onset were analyzed. Results- Lower CR increased the risk of cognitive impairment after stroke. The odds ratio was 1.89 (95% CI, 1.64-2.19) in patients with secondary education and 2.42 (95% CI, 2.03-2.90) in patients with primary education compared with patients with higher education. The odds ratio was 1.48 (95% CI, 1.23-1.98) in patients with a skilled manual occupation and 2.01 (95% CI, 1.42-2.83) in patients with a nonskilled manual occupation compared with patients with a managerial or professional occupation. In the multilevel model analysis, the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination total score increased during the first 3 months (1.93 points per month) and then plateaued (0.02 point per month). The slopes were moderated by the level of education, occupation, and composite CR score: the higher the level of education, occupation, or CR score, the faster the recovery. In the older adult group, the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination scores showed a long-term decline that was moderated by education level. Conclusions- Education and occupation can buffer an individual against cognitive impairment caused by stroke and promote rapid cognitive recovery early after stroke. In addition, higher education minimizes long-term cognitive decline after stroke, especially in older patients. Clinical Trial Registration- URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT03402451.

Factors influencing return to work after stroke: the Korean Stroke Cohort for Functioning and Rehabilitation (KOSCO) Study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the rate of return to work and identify key factors associated with return to work between 3 months and 2 years after stroke. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: The Korean Stroke Cohort for Functioning and Rehabilitation (KOSCO) in Korea. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 193 persons with first-ever stroke who reported working status at 3 months after stroke. OUTCOME MEASURES: Data on baseline characteristics were collected from medical records. Functional assessments were performed using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, the modified Rankin Scale, the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, the Functional Ambulatory Category, the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination, the Korean version of the Frenchay Aphasia Screening Test, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association National Outcomes Measurement System, the Korean-Modified Barthel Index, the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form and the EuroQol-5 dimensions. An enumeration survey included the Reintegration to Normal Living Index, the Psychosocial Well-being Index-Short Form (, the Family Support Index and the Caregivers Burden Index. RESULTS: Overall, 145 (75.1%) patients who had a stroke in the "Continuously-Employed" group and 48 (24.9%) in the "Employed-Unemployed" group returned to work between 3 months and 2 years after stroke. Multivariate logistic analysis demonstrated that in patients who had a stroke, characteristics such as age, PWI-SF Score, and caregiver characteristics, including age, sex (female) and living arrangements, were significantly associated with return to work between 3 months and 2 years after stroke. CONCLUSION: Age and PWI-SF Score of patients who had a stroke, as well as the age, sex and living arrangements of caregivers, are key factors influencing the return to work after stroke. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03402451.

Erratum to: Impact of Functional Status on Noncardioembolic Ischemic Stroke Recurrence Within 1 Year: The Korean Stroke Cohort for Functioning and Rehabilitation Study.

This corrects the article on p. 54 in vol. 15, PMID: 30618217.

Impact of Functional Status on Noncardioembolic Ischemic Stroke Recurrence Within 1 Year: The Korean Stroke Cohort for Functioning and Rehabilitation Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Few studies have investigated the relationship between the specific functional factors potentially associated with functional level and stroke recurrence. We conducted a study of patients with noncardioembolic ischemic stroke (NCIS) to determine the functional factors affecting recurrence within the first year. METHODS: In total, 568 first-ever NCIS patients (age=65.1±17.4 years, mean±SD) were analyzed in a multicenter, prospective cohort study registered from August 2012. Demographic characteristics, past medical history, comorbidities, laboratory data, stroke features in neuroimaging, acute treatments, and medications at discharge were assessed. Functional factors reflecting gross functional impairment, ambulatory function, motor function, activities of daily living, cognition, language ability, swallowing function, mood, and quality of life were comprehensively evaluated in face-to-face assessments using standardized tools at the time of discharge. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of stroke recurrence in NCIS was 6.0% (n=34) at 1 year. The period from admission to discharge was 34.4±7.0 days. The independent predictors of stroke recurrence within 1 year in multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression analyses were 1) age [per-year hazard ratio (HR)=1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.97-1.06, p=0.048], 2) Charlson Comorbidity Index higher than 2 (HR=1.72, 95% CI=1.26-2.22, p=0.016), 3) modified Rankin Scale score of 3 or more at discharge (HR=1.56, 95% CI=1.22-1.94, p=0.032), and 4) Functional Ambulation Category of 3 or less at discharge (HR=2.56, 95% CI=1.84-3.31, p=0.008). CONCLUSIONS: In addition to patient age, moderate-to-severe functional impairment requiring the help of others (especially for ambulation) at the time of discharge and the severity of comorbidity were independent predictors of stroke recurrence within 1 year of the first NCIS.

Effect of regular swimming exercise to duration-intensity on neurocognitive function in cerebral infarction rat model.

Objective: This study investigated the effect of regular swimming exercise according to the duration-intensity on neurocognitive function in a cerebral infarction rat model. Methods: Forty male Sprague-Dawley 10-week-old rats, weighing 300 ± 50 g, were subjected to photothrombotic cerebral infarction. The remaining 36 rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 9 per group: non-exercise (group A); swimming exercise of short duration-intensity (5 min/day, group B); swimming exercise of moderate duration-intensity (10 min/day, group C); and swimming exercise of long duration-intensity (20 min/day, group D). Exercise was performed five times a week for 4 weeks, beginning the day after cerebral infarction. Neurocognitive function was evaluated with the Morris water maze test. Immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis examined brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at 4 weeks postinfarction. Results: At 4 weeks postinfarction, escape latency was found to be shorter in group C than in any of groups A, B, or D. Immunohistochemistry revealed the most significant immunoreactivity for BDNF and VEGF in group C. Western blot analysis demonstrated that BDNF and VEGF proteins were markedly expressed in group C. Conclusions: Regular swimming exercise of moderate duration-intensity may be the most effective exercise protocol for the recovery of neurocognitive function in cerebral infarction rat model.

Prediction for return to driving after the first-ever stroke in Korea: The KOSCO study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify contributing factors that can be used to predict which patients with first-ever stroke will return to driving during 1 year after stroke. DESIGN: Multicentre cohort study. SUBJECTS: A total of 620 first-ever stroke patients who drove before stroke. METHODS: The Stroke Cohort for Functioning and Rehabilitation is a large, multicentre, prospective cohort study of all patients with acute first-ever stroke admitted to participating hospitals in 9 areas of Korea. This study analysed the data from 1,354 patients who completed a face-to-face survey about return to driving at 1 year after stroke. A multiple binary logistic regression analysis model was used to analyse factors that potentially influenced return to driving during 12 months after stroke. RESULTS: Of 620 subjects, 410 (66.1%) returned to driving after stroke. They resumed driving at a mean of 2.15 months after stroke (standard deviation 2.32 years). Regression models showed that sex, age, modified Rankin scale (mRS), education about return to driving, and Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) were significantly related to return to driving. Stroke type, ambulatory function, and language function at 7 days were not correlated with return to driving. CONCLUSION: Male patients, education about return to driving, lower mRS, and higher FMA at 7 days after stroke are predictors of return to driving. This model could be used by clinicians to help counsel patients and their families.