Comparative Study on the Clinical Manifestations of Left and Right-Sided Stroke Survivors in University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospitals, Ondo

Abstract

Stroke is a global issues that accounts for most death in humans. It is a type of acquired brain injury that can result in long-term impairments to cognitive, affective, motor, sensory, and language functions. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical signs of stroke survivors who had suffered right- and left-sided strokes. The National Institute of Health stroke scale was used to record the demographics, stroke side, stroke severity, physical (motor, sensory, and autonomic) and cognitive functions, quantitative and qualitative speech function, and social functions. The result showed that the mean duration of onset of left and right-sided stroke patients was 8.57 ± 7.77 and 5.43 ± 4.50 months while the mean stage of recovery of left and right-sided stroke patients were 2.55 ± 1.13 and 3.3 ± 0.49 on Brunstrom grading. There was significant difference in the level of consciousness (t = 1.73, p= 0.05), visual loss (t = 2.39, p = 0.04), limbs motor function (t = -6.31, p = 0.00 and t = -6.69, p = 0.00, t = -5.29, p = 0.00, and t = 7.85, p = 0.00 respectively). There were also significant differences in the best language (aphasia) (t = 2.92, p = 0.01). However, there were no significant differences in the dysarthria and total NHIS score between the left and right-sided stroke participants. There were significant differences in some sub-scale scores on the NHIS Scale between the left and right-sided stroke participants, although, there were no significant differences in the dysarthria and overall NIHSS score of the two groups of stroke survivors.