Abstract
This case report illustrates the usefulness of including a quality of life measure with traditional functional measures for a patient with a chronic neurological condition. A 24-year-old woman was provided 3 episodes of intensive home physical therapy across the 3rd-5th years post-CVA. Problem solving, task specific practice, and patient/family education for home exercises and adaptive equipment were the primary interventions, with one episode of constraint induced therapy. Functional measures included the Barthel Index (BI) and Revised Rivermead ADL Scale. Quality of life was measured with the Medical Outcomes Survey SF-12 (MOS). The patient gained independence in ADLs, partial independence in IADLs, recovered use of the right hand, and returned to work part-time. Scores improved on all 3 measures over time. Several component scores on the MOS declined from the second to the third visit despite continued improvement in function. Use of a QOL measure provided broader psychosocial contexts in which the patient's overall satisfaction with life was contrasted with functional improvement. This case demonstrates that dramatic changes in function alone did not parallel similar increases in QOL measures.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 152-158 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Neurology Report |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2000 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
- Rehabilitation
- Clinical Neurology