Prevalence, predictors, and patterns of patient reported non-motor outcomes six months after stroke: a prospective cohort studyResearch in context

Abstract

Summary: Background: Adverse non-motor outcomes have a major impact on patients and caregivers after stroke, but knowledge of their prevalence, predictors and patterns across multiple health domains remains limited; we therefore aimed to obtain these data in a large observational prospective cohort study. Methods: We included data from the Stroke Investigation Group in North and Central London (SIGNAL) registry based at the University College London Hospitals (UCLH) Comprehensive Stroke Service which serves a multi-ethnic population of ∼1.6 million people. In adult patients diagnosed with acute stroke due to cerebral ischaemia or intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) from January 2017 to January 2020 we evaluated non-motor outcomes (anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, social participation, pain, bowel dysfunction, bladder dysfunction, mood problems, communication problems, activities of daily living (ADL), memory and thinking problems) at 6-month follow-up. We evaluated baseline predictors in multivariable logistic regression, and correlations between domains using kappa statistics. Findings: Follow-up was complete for 3080 of 3338 (92.3%) eligible surviving patients (2534 ischaemic stroke, 547 with ICH; mean age 71.2 years, 1379 (44.8%) female, 1774 (59.3%) white). The most prevalent adverse non-motor outcomes were fatigue 1756 (57%), reduced social participation 1694 (55%), sleep disturbance 1663 (54%), and constipation 1355 (44%). The rates of adverse non-motor outcomes in ⩾ 1, ⩾ 2, ⩾ 3, ⩾ 4, and ⩾ 5 domains were 2310 (75%), 1571 (51%), 1519 (49%), 1232 (40%), and 801 (26%), respectively. Factors associated with adverse non-motor outcomes included stroke due to ICH, stroke severity, previous stroke, or history of cardiovascular disease. We identified moderate correlations between fatigue and sleep disturbance (kappa = 0.72); memory and thinking impairment and reduced ADL (kappa = 0.68); and communication problems and ADL (kappa = 0.70). Interpretation: Adverse non-motor outcomes are highly prevalent and often multiple at 6-months after stroke: 75% have at least one affected domain; fatigue, sleep disturbance, and reduced social participation each affect over 50% of survivors, and 26% of patients report ≥5 adverse outcomes. Our findings suggest an urgent need to better detect and mitigate these outcomes to improve quality of life after stroke. Funding: The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) UCLH Biomedical Research Centre.

Keywords

• Patient reported health
• Non-motor outcomes
• Quality of life after stroke
• Neuropsychological
• Sleep
• Autonomic