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Cerebral microbleeds and quality of life in acute ischemic stroke

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Abstract

This study evaluated the impact of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in 458 Chinese patients with first or recurrent acute ischemic stroke. HRQoL was assessed with the Short Form-36 (SF-36). Univariate analysis showed the presence of lobar CMBs to be negatively correlated with patients’ physical functioning (PF; p < 0.01), social function (SF; p < 0.01), and role-emotional (RE; p < 0.05) scores. Subsequent linear regression analysis revealed lobar CMBs to be independently associated with the PF and SF scores (p < 0.05). The limitations of this study include the exclusion of patients with more severe stroke, the lack of longitudinal assessments, the use of a generic rather than stroke-specific HRQoL scale, and the less than optimal sensitivity of the CMB measurement. The study findings suggest that CMBs have a significant impact on the HRQoL of stroke survivors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

    W. K. Tang, Y. K. Chen, J. Lu & Y. T. Xiang

  2. Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Organ Imaging, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

    A. T. Ahuja & W. C. W. Chu

  3. Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

    V. C. T. Mok & K. S. Wong

  4. The University of Notre Dame Australia/Marian Centre, Perth, Australia

    G. S. Ungvari

  5. Department of Psychiatry, Shatin Hospital, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China

    W. K. Tang

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  1. W. K. Tang
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  2. Y. K. Chen
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  3. J. Lu
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  4. A. T. Ahuja
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  5. W. C. W. Chu
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  6. V. C. T. Mok
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  8. Y. T. Xiang
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  9. K. S. Wong
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Correspondence to W. K. Tang.

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Tang, W.K., Chen, Y.K., Lu, J. et al. Cerebral microbleeds and quality of life in acute ischemic stroke. Neurol Sci 32, 449–454 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-011-0571-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-011-0571-y

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