| Abstract: | Abstract Objective: To document the relationship between neurocognitive recovery and macronutrient intake of patients suffering from ischemic strokes. Design: Thirty day prospective study of 17 patients suffering from sub-acute stroke (> 14 days from the index event; 10 males, 7 females; mean age 75 ± 8 years) admitted to our rehabilitation unit. Results: At admission (ADM), mean energy intake was inadequate (< 24 kcal/kg) for bodily needs, whereas protein (> 0.8 g/kg) and lipid (> 0.7 g/kg) intake was appropriate. Patients were moderately deficient for neurological (NIHSS 10.3 ± 3.5) and cognitive tests (MMSE 22.5 ± 3.3). NIHSS correlated negatively with proteins (r = ?0.47, P = 0.05 at ADM; r = ?0.52, P = 0.03 at 30 days) and positively with carbohydrate/protein ratio (CHO/protein; r = +0.45, P = 0.06 at ADM; r = +0.48, P = 0.05 at 30 days). However, MMSE correlated positively with proteins (r = +0.77, P = 0.0003 at ADM; r = +0.55, P = 0.02 at 30 days) and negatively with (CHO/Prot; r = ?0.57, P = 0.02 at ADM; not significant at 30 days). The relationship remained significant even when the data at ADM and at 30 days where pooled. Conclusions: In sub-acute strokes, patient neurological and cognitive retrieval could positively be associated with protein intake. |
