Stroke location is not associated with return to work after first ischemicstroke

Background and Purpose-In prior studies, age, race, job category, disabilit y, and cortical functions such as praxis, language, and memory have been as sociated with vocational outcome, but the influence of stroke location on r eturn to work has never been critically examined. Methods-We examined the influence of stroke location on vocational outcome in patients with clinically confirmed acute ischemic stroke from the Nation al Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Stroke Data Bank. Results-Of 143 patients working full time at the time of first ischemic str oke, 23 patients were dead and 120 were alive at 1 year. Employment status was known in 109 (mean age, 55 years; 51 [47%] were white, and 82 [75%] wer e male), Fifty-eight (53%) had returned to work; most (85%) worked full tim e. Younger age was positively associated with return to work (P<0.05). In a n age-adjusted analysis, stroke severity as measured by the Barthel Index 7 to 10 days after stroke was negatively associated with return to work (P<0 .001), Higher household income and absence of cortical neurological dysfunc tion 7 to 10 days after stroke were positively but less strongly associated with return to work (P<0.08), Stroke location, sex, and depression at time of stroke were not associated with vocational outcome. Conclusions-Our data suggest that stroke location may be less important tha n other more easily measured factors in predicting vocational outcome.