Journal of the neurological sciences
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Multicenter Study
Predictive value of the NIHSS for ADL outcome after ischemic hemispheric stroke: does timing of early assessment matter?
Early prediction of future functional abilities is important for stroke management. The objective of the present study was to investigate the predictive value of the 13-item National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), measured within 72 h after stroke, for the outcome in terms of activities of daily living (ADL) 6 months post stroke. The second aim was to examine if the timing of NIHSS assessment during the first days post stroke affects the accuracy of predicting ADL outcome 6 months post stroke. ⋯ When measured within 9 days, the 13-item NIHSS is highly associated with final outcome in terms of BI at 6 months post stroke. The moment of assessment beyond 2 days post stroke does not significantly affect the accuracy of prediction of ADL dependency at 6 months. The NIHSS can therefore be used at acute hospital stroke units for early rehabilitation management during the first 9 days post stroke, as the accuracy of prediction remained about 72%, irrespective of the moment of assessment.