The Rehabilitation of Younger Stroke Patients

The young stroke population represents a significant rehabilitation challenge. Young patients are more often employed, caring for dependants, and rely on work-related income. Although much less common than in older patients, stroke in young adults has an annual incidence rate from 6 to 20 per 100,000 individuals annually (Leys et al. 2002). For every 5 individuals who experience stroke, 1 is under the age of 65 and 5% of all stroke patients have been found to be younger than 45 years. This represents a significant amount of patients with a degree of unique rehabilitation needs (Dixon et al. 2007, Stone 2007).

This chapter reviews current research pertaining to incidence, risk, etiology, rehabilitation, recovery and prognosis of stroke in younger patients. Addition topics relevant to the young stroke population are also featured: Return to work, family stress, institutionalization, patient perceptions of care, and young stoke patient's future needs.