Table 1 Studies on long-term outcome of stroke patients involving clinical neurophysiological data

Zeman & Yiannikas 1989 [6]

35

Median SEP

Abnormal SEP (absence or amplitude reduction or prolonged latency N20) were associated with poor outcome (lower BI) after a mean LOS of 51 days

Kovala 1991 [7]

35

Median and tibial SEP

Tibial SEP: correlation between amplitude abnormalities (absence or attenuation) and occupational outcome after 1 y

Median SEP: absence of N60 predicted poor outcome

Cillessen et al. 1994 [8]

55

EEG in the acute stage

EEG (presence of delta and theta activity) predicted poor outcome after 1 year

Ring, Bar & Abboud, 1999 [9]

4

VEP

Correlation between left-right asymmetry of VEP and functional outcome after a mean of 137 days inpatient rehabilitation

Feys et al. 2000 [10]

64

Median SEP and upper limb MEP

Absence of SEP and MEP indicated poor outcome 2 months after stroke

Steube, Wiethölter & Correll 2001 [11]

100

Lower limb MEP more than 4 weeks after stroke

Preserved MEP predicted good outcome (independence in walking) after 8 weeks of inpatient rehabilitation

Tzvetanov & Rousseff 2003 [12];

94

Median and tibial SEP

N20-P25 amplitude is of some predictive value (1 y outcome), but MRC is stronger predictor of functional outcome, P40 amplitude correlated with BI (r = 0.63) after 3 months

Tzvetanov, Rousseff, & Milanov 2003 [13];

Tsetanov, Rousseff & Atanassova 2005 [14]

Al-Rawi, Hamdan & Abdul-Muttalib 2009 [15]

22

Median SEP

Correlation between SEP (N20 latency and amplitude) and 3-month outcome (BI, MRC)

Pizzi et al. 2009 [16]

52

Upper limb MEP

In patients with severe paresis (MRC <2), absence of MEP were predictive of poor recovery