AIM: Functional comprehensive assessment (FCA) was used to measure function of stroke patients (in three week after stroke) at admission and six months after stroke and study the influence of early rehabilitation intervention on functional outcomes of stroke patients. METHODS: Totally 80 patients with hemorrhagic and cerebral infarction aged between 40 and 80 consecutively admitted in the Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation, First Affiliated hospital of Anhui Medical University between December 2001 and August 2003 were chosen. The course was no more than three weeks. Eighty patients were randomly divided into two groups: control group and rehabilitation group. Traditional neurology therapies were given to all patients. The rehabilitation group received physical and occupational therapy. In addition, the service of speech pathology was used. The functional status of each patient was assessed at both admission and six months later using FCA instrument. RESULTS: Totally 76 patients finished the study and 4 cases were missed. General data indicated there was no significant difference between the two groups before treatment (p > 0.05) in ages, cerebral infarction, proportion of cerebral hemorrhage and sex. FCA total mark was divided into 4 levels: <= 40, 41 to 60, 61 to 80, > 80 using Wilcoxon rank test. There were no significant differences between the two groups before treatment. However, after treatment, total FCA scores were <= 40 (3 cases), 41 to 60 (7 cases), 61 to 80 (9 cases), > 80 (20 cases) in the rehabilitation group and < 40 (6 cases), 41 to 60 (10 cases), 61 to 80 (16 cases), > 80 (5 cases) in the control group. There was significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: Early rehabilitation intervention can obviously improve daily life ability and motor function of stroke patients.

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