AIM: To observe the effect of community-based-rehabilitation (CBR) on cognitive function and activities of daily life (ADL) of stroke patients. METHODS: A total of 45 stroke patients diagnosed according to the evaluative standard revised by the Fourth Academic Conference of National Cerebral Vascular Disease and lived in communities around the Second Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2003 to 2005 were selected and randomly divided into two groups: rehabilitation group (n = 25) and control group (n = 20). Additionally to the same medication treatment, the rehabilitation group was treated by CBR for 3 months. Different recovered therapies were laid down according to the paralytic types of stroke patients, including motor function exercise, ADL training, psychological recovery and social adaptation training. The motor function exercise included passive motor of each joint of affected limbs, rolling exercise of affected part, balance ability training (sitting and standing balance), position transfer exercise (bed-chair transfer and sit-stand transfer), gait training (walking and stair activity) and stretching exercise of ankle of wrist. ADL training included food taking, putting on clothes, individual hygiene disposal and so on. Psychological recovery and social adaptation training included good relationabip between doctors and patients to help them strengthen confidence, release negative emotion, instruct and courage them to express feelings. The intervention was performed twice a week. Then the cognition function was measured by mini mental state examination (MMSE) and ADL were assessed by Barthel Index by the same physician before and after CBR. RESULTS: All the 45 patients were involved in the result analysis. (1) Before CBR, there was no significant difference in the scores of MMSE and Barthel Index between the two groups (p > 0.05). But after CBR, the scores of the rehabilitation group were obviously higher than the control group (56.9 +/- 9.89, 49.8 +/- 9.87, t = 2.413, p < 0.05); (26.6 +/- 4.60, 22.9 +/- 6.70, t = 2.105, p < 0.05). (2) In the rehabilitation group, the Barthel Index of the patients whose course of disease was less than 6 months was higher than that of 6 to 12 months and more than 12 months, which had significant differences (67.6 +/- 8.90, 59.1 +/- 7.20, t = 2.397, p < 0.05); (67.6 +/- 8.90, 55.7 +/- 8.20, t = 2.487, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: CBR can improve cognitive function and ADL of stroke patients, and less than 6 months is the key stage for treatment of stroke, early recovery can minimally decrease the neurological function defects.

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