Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography can predict inpatient rehabilitation functional outcome in patients with stroke.

Background: Despite advances in imaging techniques and treatment modalities, tools to predict recovery after stroke remain limited.

Objective: To determine if transcranial Doppler (TCD) mean flow velocities were predictive of functional recovery following ischemic stroke.

Methods: Data were collected from patients with stroke admitted to an academic tertiary care facility in the southeastern region of the United States between 2012 and 2019 who had a middle cerebral artery distribution ischemic stroke, TCD, and were discharged to our inpatient rehabilitation facility. Mean flow velocities were categorized as low (<40 cm/s), normal (40-80 cm/s), or high (>80 cm/s). Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores were collected on admission to and discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the differences in mean FIM score changes by categories of mean flow velocities.

Results: We enrolled 57 patients, mean age 60 years, 73.7% male. Compared to the normal velocity group, those with abnormally low velocities had a significantly smaller change in their FIM score (adjusted β = -8.42; p = .01). Compared to the normal velocity group, those with abnormally high velocities experienced a greater change in FIM score, but this association was not statistically significant (beta = 1.12; p = .77).

Conclusions: In this limited population, we found that low mean flow velocity as measured by TCD ultrasonography after a middle cerebral artery stroke is associated with poorer functional recovery following inpatient rehabilitation. Our results suggest that the value of TCD ultrasonography as a tool to predict motor recovery after stroke warrants further investigation.