Objectıve: The goal of this study was to determine the factors that affect quality of life and improve the quality of life which is the main aim of rehabilitation efforts, in stroke patients.

Materıals-Methods: One hundred eleven patients who were diagnosed clinically and radiologically as having stroke in Trakya University Medical Faculty Neurology Department were included in the study. 97 of these patients could complete the whole study period. The first evaluation of the patients was performed when their clinical status reached a clinically stable status. The second and the third evaluations were made after 1 and 3 months, consecutively in the Rehabilitation Clinic of the same hospital. Demographic and disease related factors along with the findings which could impair life quality were investigated. Functional status was assessed by “Barthel Index”, ambulation by “Functional Ambulation Score”, cognitive status by “Mini Mental Test”, neglect syndrome by “Star Erasing Test” and depression by “Beck Depression Scale”. Quality of life was evaluated by “Short Form-36” and a stroke-specific outcome measure named “Stoke Impack Scala 3.0” version. Factors having an effect on life quality were determined using linear regression analysis.

Results : 53 (47.7%) patients were women, 58 (52.3%) patients were men. Mean age was 67.72±12.72 (range 23-89). The involved site was the non-dominant extremity in 58 (52.3%) of the patients, while this rate was 47.7% (53 of the patients) for dominant extremity. It was found that the quality of life improved from the beginning of the third month. We found that age, gender, dominant extremity involvement, cognitive functions, ambulation, speech disorder and depression all have effects in various subitems of the two life quality measurement instruments.

Conclusıon: Some demographic and disease related factors have the potential to deteriorate life quality in stroke. The informations about these factors will guide the physician in the determination of rehabilitation targets