AUTHORS: Takassi Lomié, PT, MSc¹; Kossi Oyéné, PT, MSc, PhD ²; Dieu Donné Gnonlonfoun, MD, Professor³, Agnon Balogoun, MD, Professor⁴

1. Physiotherapy Department of the National Center for Orthopedic         Equipment of Lome, Togo.

2. ENATSE, University of Parakou, Parakou, Benin

3. Department of Neurology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of    Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin

4. Department of Neurology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of    Lome, Lome, Togo

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Post-stroke deconditioning is a phenomenon that increases the direct consequences of stroke and is an additional cardiovascular risk factor. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between quality of life (physical component) and physical deconditioning.

RELEVANCE: Physical deconditioning is one of the major challenges facing the physiotherapist in post-stroke patients and many other pathologies.

PARTICIPANTS: This study included 76 patients with stroke [mean age (SD) = 52.9 (8.24) years; sex ratio H / F = 1.30; average post-stroke delay (SD) = 26.5 (19.5) months]; recruited in Lomé in the Neurology departments of University Hospital Centers of Campus, Sylvanus Olympio and in the National Center of Orthopedic Equipment.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. The physical component of quality of life was assessed using the SF-36 scale. The effort was evaluated by the PWC75% / kg test, gait endurance, was measured by the 6-minute test (6MWT) and finally the perception of effort (RPE), was measured by the Borg scale.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The data of the SF-36 questionnaire are analyzed by dimension (score between 0 and 100). The relationship between the variables, quality of life, and physical deconditioning was determined by the correlation of Pearson or Spearman according to the type of variable. The threshold of significance was set at 0.05.

RESULTS: The average PCS score is 41,487. The average fitness score PWC75% kg is 1.306. The average score of 6MWT is 218,688 and the average score for RPE is 6,108. There is no statistically significant relationship between quality of life (PCS) and physical deconditioning [6MWT (R = 0.162, p = 0.161), PWC75% kg (R = -0.137, p = 0.238) and RPE (R = 0.00554, p = 0.963)].

CONCLUSION: The physical deconditioning of the post-stroke patient can not be defined from SF-36 parameters. However it can be specifically from those physical activities and physical states of SF-36.

CLINICAL INVOLVEMENT: The evaluation of the patient's physical condition gives an idea of ​​his quality of life.