Nutritional Supplements and Neuroprotective Diets and Their Potential Clinical Significance in Post-Stroke Rehabilitation

Abstract

Nutrition and rehabilitation are crucial in post-stroke recovery, especially in the elderly. Since stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability, there is a need to promote special, individually tailored nutrition strategies targeting older patients with low motor ability. Chronic stroke survivors have higher risk of developing nutrition-related chronic diseases, such as sarcopenia, anemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus and osteoporosis. Moreover, reduced motor activity, cognitive impairment and depression might be aggravated by poor malnutrition status. Accumulated data suggest that nutritional supplements and neuroprotective diets can be associated with better effectiveness of post-stroke rehabilitation as well as brain recovery. Therefore, this review focuses on preventive strategies that can improve dietary intake and change dietary patterns. We highlight the importance of neuroprotective diets, the problem of dysphagia and the role of nutrition in rehabilitation. This article focuses on potential nutritional supplements and neuroprotective diets that may have an impact on functional recovery during and after rehabilitation. Moreover, a new approach to post-stroke neuroplasticity including the use of agents from marine sources such as fucoxanthin and tramiprosate as compounds that might be used as potential neuroprotectants with antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties is introduced.

Do Muscle Changes Contribute to the Neurological Disorder in Spastic Paresis?

“…Spastic myopathy should be treated with an appropriate physical treatment, using techniques such as prolonged daily self-stretch postures at high load ( 53 ), active stretching ( 94 ), short wave and ultrasound therapies ( 95 ), as it is known that botulinum toxin injections alone will not allow any long-term meaningful muscle lengthening ( 52 , 96 , 97 ). To minimize muscle damage from the acute stages, vibrations ( 98 ), stretching postures through positioning ( 99 , 100 ) and specific splinting ( 101 ), or Leucine and vitamin D ( 102 , 103 ) might also be helpful.…”

The Role of Vitamin D in Stroke Prevention and the Effects of Its Supplementation for Post-Stroke Rehabilitation: A Narrative Review

“…Post-stroke patients often experience concomitant diseases associated with poor nutrition, such as anemia, diabetes, osteoporosis, and sarcopenia. This demonstrates the urgent need for customized diets for patients during rehabilitation programs [98][99][100].…”

Association between Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index and Depression after Ischemic Stroke

“…Nutritional supplementation included amino acids and vitamins. However, few published studies have reported the onset of depression as an outcome [35]. A randomized study in 2010, with 273 stroke patients (mean age: 63 years), suggested that treatment with B-group vitamin reduced the risk of depression (HR = 0.48) during a follow-up of 7.1 ± 2.1 years [36].…”

“…In contrast, depression is considered a risk factor for malnutrition among patients with stroke [35,37]. Stroke survivors with depression have less energy intake [38].…”