E. Alagnidé

Verbal communication disorders in brain damaged post-stroke patients in Benin

UNLABELLEDnIn Western countries, progress has lessened the severity of numerous sequels of verbal communication disorders (VCD). For Africa and more particularly Benin, few data on the subject are presently available.nnnOBJECTIVEnTo analyze the occurrence and development of post-stroke VCD in Benin.nnnMETHODnA retrospective, descriptive and analytical study focused on 563 post-stroke patients treated in rehabilitation department of the National university hospital of Cotonou (CNHU) from January 2006 through December 2010.nnnRESULTSnVCD prevalence was 42.10%. Average age was 57.17 ± 12.62 years, sex ratio was 1.75, and 74.69% were right-handed. VCD affected oral expression (95.78%), written expression (2.11%), oral comprehension (13.08%) and written comprehension or reading (0.84%). Type of stroke, sex and age had no impact on VCD occurrence following stroke. Only 5.91% of the patients underwent speech therapy. Progression was favorable in 21.09% of the cases studied.nnnCONCLUSIONnIn Benin, post-stroke VCD is exceedingly common and occasions major social difficulties. Prevalence of VCD in a predominantly oral culture underscores the need for speech therapists to develop a more broadly ecological approach toward treatment.

Health-related quality of life of adult patients healed from Buruli ulcer in Benin.

Background: The implementation of the antimicrobial therapy greatly improved Buruli Ulcer (BU) care. Nevertheless, the disease still imposes significant burden. In rural endemic areas, many patients are being healed from the disease with disabling sequels. They are living without social assistance in a context of poverty. Various researches have evaluated the therapeutic modalities that are used to control the BU disease, but any study on the quality of life (QOL) of the patients healed from BU has been reported. Methodology/Principal Findings: A total of 105 patients healed from Buruli ulcer and, 105 control Original Research Article Kpadonou et al.; BJMMR, 6(1): 88-98, 2015; Article no.BJMMR.2015.186 89 subjects without Buruli ulcer history are enrolled in the study after giving well-informed consent. The Medical Outcome Study Short Form (SF-36) is administrated to access their QOL. The study is approved by the Ethical committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC). All the patients have a weak QOL than control subjects. The deterioration affects their physical functioning, their physical role, their emotional role and their mental health (p<0.05). However, in spite of their low QOL, subjects aged from 40 years old and over (p = 0.003), and subjects married, divorced or widowed (p = 0.01) work physically better than the other subgroups, even if they are mentally weaker. In a Spearman correlation test, we have observed significant relationships of socio-economic variable with the decrease of SF-36 subscale values. Conclusion/Significance: BU patients are healed in a long-term physically and psychologically marked by the sequels induced by the disease. The results of the present study suggest that interventions and supports are needed to improve the QOL of these patients.