Efficacy of goal-directed rehabilitation on functional recovery in patients with cerebral infarction

This retrospective cohort study evaluated the effectiveness of a structured goal-directed rehabilitation program compared with conventional rehabilitation in patients with cerebral infarction during inpatient recovery. A total of 185 patients admitted for rehabilitation between January 2023 and December 2024 were included. Apart from the implementation of a structured goal-directed rehabilitation framework in 2024, staffing structure, therapist training background, rehabilitation intensity, and equipment conditions remained stable across the study period. Functional outcomes were assessed at admission and discharge using standardized instruments including the Barthel index, Fugl-Meyer assessment, Berg balance scale, walking distance, walking speed, communication ability, and bedside swallowing evaluation. Both groups showed significant improvements across functional domains; however, the goal-directed rehabilitation group achieved larger gains in activities of daily living and motor function (Barthel index: +25.0 vs +18.0; fugl-meyer assessment: +16.0 vs +11.0; both P < .001). Improvements in balance, gait performance, communication, and swallowing were also more pronounced. Nevertheless, the findings reflect short-term inpatient rehabilitation outcomes from a single-center retrospective study and should be interpreted cautiously regarding long-term functional recovery and generalizability. These results suggest that integrating individualized, explicitly defined rehabilitation goals into multidisciplinary stroke rehabilitation may enhance short-term functional recovery, but prospective multicenter studies with longer follow-up are required to confirm these observations.