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Neurology International
Volume 17
Issue 12
10.3390/neurolint17120193
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Article

Gender Differences in Subacute Post-Stroke Patients During Rehabilitation: Functional, Cognitive, and Nutritional Insights

by
Carola Cocco
1,
Mariacristina Siotto
1,*,
Alessandro Guerrini
1,2,
Marco Germanotta
1,
Francesca Falchini
1,
Valeria Cipollini
1,
Laura Cortellini
1,
Arianna Pavan
1,
Stefania Lattanzi
1,
Sabina Insalaco
1,
Dionysia Papadopoulou
1,
Elisabetta Ruco
1,
Erika Antonacci
1 and
Irene Giovanna Aprile
1
1
IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, 50143 Florence, Italy
2
Department of Science and Technology for Humans and the Environment, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128 Rome, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Neurol. Int. 2025, 17(12), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/neurolint17120193 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 24 October 2025 / Revised: 18 November 2025 / Accepted: 26 November 2025 / Published: 30 November 2025
Versions Notes

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Despite the well-documented gender differences observed during hospitalisation, research in post-stroke recovery remains limited. This study aims to clarify this topic in subacute post-stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation, considering not only functional and cognitive outcomes but also nutritional status and food consumption. Methods: At admission (T0), patients were assessed for demographic, anamnestic, and clinical data and were diagnosed for malnutrition according to the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria. At T0 and after a six-week rehabilitation program (T1), nutritional status was assessed by anthropometric measurements, serum analysis of albumin, glucose, lipidic, metal, and oxidative stress panel, and the calculation of the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index; food consumption was recorded daily. Functional independence in Activities of Daily Living was measured at both T0 and T1 by the modified Barthel Index (mBI), and cognitive impairment was assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), adjusted for age and education. Results: We enrolled 87 patients (mean age 69 ± 12 years; 42 women and 45 men); of these 52.4% of women were malnourished, compared to 33.3% of men. After rehabilitation (T1), women showed higher oxidative stress (549 ± 143 vs. 491 ± 121 UCARR; p = 0.041) and poorer functional outcomes (55.3 ± 26.1 vs. 67.1 ± 21.8; p = 0.032), despite similar cognitive improvements (19.5 ± 6.4 vs. 21.9 ± 5.2; p = 0.060) compared with men. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of personalised treatment strategies that account for gender-specific differences to optimise recovery in post-stroke patients.
Keywords: post-stroke; gender; rehabilitation; activity of daily living; cognitive impairment; nutritional status; malnutrition; oxidative stress; food consumption post-stroke; gender; rehabilitation; activity of daily living; cognitive impairment; nutritional status; malnutrition; oxidative stress; food consumption

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MDPI and ACS Style

Cocco, C.; Siotto, M.; Guerrini, A.; Germanotta, M.; Falchini, F.; Cipollini, V.; Cortellini, L.; Pavan, A.; Lattanzi, S.; Insalaco, S.; et al. Gender Differences in Subacute Post-Stroke Patients During Rehabilitation: Functional, Cognitive, and Nutritional Insights. Neurol. Int. 2025, 17, 193. https://doi.org/10.3390/neurolint17120193

AMA Style

Cocco C, Siotto M, Guerrini A, Germanotta M, Falchini F, Cipollini V, Cortellini L, Pavan A, Lattanzi S, Insalaco S, et al. Gender Differences in Subacute Post-Stroke Patients During Rehabilitation: Functional, Cognitive, and Nutritional Insights. Neurology International. 2025; 17(12):193. https://doi.org/10.3390/neurolint17120193

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cocco, Carola, Mariacristina Siotto, Alessandro Guerrini, Marco Germanotta, Francesca Falchini, Valeria Cipollini, Laura Cortellini, Arianna Pavan, Stefania Lattanzi, Sabina Insalaco, and et al. 2025. "Gender Differences in Subacute Post-Stroke Patients During Rehabilitation: Functional, Cognitive, and Nutritional Insights" Neurology International 17, no. 12: 193. https://doi.org/10.3390/neurolint17120193

APA Style

Cocco, C., Siotto, M., Guerrini, A., Germanotta, M., Falchini, F., Cipollini, V., Cortellini, L., Pavan, A., Lattanzi, S., Insalaco, S., Papadopoulou, D., Ruco, E., Antonacci, E., & Aprile, I. G. (2025). Gender Differences in Subacute Post-Stroke Patients During Rehabilitation: Functional, Cognitive, and Nutritional Insights. Neurology International, 17(12), 193. https://doi.org/10.3390/neurolint17120193

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