Severity of disability and rehabilitation outcome were investigated using functional independence measure(FIM) in 37 patients with stroke and influencing factors on the final outcome were delineated.

Analysis revealed that FIM score and presence of aphasia at admission were highly correlated with FIM score at discharge(R⒁=0.629, 0.494, p<0.01). The patients with temporal lobe lesion showed significantly lower FIM score at discharge than the patients with lesion in extratemporal area(p<0.05). Subscales of FIM score including `sphincter control', `communication' and `social cognition' were considerly lower in the patients with temporal lobe lesion(p<0.05). The age, type of lesion and involved hemisphere were not significantly correlated with FIM score at discharge.

We conclude that the FIM score at admission, the presence of aphasia and the location of lesion will be a relevant factors in predicting the functional outcome in the patients with stroke.