A fresh study discovered an unexpected link between language and neurological recovery after a stroke. Specifically, monolingual Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans were found to have less favourable neurological outcomes three months post-stroke compared to their English-speaking or bilingual counterparts. Even after accounting for additional factors like hypertension and diabetes, these disparities remained, albeit there was no discernible difference in their capability to perform daily activities or in their cognitive functions.
It’s well-documented that Mexican Americans tend to face worse post-stroke outcomes compared to non-Hispanic white Americans. This new research investigates the potential impact of the language spoken by Mexican Americans on their recovery path after suffering a stroke. The study’s findings were recently published in Neurology, a medical journal by the American Academy of Neurology.
The lead author of the study, Lewis B. Morgenstern, MD, a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, stated, “Mexican Americans who spoke only Spanish were found to have poorer neurological outcomes three months after a stroke than those who were English-speaking or bilingual. Further exploration is required to understand the factors and hurdles contributing to these outcomes.”
The study examined 1,096 Mexican American individuals in Corpus Christi, Texas, who had suffered a stroke over a decade. The researchers focused on outcomes in three domains—neurologic, functional, and cognitive—three months post-stroke. Neurological outcomes encompass factors like muscle strength, coordination, speech, and vision issues, while functional outcomes measure the ability to carry out daily activities such as bathing and meal preparation.
The outcomes for the 170 individuals who spoke only Spanish were compared to those of the 926 who were either English-speaking or bilingual. The Spanish-speaking group was generally older, less educated, and had poorer neurological scores at the onset of the stroke than the other group.
Three months following the stroke, Spanish-speaking participants had an average neurological score of seven (moderate stroke effects are denoted by scores between five and 14), whereas English-speaking or bilingual participants scored an average of four (mild stroke effects are indicated by scores between one and four). These findings persisted even after adjusting for group differences and other potential stroke risk factors, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
However, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of their ability to carry out daily tasks or their cognitive capabilities.
Morgenstern also noted, “We had previously conducted a study in the same community and found that language spoken did not impact the timing of hospital arrival or usage of emergency medical services following an ischemic stroke. Therefore, it is crucial to uncover the factors driving these differential outcomes.”
One limitation of this study is the relatively small number of Spanish-only speakers. Additionally, since most Mexican Americans in Corpus Christi are US-born, these findings may not extend to regions with a larger population of immigrants.
Reference: “Stroke Outcomes Among English- and Spanish-Speaking Mexican Americans” by Alejandro Vargas, Guanghao Zhang, Xu Shi, Lynda D. Lisabeth and Lewis B. Morgenstern, 12 April 2023, Neurology.
DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207275
Funding for the study came from the National Institutes of Health and the TRANSCENDS program (Training in Research for Academic Neurologists to Sustain Careers and Enhance the Numbers of Diverse Scholars), which is also funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Stroke recovery outcomes
What did the study discover about the impact of language on stroke recovery?
The study found that Mexican Americans who only spoke Spanish had worse neurological outcomes three months after a stroke compared to those who were English-speaking or bilingual.
Who conducted this study on language and stroke recovery?
The study was conducted by Lewis B. Morgenstern, MD, of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, along with his team.
How many people were involved in this study?
The study involved 1,096 Mexican American individuals from Corpus Christi, Texas, who had experienced a stroke over a period of ten years.
Did the language spoken affect the ability to carry out daily tasks or cognitive abilities post-stroke?
No, the study found no difference between the Spanish-only group and the English-only or bilingual group in their ability to complete daily activities or in their cognitive functions post-stroke.
What were the limitations of the study?
One limitation was the relatively small number of Spanish-only speakers. Also, since most of the participants in the study were born in the United States, these results may not extend to areas with a larger population of immigrants.
Who funded the study?
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the TRANSCENDS (Training in Research for Academic Neurologists to Sustain Careers and Enhance the Numbers of Diverse Scholars) program.
More about Stroke recovery outcomes
- Neurology Journal
- American Academy of Neurology
- University of Michigan – Lewis B. Morgenstern, MD
- National Institutes of Health
- TRANSCENDS program
