Barthel Index: Assessment of Functional Outcome After Ischemic Stroke

The Barthel Index (BI) is the most widely used functional assessment tool for measuring disability and dependency in activities of daily living, particularly in stroke and neurological rehabilitation. Developed by Florence Mahoney and Dorothea Barthel in 1965, the 10-item index quantifies independence in basic self-care and mobility tasks. The Barthel Index is the standard functional outcome measure in stroke trials, rehabilitation settings, and long-term follow-up cohorts, predicting discharge disposition and functional prognosis.