Table 1 Baseline patient characteristics SA group MEPA group P value (n=20) (n=20) Gender, n (%) 0.595 Male 10 11 - Female 10 9 - Age, mean (SD) 55.85±10.37 56.24±11.18 0.734 Types of stroke, n (%) 0.242 Infarction 14 15 - Hemorrhage 6 5 - Side of hemiplegia, n (%) 0.294 Left 8 7 - Right 12 13 - Duration of stroke, mean (SD) (days) 28.76±12.51 29.52±10.37 0.948 After the normality test, the data of age and duration of stroke were in accordance with normal distribution, so independent sample t-test was used; chi-square test for other data. SD: standard deviation. P<0.05 indicates statistically significant. Course of stroke: time interval from onset of stroke to onset of treatment.