Algeria: president had full stroke, but recovering

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) ? Algeria's president had a full stroke, not a mini-stroke as originally reported, but he is recovering with the help of physical therapy, according to a statement from his office Tuesday.

Previously, the government had said that 76-year-old President Abdelaziz Bouteflika had a transient ischemic attack, a so-called "mini-stroke." But the latest statement now described the incident as a "cerebrovascular accident," or a full stroke.

Bouteflika has not been seen in public since the April 27 stroke and he was flown to France for treatment at the military hospital of Val-de-Grace. On June 2, he was moved to another French hospital for a program of therapy.

"His doctors recommended he undergo a period of care and physical therapy to boost the favorable development of his health at the national institute of Invalides," the statement said.

A "mini-stroke" is a brief constriction of a cerebral artery and results in a short period of disorientation that can be quickly recovered from. Full strokes, however, require a longer period of therapy.

"This kind of therapy indicates that his motor or neurological functions were affected by the accident," Dr. Mohammed Said Amokrane, a cardiologist in Algiers, said. "Functional rehabilitation, especially in the elderly like the president, can take months."

At the time, the Algerian government said that none of his vital functions had been affected.

French media have been carrying increasingly grim reports about the leader's condition, suggesting he won't be able to continue carrying out his duties.

There is increasing speculation in Algeria that Bouteflika won't run for re-election in April as was originally planned, setting off a succession struggle in the oil-rich nation ? Africa's largest by area.

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Associated Press reporter Karim Kebir contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/algeria-president-had-full-stroke-recovering-175135989.html

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