Source
Epidemiology Division, National Stroke Research Institute, Austin & Repatriation Medical Center, Melbourne, Australia. velandai.srikanth@utas.edu.au
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:
Results of hospital-based studies indicate a high risk of cognitive impairment 3 months after stroke. There are no comprehensive data on this issue from prospective community-based studies comparing first-ever stroke patients with stroke-free subjects.
METHODS:
We administered a comprehensive neuropsychological battery to 99 community-based nonaphasic survivors of first-ever stroke at 3 months and 99 age- and sex-matched (1:1) stroke-free individuals. Domain-specific cognitive deficits were identified by blinded neuropsychological consensus.
METHODS:
Stroke patients were more likely to suffer any cognitive impairment (relative risk [RR], 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.1) attributable mainly to a greater risk of single-domain cognitive impairment (RR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.5 to 5.3) but not multiple-domain cognitive impairment (RR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.8 to 1.9).
CONCLUSIONS:
In this community-based study, a first-ever stroke of mild to moderate severity was associated with a significant risk of cognitive impairment at 3 months, even in the absence of clinical aphasia. This was due primarily to an increased risk of solitary deficits rather than generalized deficits.