[Heterogeneity of cognitive disorders in the acute stage of the first ischemic carotid stroke]

Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2012;112(8 Pt 2):31-4.
[Article in Russian]

Abstract

We studied 116 patients in the acute stage of the first ischemic carotid stroke. The patients had no cognitive disorders before the disease. All patients underwent a neuropsychological examination in 3-4th week after stroke. The severity of neurological deficit was evaluated with the NIHSS in 4-7th day. To study cognitive disturbances in depth, we divided the neuropsychological tests into 5 integral characteristics in accordance with the cognitive domains: attention, executive functioning, memory, speech, visual-spatial functions. Most of patients performed best on the memory index and worst on the attention index. Four groups of cognitive disturbances were singled out: "typical" that was characterized by the combination of intact memory with impaired attention (31% of patients); "atypical" with the prevalence of memory disturbances (19%); "typical transitive" (42%) and "atypical transitive" (8%). The greater severity of stroke as assessed by the NIHSS was associated with the "typical" variant of cognitive disturbances. Therefore, the neurodynamic disturbances represent basic neurological deficit in stroke but every fifth patient demonstrates the amnestic profile of cognitive disturbances that suggests the presence of the concomitant neurodegenerative process.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Cognition Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Cognition Disorders / etiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Stroke / complications*