Poststroke Cognitive Impairment Common

MONDAY, May 8, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Poststroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) is common, and up to one-third of individuals with stroke develop dementia within five years, according to a scientific statement published online May 1 in Stroke.

Nada El Husseini, M.D., from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, and colleagues performed a scoping literature review of studies on the incidence and prevalence, natural history, diagnosis, and management of PSCI on behalf of the American Heart Association.

The researchers found that PSCI is common, especially in the first year after stroke, and varies from mild to severe. In some cases, cognitive impairment is reversible early after stroke, but up to one-third of individuals with stroke develop dementia within five years. This is likely attributable to acute stroke precipitating a series of pathological events, often in the context of preexisting microvascular and neurodegenerative changes, although the pathophysiology is not yet fully elucidated. Integral components of care for individuals with PSCI include screening for associated comorbidities and interdisciplinary management.

"Cognitive impairment is an often under-reported and under-diagnosed -- yet very common condition that stroke survivors frequently deal with," El Husseini said in a statement. "Stroke survivors should be systematically evaluated for cognitive impairment so that treatment may begin as soon as possible after signs appear."

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