[Non-linguistic cognitive symptoms of cerebral stroke]

Cognitive symptoms are common after stroke, but doctors' knowledge about such symptoms seems sparse.

We review the literature and present our own clinical experience on selected cognitive losses after stroke.

The most common non-linguistic cognitive symptoms are neglect (hemi-inattention), visuospatial problems (difficulties in putting elements together or to perform spatial tasks), and apraxia (difficulties in performing voluntary, purposeful tasks due to mistakes in the choice and order of motor elements). More than half of patients suffer from such symptoms in the acute phase of stroke and approximately one in four has long-lasting problems. Knowledge about these symptoms is essential for effective rehabilitation, good information to the patient and his caregivers, and for prognostic purposes. Full evaluation of cognitive losses requires a neuropsychological examination, but thorough observation of the patient combined with simple pen-and-paper tests can be very helpful.