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Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Randomized, Triple-Blind, and Parallel-Controlled Trial of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Cognitive Rehabilitation after Stroke
Published on: June 6, 2025
[Cognitive impairment after stroke--diagnosis and management]
Torgeir Engstad1, Matti Viitanen, Ove Almkvist
1Geriatrisk avdeling, Universitetssykehuset Nord-Norge, 9038 Tromsø. torgeir.a.engstad@unn.no
Insights
Cognitive impairment after stroke is common and depends on brain damage location. Early diagnosis and interventions like physical training and cognitive stimulation are key for managing this condition.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuropsychology
Background:
- Stroke frequently leads to cognitive impairment, posing significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.
- Understanding post-stroke cognitive deficits is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an updated review on cognitive impairment following stroke.
- To highlight diagnostic and therapeutic challenges associated with post-stroke cognitive impairment.
Main Methods:
- Literature review using Medline database.
- Keywords included: "cognitive impairment and stroke," "dementia and stroke," "vascular dementia," and "vascular cognitive impairment."
Main Results:
- Cognitive impairment post-stroke varies with lesion location and size.
- Affected domains include executive functions, attention, and psychomotor abilities, often linked to frontal subcortical areas.
- Neuropsychological tests like verbal fluency, digit span, and finger-tapping assess these functions; Mini Mental State Examination offers limited diagnostic value.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive impairment classification should consider neuropsychological profiles and neuroanatomical damage.
- Secondary stroke prevention targeting vascular risk factors is essential.
- Non-pharmaceutical interventions like physical, cognitive, and social stimulation may hold significant therapeutic potential.
Background:
An incidence of stroke is often followed by cognitive impairment. This review article presents an update about such impairment and emphasises diagnostical and therapeutical challenges.
Material And Method:
This article is based mainly on literature identified on Medline using the terms "cognitive impairment and stroke," "dementia and stroke," "vascular dementia" and "vascular cognitive impairment."
Results And Interpretation:
Cognitive impairment after stroke varies with respect to cerebral localisation and the magnitude of injured brain tissue, and may be classified according to neuropsychological profile and neuroanatomical damage. The cognitive domains affected are in particular executive functions, motor and psychomotor abilities (mapped by speeded tests) and attention. Executive function comprises planning, organising, conducting, assessing and controlling actions. The neuropathological basis for these cognitive domains is mainly located in frontal subcortical brain areas. Cognitive impairment can be identified using neuropsychological tests as verbal fluency (FAS) corresponding to executive function, digit span (psychomotor abilities) and finger-tapping (motor speed). The Mini Mental State Examination test is of limited diagnostic help, but is recommended due to the need of a global cognitive functioning measure. The treatment recommended comprises sound measures for secondary prevention of stroke directed towards vascular risk factors. Non-pharmaceutical intervention such as physical training, cognitive and social stimulation probably has a greater therapeutic potential than normally assumed.
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