Performance of the NINDS-CSN 5-minute protocol in a national population-based sample.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Cognitive Science
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) poses a significant health challenge.
• The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Canadian Stroke Network (NINDS-CSN) developed the 5-Minute Protocol for VCI screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish demographically adjusted norms for the NINDS-CSN 5-Minute Protocol.
• To examine the relationship between the 5-Minute Protocol and cognitive function measures.
• To assess the association between the 5-Minute Protocol and cerebrovascular risk factors.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of 7199 stroke-free adults from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study.
• Evaluation of NINDS-CSN 5-Minute Protocol scores.
• Correlation with age, education, cognitive tests (Six-Item Screener, Word List Learning, Animal Fluency), and Framingham Stroke Risk Profile (FSRP).

Main Results:

• Total scores on the 5-Minute Protocol were inversely correlated with age and positively correlated with education (p <.001).
• Performance correlated with other cognitive measures (p <.001).
• Higher cerebrovascular risk (FSRP) was associated with lower 5-Minute Protocol scores (p <.001).
• The protocol differentiated between participants with and without stroke history (p <.001).

Conclusions:

• The NINDS-CSN 5-Minute Protocol is a brief, valid screening tool for VCI.
• It is sensitive to cerebrovascular risk and cognitive function.
• Offers a practical method for screening at-risk populations.