Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 10, 2026
Evaluation of the Cognitive Performance of Hypertensive Patients with Silent Cerebrovascular Lesions
Published on: April 23, 2021
Cognitive impairment one year after ischemic stroke: predictorsand dynamics of significant determinants
Margarita Lubomirova Alexandrova1, Maya Penkova Danovska2
1Department of Biophysics, Medical University, Pleven, Bulgaria.
Insights
Stroke survivors with cognitive impairment showed persistent neurological deficits. Inflammatory markers like hs-CRP and age predict long-term cognitive decline after stroke.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Stroke is a known risk factor for dementia.
- Understanding post-stroke cognitive changes is crucial for patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neurological and cognitive status dynamics in ischemic stroke patients without baseline dementia over one year.
- To identify predictors of cognitive decline after ischemic stroke.
Main Methods:
- Prospective evaluation of 47 ischemic stroke patients within 48 hours of ictus.
- Assessment of neurological status (NIHSS), cognitive function (MMSE), blood biochemical parameters, and microalbuminuria over 1 year.
- Analysis of demographic, clinical, and inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, albumin-to-creatinine ratio) as predictors.
Main Results:
- Cognitively impaired patients had more severe initial neurological deficits and slower recovery.
- Age, education, sex, diabetes history, and admission hs-CRP levels were associated with cognitive decline.
- High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and age were independent predictors of cognitive status at 1 year post-stroke.
- Elevated albumin-to-creatinine ratio persisted in the cognitively impaired group.
Conclusions:
- Neurological deficit and cognitive status dynamics differ between patients with and without cognitive impairment post-stroke.
- Inflammatory markers, particularly hs-CRP, and age are significant predictors of long-term cognitive impairment after ischemic stroke.
- Inflammatory marker levels may serve as an additional criterion for assessing long-term cognitive impairment risk.
Background/Aim:
Evidence suggests that the risk for dementia increases after stroke. This study investigated the dynamics of the neurological and cognitive status of patients with no baseline dementia over a 1-year period after ischemic stroke.
Materials And Methods:
We examined 47 ischemic stroke patients admitted within 48 h of ictus. Their neurological and cognitive statuses, blood biochemical parameters, and microalbuminuria levels were prospectively evaluated over a 1-year period post-stroke.
Results:
A more severe neurological deficit was found in the cognitively impaired patients (P = 0.003). The NIHSS score over a 1-year follow-up period improved only in patients with normal cognition (P = 0.000). Time-varying dynamics of the MMSE score were observed in both patient groups (P = 0.000). Age (Р = 0.000), education (Р = 0.004), sex (Р = 0.041), history of diabetes (Р = 0.045), and serum high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) on admission (Р = 0.003) were significant determinants of cognitive decline 1 year after a stroke. The albumin-to-creatinine ratio was high during the whole follow-up period in the cognitively impaired group after adjusting for sex and age (P = 0.010). Binary logistic regression showed that hs-CRP (Р = 0.013) and age (Р = 0.010) were independent predictors of patients' cognitive status 1 year after stroke.
Conclusion:
The level of inflammatory markers could be considered as an additional criterion of long-term cognitive impairment.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Cognitive Development During Adulthood
01:17Ischemic Heart Disease: Overview
Atherosclerosis, the primary malefactor, orchestrates this dangerous condition. It manifests as the accumulation of fatty deposits, akin to insidious plaques, within arterial walls. As time elapses, these plaques metamorphose, hardening and...