Leukoaraiosis Predicts Short-term Cognitive But not Motor Recovery in Ischemic Stroke Patients During Rehabilitation

Leukoaraiosis has been shown to impact functional outcomes after acute ischemic stroke. However, its association with domain specific recovery after ischemic stroke is uncertain. We sought to determine whether pre-existing leukoaraiosis is associated with short-term motor and cognitive recovery after stroke.

We retrospectively studied ischemic stroke patients admitted to acute inpatient rehabilitation (AIR) between January 2013 and September 2015. Patient baseline characteristics, infarct volume, prestroke modified Rankin Scale, stroke cause, rehabilitation length of stay, and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores were recorded. Leukoaraiosis severity was graded on brain magnetic resonance imaging using the Fazekas scale. Multiple linear regression was used to determine factors independently associated with the total, cognitive, and motor FIM scores at AIR discharge, respectively.

Of 1600 ischemic stroke patients screened, 109 patients were included in the final analysis. After adjustment, the initial National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (β -0.541, confidence interval [CI] -0.993 to -0.888; P = 0.020) and pre-existing leukoaraiosis severity (β -1.448, CI -2.861 to -0.034; P = 0.045) independently predicted the total FIM score. Domain specific analysis showed that infarct volume (β -0.012, CI -0.019 to -0.005; P = 0.002) and leukoaraiosis severity (β -0.822, CI -1.223 to -0.410; P = 0.0001) independently predicted FIM cognitive scores at discharge from AIR. Leukoaraiosis did not predict FIM motor score (P = 0.17).

Leukoaraiosis severity is an independent predictor of total and cognitive, but not motor FIM scores after AIR for acute ischemic stroke. This highlights that leukoaraiosis affects poststroke recovery in a domain specific fashion, information that may aid counseling of patients and families as well as tailor rehabilitative efforts.