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Updated: Dec 9, 2025
Evaluation of the Cognitive Performance of Hypertensive Patients with Silent Cerebrovascular Lesions
Published on: April 23, 2021
Long-term cognitive outcomes after cerebral sinovenous thrombosis in childhood
Mahmoud Slim1, Aly Shah Aziz2, Robyn Westmacott3
1Division of Neurology, Children's Stroke Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
Insights
Children with cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CSVT) show long-term cognitive deficits in areas like IQ and processing speed compared to peers. Further research is needed to identify factors influencing these cognitive impairments in pediatric CSVT survivors.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Neuropsychology
- Child Development
Background:
- Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CSVT) is a rare but serious condition in children.
- Long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes following pediatric CSVT are not fully understood.
- Assessing cognitive function is crucial for managing and supporting affected children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the long-term cognitive function in children diagnosed with cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CSVT).
- To compare the cognitive performance of pediatric CSVT survivors against normative data.
- To identify potential predictors associated with cognitive deficits in this population.
Main Methods:
- A prospective observational study included 50 children diagnosed with CSVT.
- Neuropsychological testing assessed intellectual ability, executive function, attention, language, and behavior.
- One-sample t-tests compared outcomes to normative means; logistic regression examined predictors of abnormal function.
Main Results:
- Children with CSVT demonstrated significantly lower scores in full-scale IQ, working memory, and processing speed compared to normative means.
- Deficits were also observed in executive function, attention, and language domains.
- Trends suggested associations between refractory seizures and behavioral issues, and incomplete recanalization with impaired verbal comprehension.
Conclusions:
- As a group, children with CSVT exhibit below-average cognitive performance on standardized tests, with individual variability.
- Cognitive deficits span multiple domains, highlighting the widespread impact of CSVT.
- Larger studies are warranted to further investigate predictors of cognitive impairment in pediatric CSVT survivors.
Aim:
To assess long-term cognitive function in children after cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CSVT).
Method:
Children with CSVT, who had neuropsychological testing for intellectual ability, executive function, attention, language, or behavior, were included in a prospective observational study. Outcomes were compared with normative means using one-sample t-tests. Predictors of abnormal function were examined using logistic regression.
Results:
Fifty children with CSVT were included (median age at diagnosis 2y 10mo, interquartile range 7d-6y 10mo; 35 males, 15 females). The median follow-up time was 4 years 2 months (interquartile range 2y 8mo-6y 4mo). Compared with normative means, children with CSVT had lower mean (± standard deviation) full-scale IQ, working memory, and processing speed scores (93.3±16, p=0.01; 93.6±16, p=0.04; 93.7±15.3, p=0.02 respectively). They also had lower scores in executive function, attention, and language domains. Refractory seizure at presentation was associated with a trend in behavioral problems (odds ratio [OR] 6.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.9-46, p=0.07). Females were less likely to experience processing speed difficulties (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.04-1.3, p=0.09). Incomplete recanalization was associated with a greater risk of abnormal verbal comprehension (OR 5.3, 95% CI 0.93-30.5, p=0.059).
Interpretation:
Children with CSVT as a group performed below age expectations on standardized neuropsychological tests, although there was variability across individuals and cognitive domains. Larger studies are needed to evaluate predictors of cognitive deficits in children with CSVT.
