Endovascular treatment and cognitive outcome after anterior circulation ischemic stroke

The impact of reperfusion therapies on cognition has been poorly explored and little knowledge exists. We explored the influence of endovascular treatment (EVT) on cognitive outcome in patients with anterior circulation ischemic stroke. Patients presenting with ischemic stroke due to anterior large vessel occlusion who underwent intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) alone or EVT plus IVT were recruited. Cognitive abilities were evaluated at 6 months from stroke through a neuropsychological test battery. A total of 88 patients with a mean age of 66.3 ± 12.9 years were included, of which 38 treated with IVT alone and 50 with IVT plus EVT. Compared to patients treated with IVT alone, patients who received EVT plus IVT performed significantly better at the neuropsychological tests exploring executive functions, attention, abstract reasoning, visuospatial ability, visual and verbal and memory. At multivariable regression analysis, the EVT was independently associated with the 6-month cognitive performance after the adjustment for age, sex, admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, systolic blood pressure, glucose level, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score, side of stroke, site of occlusion, and Back Depression Inventory score [Stroop Test Word Reading: _adjβ = 13.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) 8.47-19.50, p < 0.001; Stroop Test Colour Naming: _adjβ = 6.63, 95% CI 2.46-10.81, p = 0.002; Trail Making Test-A: _adjβ = - 92.98, 95% CI - 153.76 to - 32.20, p = 0.003; Trail Making Test-B: _adjβ = - 181.12, 95% CI - 266.09 to - 96.15; p < 0.001; Digit Span Test Forward: _adjβ = 1.44, 95% CI 0.77-2.10, p < 0.001; Digit Span Test Backward: _adjβ = 1.10, 95% CI 0.42-1.77, p = 0.002; Coloured Progressive Matrices: _adjβ = 5.82, 95% CI 2.71-8.93, p < 0.001; Rey Complex Figure Test-Copy: _adjβ = 6.02, 95% CI 2.74-9.30, p < 0.001; Rey Complex Figure Test-Immediate recall: _adjβ = 6.00, 95% CI 2.34-9.66, p = 0.002; Rey Complex Figure Test-Delayed recall: _adjβ = 5.73, 95% CI 1.95-9.51, p = 0.003; Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test-Immediate recall: _adjβ = 12.60, 95% CI 6.69-18.52, p < 0.001; Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test-Delayed recall: _adjβ = 1.85, 95% CI 0.24-3.45, p = 0.025]. Patients treated with EVT plus IVT had better cognitive performance than patients treated with IVT alone at 6 months from anterior circulation ischemic stroke.