Using MemTrax memory test to screen for post-stroke cognitive impairment after ischemic stroke: a cross-sectional...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Existing cognitive assessments like MoCA and ACE-R are time-consuming (10-30 min) and do not evaluate processing speed, a key deficit in post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI).
• MemTrax (MTx) is a rapid (2 min) continuous recognition test designed to assess complex information processing, accuracy, speed, and attention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the efficacy and practicality of the MemTrax (MTx) test as a tool for assessing post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI).
• To establish optimal cut-off values for MTx in distinguishing PSCI from non-PSCI in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients.

Main Methods:

• 104 acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients were evaluated at 90 days post-stroke using MTx, alongside other cognitive and functional assessments (CDR, MoCA, NPI, HAMD, HAMA, NIHSS, mRS, BI).
• The primary objective was to define MTx performance metrics (sensitivity, specificity, AUC) for PSCI detection.
• Multivariate linear regression was employed to analyze the relationship between PSCI and MTx scores (MTx-%C, MTx-RT, MTx-CP).

Main Results:

• An MTx-%C (percent correct) cut-off of 78% yielded 90.0% sensitivity and 84.1% specificity (AUC=0.919) for detecting PSCI.
• An MTx-CP (Composite score) cut-off of 46.3 demonstrated 80.0% sensitivity and 93.2% specificity (AUC=0.925).
• PSCI was significantly associated with reduced MTx-%C, prolonged MTx-RT (response time), and reduced MTx-CP.

Conclusions:

• The MemTrax (MTx) test is a valid and effective tool for screening PSCI in AIS patients.
• MTx offers a practical and valuable option for the clinical follow-up, monitoring, and management of patients with PSCI.