Technology-Enabled Cognitive Strategy Intervention for Secondary Stroke Prevention: A Feasibility Study

People with post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) are at increased risk of recurrent stroke, dementia, and accelerated cognitive decline.

To examine the feasibility, safety, acceptability, and suitability of a virtually-delivered vascular risk reduction intervention that integrates tailored cognitive strategy training for people with executive function (EF) impairments post-stroke.

This case series included eight participants who completed up to ten virtual sessions focused on vascular risk reduction and metacognitive strategy training. Sessions averaged 40 min over a 4-5-week period.

The intervention was found to be feasible, safe, and acceptable. The recruitment rate was 66.7%, and the retention rate was 87.5% (7 of 8 completed the training). No serious adverse events were reported. Most participants demonstrated improvements on the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), with mean performance and satisfaction change scores of 1.22 ± 0.87 and 1.18 ± 0.83, respectively.

This technology-enabled intervention was feasible and acceptable for individuals with post-stroke EF impairments. Virtual delivery was a key factor in its accessibility and success. The results are promising for improving self-management of vascular risk factors, warranting further study in larger trials.