STROKE CLINICAL STUDY HIGHLIGHTS – Prestroke Cognitive Impairment: Frequency and Association With Premorbid Neuropsychiatric, Functional, and Neuroimaging Features by Mele F, Cova I, Nicotra A, et al.

The study by Mele et al. investigates in 474 patients (45% women; mean age 75.5±13.3 years) the prevalence of prestroke cognitive impairment (pre-SCI), diagnosed with the IQCODE (Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly), and its associations with premorbid neuropsychiatric symptoms, functional abilities, and neuroimaging features. Findings indicate that one-third of patients admitted to a stroke unit have pre-SCI that is associated with preexisting neuropsychiatric symptoms and functional performance in daily living. Neuroimaging biomarkers such as white matter lesions and medial temporal lobe atrophy are associated with pre-SCI, suggesting that both small vessel disease and neurodegeneration might be involved in its etiology.

Access the full article at: Mele F, Cova I, Nicotra A, et al. “Prestroke Cognitive Impairment: Frequency and Association With Premorbid Neuropsychiatric, Functional, and Neuroimaging Features.” Stroke. Published online May 31, 2024. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STROKEAHA.123.045344. This article is licensed under a CC-BY license.