Incident Stroke Tied to Acute, Accelerated Long-Term Cognitive Decline

THURSDAY, Oct. 3, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- For older stroke survivors, incident stroke is associated with acute and accelerated long-term cognitive decline, according to a study published online Oct. 2 in JAMA Network Open.

Jessica W. Lo, from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, and colleagues mapped the trajectory of cognitive function before and after stroke in global cognition and in four cognitive domains in a study using harmonized and pooled data from 14 population-based cohort studies. The analyses included 20,860 participants (mean age, 72.9 years) who were followed for 7.51 years.

The researchers observed an association between incident stroke and a substantial acute decline in global cognition (−0.25 standard deviation [SD]), the Mini-Mental State Examination, and all cognitive domains (ranging from −0.17 to −0.22 SD) relative to a stroke-free cognitive trajectory. In addition, there was accelerated decline in global cognition (−0.038 SD per year) and all domains except memory (ranging from −0.020 to −0.055 SD per year). Compared with the rate of decline in individuals without stroke, no significant difference in prestroke slope was seen in stroke survivors in all cognitive measures. In global cognition, the mean rate of decline without a previous stroke was −0.049 SD per year.

"Targeting modifiable vascular risk factors at an early stage may reduce the risk of stroke but also subsequent risk of stroke-related cognitive decline and cognitive impairment," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text

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