Clinico-radiological predictors of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) in patients with stroke: a prospective observational study

Abstract

Background and purpose: Cognitive dysfunction occurs commonly following stroke and varies in severity. This study was aimed to determine the clinical, neuro-imaging, laboratory predictors of post stroke cognitive impairment and factors related to poor functional outcome in patients with post-stroke vascular cognitive impairment (VCI).

Material and methods: We prospectively evaluated 102 of 240 consecutive stroke patients for 6 months after incident stroke for development of VCI. Patients with VCI comprised of those with VCI-no dementia (VCIND) and vascular dementia (VaD). Functional outcome was assessed by modified Barthel index (MBI).

Results: Frequency of post-stroke VCI was 45.1% (46/102): 26.5% (27/102) having VCI-ND and 18.6% (19/102) having VaD. Patients with VCI were more likely to have lower educational and socioeconomic status, diabetes, hypertension, prior stroke, multiple risk factors, urinary incontinence, gait abnormality, peripheral signs of atherosclerosis, higher blood sugar level on admission and LDL levels, strategic site lesion, higher ARWMC (age related white matter changes) score, worse stroke severity (NIHSS) and functional outcome scores. On logistic regression analysis, lower educational status, strategic site lesion, higher ARWMC score and baseline stroke severity score were found to independently predict the risk of developing VCI. Worse stroke severity (NIHSS) scores and functional status scores at baseline predicted poor outcome in patients with VCI.

Conclusion: Post-stroke cognitive impairment is frequent and is associated with poor functional outcome. Predictors like lower educational status, strategic site lesion, greater severity of age related white matter changes and baseline stroke severity independently contributed to the risk of developing VCI in stroke patients.

Keywords: Age related white matter changes; NINDS–AIREN criteria; Post stroke dementia; Risk factors; Strategic site lesion; Vascular cognitive impairment.