title: Impaired motor speed, visuospatial episodic memory and verbal fluency characterize cognition in long-term stroke survivors: the Tromsø Study.
abstract: The cognitive function after stroke is examined in acute and subacute phase, but poorly characterized in long-term stroke survivors. This paper discusses cognitive function among long-term stroke survivors, with matched stroke-free subjects, based on a population survey. General cognition, verbal, executive and visuospatial function, memory, attention, and motor speed were tested as well as motor function in upper extremities. Stroke survivors and controls were most effectively discriminated by means of motor speed, followed by visuospatial episodic memory and verbal fluency. This pattern of cognitive disturbances may be a consequence of cerebral lesions in frontal subcortical areas, and is different from Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tromsø, Norway. Torgeir.Engstad@ism.uit.no
authors.forename: Torgeir
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Engstad
authors.forename: Ove
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Almkvist
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viitanen
authors.forename: Egil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arnesen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000377:Agnosia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009664:Norway; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011930:Reaction Time; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D017741:Survivors