Visual neglect and cognitive impairment in elderly patients late after stroke.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of visual neglect and its relationship to cognitive impairment and dementia in elderly stroke patients 20 months after stroke.


METHODS
Of 243 stroke patients aged 70-91 years, 149 underwent neuropsychiatric testing, 138 with the Star Cancellation Test for visual neglect.


RESULTS
Fifteen per cent (n = 21) had visual neglect, 9% (n = 12) severe and 9% (n = 12) lateralized. Cognitive impairments were twice as common in patients with neglect as in patients without it and threefold more common when the neglect was severe. Neglect was related to apraxia, impaired visual field, and a previous stroke. Severe neglect was related to dementia, amnesia and impaired visual field.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic neglect is common after stroke in elderly patients. So are cognitive impairments, especially in those with neglect. This calls for high alertness to impairments in spatial attention when treating patients with dementia and other cognitive impairments.
Linden
T
T
The Stroke Research Unit, Arvid Carlsson Institute, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden. tlinden@neuro.gu.se
Samuelsson
H
H
Skoog
I
I
Blomstrand
C
C
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*