Vascular mild cognitive impairment is highly prevalent after lacunar stroke but does not increase over time: a 2-year follow-up study.
Although ample research has been done into cognitive disorders occurring after stroke, relatively few data are available on the development and the course of vascularmild cognitive impairment (VMCI) after first-ever lacunar stroke.


METHODS
A cohort of 95 patients with a first-ever symptomaticlacunar infarct, older than 40 years, MMSE>or=15 and no other neurological or major psychiatric deficits were included. Patients were assessed (clinically and with a neuropsychological test battery) at 1 and 24 months after stroke, and CT was repeated. VMCI was diagnosed when patients had a deficit in at least one cognitive domain, in the absence of dementia.


RESULTS
Approximately 75% of the patients had VMCI at 1 month; this percentage was somewhat lower at 2 years. Only initial stroke severity was an independent predictor of VMCI after stroke.


CONCLUSIONS
VMCI is highly prevalent after lacunar stroke, but does not increase during the first 2 years thereafter.
Rasquin
S M C
SM
Institute for Rehabilitation Research, Hoensbroek, The Netherlands. s.rasquin@irv.nl
van Oostenbrugge
R J
RJ
Verhey
F R J
FR
Lodder
J
J
D000368:Aged; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology