title: Neuropsychological performance in patients with subcortical stroke.
abstract: Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is characterized by cognitive compromise predominantly of executive dysfunction.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess cognitive functions in VCI, focusing on executive functions, to observe functional losses in relation to activities of daily living (ADLs) and to detect early symptoms prior to the onset of dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated healthy subjects matched for gender, education and age to patients with diagnosis of subcortical vascular disease who had a stroke classified into three groups: 1) vascular lesions and no impairment; 2) vascular cognitive impairment with no dementia (VCIND); 3) vascular dementia (VaD).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The performance on neuropsychological tests differed among groups, worsening with increased impairment level. The probable VaD group demonstrated impaired performance in memory, processing speed and verbal production, while the VCIND group showed attention deficits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Impairment in executive functions and difficulties in ADLs allow us to differentiate levels of impairment in groups of subcortical vascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silviane Pinheiro Campos de
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Sônia Maria Dozzi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Brucki
authors.forename: Orlando Francisco Amodeo
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Bueno
authors.forename: José Ibiapina
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Siqueira Neto
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004522:Educational Status; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*