title: The role of processing speed in post-stroke cognitive dysfunction.
abstract: The association between speed of information processing and cognition has been extensively validated in normal aging and other neurocognitive disorders. Our aim was to determine whether such a relationship exists in stroke. Thirty patients and 30 age- and education-matched healthy individuals were administered a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests divided into the following six cognitive domains: processing speed (PS), verbal memory, visual memory, visuoperceptual function, language, and cognitive flexibility. The results demonstrate that stroke patients were characterized by cognitive deficits in almost all of these domains, but have the most pronounced deficits in PS. After adjusting for symbol digit modalities test score, all significant group differences in cognitive functioning disappeared. However, group differences remained significant after controlling for the influence of other cognitive factors. These findings suggest that decreased PS appears to underlie post-stroke cognitive dysfunction and may serve as a potential target for intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chwen-Yng
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yee-Pay
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Wuang
authors.affiliation: Special Education Center, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yueh-Hsien
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan cysu@cc.kmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Jui-Hsing
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Su
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D014796:Visual Perception; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cognitive impairment; Processing speed; Stroke