title: Leukoaraiosis is Associated with Worse Short-Term Functional and Cognitive Recovery after Minor Stroke.
abstract: Whether leukoaraiosis burden retards short-term recovery after minor stroke is unclear. We investigated the association between leukoaraiosis and early recovery of neurological function after a first minor ischemic stroke in 217 acute stroke patients (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ≤5). Leukoaraiosis severity was graded according to the Fazekas scale and categorized into none to mild (0-2; n = 143) or severe (3-6; n = 74) groups. NIHSS and Minimum Mental State Examination (MMSE) were assessed at baseline and at 30 days. Univariate analysis revealed that the severe leukoaraiosis group was older in age (P < 0.001) and had fewer low MMSE patients than non-mild group at baseline (39.1% vs 55.9%, P = 0.003). However, the MMSE improved in none to mild group but not in the severe group at 30-day (15.4% vs 36.5%, P < 0.001). At 30-day, the severe leukoaraiosis group had higher NIHSS scores than the none-mild group (P = 0.04). Multiple linear regression analyses demonstrated that leukoaraiosis severity and admission NIHSS were independently associated with the NIHSS score on day 30 (P = 0.034, 95% CI 0.004-0.091 and P = 0.001, 95% CI 0.011-0.04). Binary regression analyses showed that leukoaraiosis severity and admission MMSE were significantly associated with MMSE (dichotomized) at 30-day (OR 2.1, P < 0.01, 95% CI 1.7-2.6 and OR 5.1, P < 0.01, 95% CI 2.1-12.8). Leukoaraiosis burden is an independent predictor of worse short-term functional and cognitive recovery after a minor ischemic stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wenwei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Bei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Huiqin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Qiongzhang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yingying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Beilei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jincai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D049292:Leukoaraiosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors