Many stroke patients develop symptoms of cognitive decline many years before its onset

Many patients develop symptoms of cognitive decline many years before the onset of stroke, Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry reported.

In the new study, scientists followed 14,712 participants who were over 45 years old for an average of 12.5 years. Their cognitive abilities were periodically tested using various tests. They included the determination of the state of memory, fluency of speech, speed of reaction, coordination of hand movements.

The study authors also evaluated how well the participants cope with their daily activities: washing, cleaning, dressing, eating, as well as how well they keep track of their financial affairs.

Scientists noticed that people who developed a stroke during the follow-up period, even 10 years before it, had significant differences in cognitive health from those of people who did not have a stroke.

The earliest were changes in the Stroop test scores. Their decrease in future stroke patients began to be observed 10 years before the stroke, it became completely obvious after 6 years. This test is based on the phenomenon of delayed reaction to words that are written in a different color. It is used to assess cognitive flexibility.

Clear early changes were also observed when using the Brief Mental Status Assessment Scale (8 years before stroke). Differences in how people cope with various routine tasks did not appear so early - about two to three years before the stroke.

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