Frequency of mild cognitive impairments and its association with functional outcomes in stroke

Objective: To determine the frequency of mild cognitive impairments and its association with functional outcomes in stroke. Methodology: This cross-sectional study included 300 stroke patients of different hospitals among twin cities of Pakistan. Non-probability convenience sampling technique was used. Study included both male and female post stroke 1-week patients. A semi structured questionnaire was used along with Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scale, Barthel Index and Lawton scale. Data analysis was performed by SPSS 21. Results: Total sample size 300 with mean age of 57.88±14.1 years. 241 patients had infarct stroke and 59 hemorrhagic stroke. 153 patients had right hemiplegia and 147 left hemiplegia. Mean MoCA score in Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA) stroke patients was 18.17±5.95, while in Posterior Cerebral Artery (PCA) stroke patients it was 24.03±4.38 and in Anterior Cerebral Artery (ACA) it was 20.29±5.52. Vascular territories showed significant (p<0.05) relationship with MoCA scale and non-significant (p>0.05) relationship with Barthel index and Lawton scale. With mild cognitive impairments, ADLS and IADLs were compromised. Conclusion: MCA stroke patients were more cognitively impaired as compared to ACA and PCA. It was associated with compromised activities of daily living leading to increased functional dependency. (author)