Predictors of post-stroke cognitive impairments development and progression

The purpose of this study was to verify predictors of the cognitive impairment (CI) development and progression in patients in recovery period after ischemic stroke (IS) using discriminant analysis. Material and methods . 192 patients underwent IS were examined. To assess the degree of CI on the 14th day and in 6 months after the IS development CDR scale was applied. The relationship with CDR (correlation coefficient, r) and predictive ability (ML, information gain, p.g.) was analyzed in relation to 28 parameters: demographic characteristics, comorbidity, clinical, immunological and instrumental indicators. Results . Deterioration of cognitive function was found in 34.5% of cases (development in 15.2%, progression in 19.3%). Significant correlations (p < 0.05) with CDR and predictive ability (p < 0.001) were found for comorbidity ( r = 0.620; p.g. = 0.431), age (r = 0.320; p.g. = 0.204), CXCL10 (r = 0.322; p.g. = 0.341), CXCL1 (r = 0.333; p.g. = 0.304) and CCL2 (r = 0.440; p.g. = 0.124) concentrations. Conclusion . Polymorbidity, age, and levels of cytokines CXCL10, CXCL1, and CCL2 were found to be most relevant to the development and progression of CI in the recovery period of IS. For better understanding of the structure and dynamics of post-stroke CI large-scale researches assessing data from extended neuropsychological testing and aspects of drug therapy consistent with current recommendations for the cognitive impairment treatment are required.