Key result
Cognitive recovery after minor stroke is linked to evolving inter-hemispheric connectivity over 12 months.
Why the study?
Cognitive deficits can occur even with small subcortical infarcts, but longitudinal studies evaluating directional measures of functional connectivity in this population are lacking.
Observational (n=10)
No
Early post-stroke cognitive dysfunction occurs at the network level, and continued cognitive recovery correlates with the dynamic evolution of inter-hemispheric functional connectivity.
May inform connectivity-based recovery biomarkers after minor stroke; extends network-disruption models but remains hypothesis-generating.
Cortical ischaemic strokes result in cognitive deficits depending on the area of the affected brain. However, we have demonstrated that difficulties with attention and processing speed can occur even with small subcortical infarcts. Symptoms appear independent of lesion location, suggesting they arise from generalized disruption of cognitive networks. Longitudinal studies evaluating directional measures of functional connectivity in this population are lacking. We evaluated six patients with minor stroke exhibiting cognitive impairment 6-8 weeks post-infarct and four age-similar controls. Resting-state magnetoencephalography data were collected. Clinical and imaging evaluations of both groups were repeated 6- and 12 months later. Network Localized Granger Causality was used to determine differences in directional connectivity between groups and across visits, which were correlated with clinical performance. Directional connectivity patterns remained stable across visits for controls. After the stroke, inter-hemispheric connectivity between the frontoparietal cortex and the non-frontoparietal cortex significantly increased between visits 1 and 2, corresponding to uniform improvement in reaction times and cognitive scores. Initially, the majority of functional links originated from non-frontal areas contralateral to the lesion, connecting to ipsilesional brain regions. By visit 2, inter-hemispheric connections, directed from the ipsilesional to the contralesional cortex significantly increased. At visit 3, patients demonstrating continued favourable cognitive recovery showed less reliance on these inter-hemispheric connections. These changes were not observed in those without continued improvement. Our findings provide supporting evidence that the neural basis of early post-stroke cognitive dysfunction occurs at the network level, and continued recovery correlates with the evolution of inter-hemispheric connectivity.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Soleimani et al. (2023) conducted an observational in Minor acute ischaemic stroke with cognitive impairment (n=10). Minor acute ischaemic stroke vs. Age-matched controls without prior stroke was evaluated on Directional functional connectivity (Network Localized Granger Causality) changes across visits. Minor stroke patients exhibited altered directional functional connectivity compared to controls, and continued cognitive recovery over 12 months correlated with the evolution of inter-hemispheric connections.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: