Cognitive impairment profiles in patients with cerebrovascular diseases: a latent profile analysis

Background Cognitive impairment is an increasingly recognized condition predominantly attributable to cerebrovascular diseases (CVDs). It substantially diminishes patients’ quality of life and imposes considerable burdens on caregivers and healthcare systems. However, how cognitive impairment manifest across multiple functional domains in individuals with CVDs remains poorly understood, often resulting in generalized care plans that fail to meet patients’ specific rehabilitation needs. This study aimed to identify latent profiles of cognitive impairment and their associated factors in patients with CVDs using latent profile analysis (LPA). Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling in a tertiary hospital in southwestern China from November 2023 to September 2025. LPA was employed to identify distinct cognitive impairment profiles among patients with CVDs. Multinomial logistic regression was subsequently performed to examine factors associated with profile categories. Results The final three-profile model classified 474 participants into three groups: a mild impairment group (82.5%), a moderate impairment group (11.4%), and a severe impairment group (6.1%). The three profiles reflected increasing severity of cognitive impairment among patients with CVDs. Compared with the mild impairment group, higher NIHSS scores (OR = 1.222, 95 %CI = 1.126–1.326, p < 0.001) were associated with higher odds of membership in the moderate impairment profile. Male gender and lower NIHSS scores were associated with lower odds of membership in the severe impairment profile (all p < 0.05). Conclusion In this predominantly hemorrhagic and neurosurgical cohort, the retained three-profile model represented different levels of MMSE-based global cognitive severity among patients with CVDs. NIHSS score and gender showed exploratory associations with profile membership. The applicability of these findings to broader CVD populations requires further validation.