Brain atrophy coupled to cognitive decline 3 years after stroke

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundCardiovascular risk factors and stroke are associated with increased risk of all‐cause dementia. More than one third of stroke patients will develop dementia, but mechanisms are unclear. Vascular brain burden from accumulated risk factors may contribute to cognitive impairment at the time of stroke, with the stroke being yet another manifestation of vascular disease. We examined total brain volume (TBV) and hippocampal volume (HV) in a group of stroke patients 3 years after their clinical event. We compared those who were cognitively impaired (CI) at 3 months after stroke to those who were cognitively normal (CN). We hypothesized that CI patients would exhibit greater total..