Altered Functional Connectivity and Cognition Persists 4 Years After a Transient Ischemic Attack or Minor Stroke

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Altered executive functions and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) are common following a minor stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). However, the long-term persistence of these abnormalities is not well-studied. We investigated whether there were cognitive and rsFC differences between (a) controls and minor cerebrovascular event (CVE) patients and (b) between CVE patients with and without an imaging confirmed infarct (i.e., minor stroke and TIA, respectively) at an average of 3.8 years following their event. Methods: Structural and resting-state imaging and cognitive assessments including the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the Trail Making Task and the..