Hostname: page-component-7b7567c8c-7pwfn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-15T02:24:23.523Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Behavioural problems following stroke – is there a relationship with cognitive impairment?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 June 2014

A Withall,
H Brodaty,
A Altendorf and
P Sachdev
A Withall
Affiliation:
Prince of Wales Hospital/University of New South WalesThe University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
H Brodaty
Affiliation:
Prince of Wales Hospital/University of New South Wales
A Altendorf
Affiliation:
Prince of Wales Hospital/University of New South Wales
P Sachdev
Affiliation:
Prince of Wales Hospital/University of New South Wales
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

An abstract is not available for this content. As you have access to this content, full HTML content is provided on this page. A PDF of this content is also available in through the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Information

Type
Abstracts from ‘Brainwaves’— The Australasian Society for Psychiatric Research Annual Meeting 2006, 6–8 December, Sydney, Australia
Information
Acta Neuropsychiatrica , Volume 18 , Issue 6 , December 2006, pp. 275
Copyright
Copyright © 2006 Blackwell Munksgaard

Background:

This study aimed to show the contribution of cognitive impairment toward the development of behavioural disturbance following stroke.

Method:

Subjects in the Sydney Stroke Study comprised patients admitted to two university hospitals after an ischemic stroke and controls from the community who received extensive medical, psychiatric and neuropsychological assessments, with a subset receiving a magnetic resonance imaging scan. Patients were assessed 3–6 months after their stroke and again a year later. Controls were similarly assessed twice, 12 months apart. This sample comprised 123 stroke patients and 88 control subjects, with complete ratings on cognitive impairment at 15 months.

Results:

Of the 88 controls, 55.7% were classified as having no cognitive impairment, 30.7% had mild cognitive impairment and 2.3% had dementia at 15 months. Of the 123 patients, 42.3% had no cognitive impairment, 39.8% had VCI and 16.3% had dementia. The stroke group had significantly higher rates of dementia [odds ratio (OR): 8.35, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.90–36.73] but not of cognitive impairment (OR: 1.71, 95% CI: 0.93–3.15). Using nonparametric correlation, total NPI score was correlated with cognitive impairment in the total sample (Spearman's ρ = 0.27, P = 0.001). Within the stroke group, dementia was significantly associated with NPI score at 15 months but not MMSE, stroke severity, IADL/ADL score, more than one stroke, total stroke volume, total atrophy or total white matter hyperintensities.

Conclusion:

Having a stroke does not necessarily lead to behavioural disturbance; however, it is associated with higher rates of cognitive impairment (in particular dementia), which in turn is associated with more disturbance.