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Neurology International
Special Issues
Cognitive Impairment After Stroke
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Cognitive Impairment After Stroke

A special issue of Neurology International (ISSN 2035-8377). This special issue belongs to the section "Aging Neuroscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2025 | Viewed by 1563

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Bogna Anna Drozdowska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
Interests: stroke; vascular cognitive impairment and dementia; prognosis of cognitive decline; patient-centered outcomes; use of mixed-methods (quantitative and qualitative)
Dr. Emma Elliott

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Interests: cognitive impairment; neurological conditions; clinical outcome assessments; dementia; care

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cognitive impairment is a common consequence of stroke, contributing to dependency in daily activities, restricted social participation and compromised quality of life. Although now recognized as a top research priority for persons with lived experience, post-stroke cognitive function has been historically under-investigated and is rarely considered as an outcome in clinical trials of novel acute stroke treatments. Increased interest in this topic over the last few years has been coupled with many research challenges related to the definition of post-stroke cognitive impairment, the selection of appropriate cognitive measures, the timing of assessments, and the follow-up duration. As such, there is a continuing need for high-quality evidence to support the development of robust clinical recommendations for the improvement of post-stroke cognitive outcomes. 

This Special Issue will provide a comprehensive overview of current research into post-stroke cognitive function, with relevant implications for clinical practice, setting new research directions to resolve existing knowledge gaps and harmonize methodological approaches in the field. Intending to showcase a broad range of pertinent subjects, we include studies focusing on the neuropathology of cognitive impairment following stroke, as well as its natural history, diagnosis, prognosis, prevention and management. Reflecting a foundational component of impactful research and person-centered care, we also encourage submissions that, by using qualitative or mixed methods, provide insights on the perspectives of persons with lived experience of post-stroke cognitive impairment.

Dr. Bogna Anna Drozdowska
Dr. Emma Elliott
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Neurology International is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • stroke
  • post-stroke cognitive impairment
  • post-stroke dementia
  • vascular cognitive impairment
  • vascular dementia
  • cognitive assessment
  • neuropsychological assessment

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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14 pages, 885 KB  
Article
Non-Verbal Working Memory in Post-Stroke Motor Aphasia: A Pilot Study Using the Tactual Span
by Eyal Heled, Ohad Levi, Elana Strobinsky and Gabi Zeilig
Neurol. Int. 2025, 17(4), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/neurolint17040058 - 17 Apr 2025
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Abstract
Background: Working memory (WM) impairment is a potential consequence of motor aphasia resulting from left-hemisphere ischemic stroke. While verbal WM has been studied extensively in this disorder, research regarding non-verbal modalities remains limited, particularly visuospatial WM, tactile WM, and the relationship between [...] Read more.
Background: Working memory (WM) impairment is a potential consequence of motor aphasia resulting from left-hemisphere ischemic stroke. While verbal WM has been studied extensively in this disorder, research regarding non-verbal modalities remains limited, particularly visuospatial WM, tactile WM, and the relationship between them. Additionally, language impairments limit the ability to assess WM in aphasia patients, highlighting the necessity of non-verbal diagnostic tools in clinical practice. The current study’s objectives were to compare tactile and visuospatial WM in patients with post-stroke motor aphasia and to validate the one-hand version of the Tactual Span task as a clinical measure of WM. Methods: A total of 29 participants—14 with post-stroke motor aphasia and 15 healthy controls—completed a battery of cognitive tests, including the Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices Test, the Visuospatial Span, the Tactual Span, and a visual 1-Back task. Results: There was significantly lower performance across all WM tasks in the aphasia group compared to the controls. Additionally, the Tactual Span successfully discriminated between patients and controls, showing sensitivity estimates of 92.9% and a specificity of 66.7%, with a cut-off score of 4.5 (AUC = 0.91), for the forward stage. The backward stage revealed a sensitivity of 71.4% and a specificity of 73.3%, with a cut-off score of 3.5 (AUC = 0.83). Conclusions: The findings may suggest that non-verbal WM impairment in post-stroke aphasia affects both visuospatial and tactile modalities similarly. Furthermore, the Tactual Span appears to be sensitive to left-hemisphere stroke damage, suggesting its potential utility as a clinical tool for WM assessment in patients with motor aphasia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cognitive Impairment After Stroke)
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20 pages, 664 KB  
Systematic Review
Design of Trials for Cerebral Small Vessel Disease and Vascular Cognitive Impairment
by Elizabeth Phan, Shi Pei Loo and Terence J. Quinn
Neurol. Int. 2025, 17(11), 181; https://doi.org/10.3390/neurolint17110181 - 4 Nov 2025
Viewed by 75
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) and vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) are major contributors to stroke and dementia. Despite their importance, there are few effective treatments for cSVD and VCI. Variability in cSVD/VCI populations, intervention targets, and outcome selection may contribute to inconsistencies [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) and vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) are major contributors to stroke and dementia. Despite their importance, there are few effective treatments for cSVD and VCI. Variability in cSVD/VCI populations, intervention targets, and outcome selection may contribute to inconsistencies and challenges in clinical trial design. We reviewed the design of cSVD and VCI clinical trials to describe current practice in the selection of populations, interventions, and outcomes. Methods: We systematically searched Ovid Medline, Embase, and PsychInfo databases for recently completed cSVD/VCI trials and searched online trial registries (ClinicalTrials.gov, European Union Clinical Trials Register, and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform) for ongoing cSVD/VCI trials. We determined the use of specific categories of inclusion and exclusion criteria, interventions, and outcomes in the included trials and described these as counts and percentages. Results: We included a total of 82 cSVD trials and 120 VCI trials. Neuroimaging features were most frequently used as inclusion criteria for cSVD (88%) and cognition for VCI (88%). There was substantial variation in eligible ages for participation. Both cSVD and VCI trials largely excluded patients with comorbidities, vascular risk factors, and neuropsychiatric disorders, with a notable proportion of cSVD trials excluding on the basis of functional impairment. The most studied intervention classes were repurposed cardiovascular drugs (40%) for cSVD and Traditional Chinese Medicine (35%) in VCI. The most common primary outcome category was neuroimaging for cSVD (53%) and cognition for VCI (86%). Notably, functional outcomes were underused in both cSVD and VCI trials (13% and 12%, respectively, for primary outcomes). Conclusions: We have identified substantial variability in all aspects of cSVD and VCI clinical trial design. Inconsistent neuroimaging criteria and exclusions based on common long-term conditions limit the generalisability of findings. There is a need for greater focus on clinical outcomes, particularly functional ability, to better reflect treatment impact. Increased integration and standardisation of cSVD and VCI trial design is needed to accelerate progress in developing treatments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cognitive Impairment After Stroke)
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