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: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 602

Special Issue Editors


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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)

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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

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Keywords

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

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 885 KiB  
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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