Risk factors and prediction of poststroke dementia

To study the status of risk factors for poststroke dementia, 128 patients, aged 50-79 years, with poststroke dementia have been examined. A control group included 125 patients with moderate cognitive impairment after stroke. Coronary heart disease was a significant factor at the age from 50 to 59; coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, overweight and hyperlipidemia were significant risk factors at the age from 60 to 69 and diabetes mellitus, overweight and hyperlipidemia were significant risk factors at the age from 70 to 79. The neuroimaging study revealed that the development of dementia in patients with moderate cognitive impairment was related to the localization of focal poststroke changes in the left hemisphere, frontal and temporal-occipital areas, frontal white matter, thalamus, basal ganglia as well as to the prevalence and severity of subcortical leukoareosis in the frontal areas, basal ganglia and thalamus. An individual prediction model for poststroke dementia in patients with moderate cognitive impairment has been worked out.