Influence of socioeconomic status on cognitive outcome after childhood arterial ischemic stroke

Aim To determine whether socioeconomic status (SES) is a stronger predictor for cognitive outcome after childhood arterial ischemic stroke compared to clinical factors. Method We investigated perceptual reasoning, executive functions, language, memory, and attention in 18 children and adolescents (12 males, six females, median age at testing 13y 4mo, range 7y-17y 5mo) after arterial ischemic stroke; collected sociodemographic information (education of parents, household income); and used clinical information (initial lesion volume, residual lesion volume, age at stroke, time since stroke). Linear regression models were used to investigate the potential influence of SES and clinical parameters on cognitive abilities. Results SES had a moderate effect on all cognitive outcome parameters except attention by explaining 41.9%, 37.9%, 38.0%, and 22.5% of variability in perceptual reasoning, executive functions, language, and memory respectively. Initial lesion volume was the only clinical parameter that showed moderate importance on cognitive outcome (33.1% and 25.6% of the variability in perceptual reasoning and memory respectively). Overall, SES was a stronger predictor of cognitive outcome than clinical factors. Interpretation Future paediatric studies aiming at clinical predictors of cognitive outcome should control their analyses for SES in their study participants. The findings of the present study further point to the need for more attention to the treatment of children with low SES.