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Cognitive impairment six months after ischaemic stroke: a profile from the ASPIRE-S study
Mellon L, Brewer L, Hall P, Horgan F, Williams D, Hickey A, ASPIRE-S study group.. BMC neurology, 2015-03-12
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Cognitive impairment commonly occurs in the acute phase post-stroke, but may persist with over half of all stroke survivors experiencing some form of long-term cognitive deficit. Recent evidence suggests that optimising secondary prevention adherence is a critical factor in preventing recurrent stroke and the incidence of stroke-related cognitive impairment and dementia. The aim of this study was to profile cognitive impairment of stroke survivors at six months, and to identify factors associated with cognitive impairment post-stroke, focusing on indicators of adequate secondary prevention and psychological function. Methods Participants were assessed at six months following an ischaemic stroke as part of the Action on Secondary Prevention Interventions and Rehabilitation in Stroke study (ASPIRE-S), which examined the secondary preventive and rehabilitative profile of patients in the community post-stroke. Cognitive impairment was measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Results Two-hundred and fifty-six stroke patients were assessed at six months. Over half of the sample (56.6%) were found to have cognitive impairment, with significant associations between cognitive impairment and female sex (odds ratio (OR) = 1.6, 95% CI 1.01-2.57) and history of cerebrovascular disease (OR = 2.22, 95% CI 1.38-3.59). Treatment with antihypertensive medications (OR = .65, 95% CI .44-.96) and prescription of anticoagulant therapy (OR = .41, 95% CI .26-.68) were associated with reduced likelihood of cognitive impairment, however increasing number of total prescribed medications was moderately associated with poorer cognitive impairment (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.04-1.19). Conclusions Findings reveal levels of cognitive impairment at 6 months post-stroke that are concerning. Encouragingly, aspects of secondary prevention were identified that may be protective in reducing the incidence of cognitive impairment post-stroke. Neuropsychological rehabilitation post-stroke is also required as part of stroke rehabilitation models to meet the burden of post-stroke cognitive impairment.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Mellon, L., Brewer, L., Hall, P., Horgan, F., Williams, D., Hickey, A., et al. (2015). Cognitive impairment six months after ischaemic stroke: a profile from the ASPIRE-S study. BMC neurology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-015-0288-2
Vancouver
Mellon L, Brewer L, Hall P, Horgan F, Williams D, Hickey A, et al. Cognitive impairment six months after ischaemic stroke: a profile from the ASPIRE-S study. BMC neurology. 2015. doi:10.1186/s12883-015-0288-2. PMID: 25879880.
BibTeX
@article{mellon2015-25879880,
author = {Mellon, L. and Brewer, L. and Hall, P. and Horgan, F. and Williams, D. and Hickey, A. and {ASPIRE-S study group}},
title = {{Cognitive impairment six months after ischaemic stroke: a profile from the ASPIRE-S study}},
journal = {BMC neurology},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1186/s12883-015-0288-2},
pmid = {25879880},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-015-0288-2}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Recent evidence suggests that optimising secondary prevention adherence is a critical factor in preventing recurrent stroke and the incidence of stroke-related cognitive impairment and dementia.
- The aim of this study was to profile cognitive impairment of stroke survivors at six months, and to identify factors associated with cognitive impairment post-stroke, focusing on indicators of adequate secondary prevention and psychological function.
- Results Two-hundred and fifty-six stroke patients were assessed at six months.
- Over half of the sample (56.6%) were found to have cognitive impairment, with significant associations between cognitive impairment and female sex (odds ratio (OR) = 1.6, 95% CI 1.01-2.57) and history of cerebrovascular disease (OR = 2.22, 95% CI 1.38-3.59).
- Treatment with antihypertensive medications (OR = .65, 95% CI .44-.96) and prescription of anticoagulant therapy (OR = .41, 95% CI .26-.68) were associated with reduced likelihood of cognitive impairment, however increasing number of total prescribed medications was moderately associated with poorer cognitive impairment (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.04-1.19).
Why it matters
Six months after an ischaemic stroke, over half of 256 survivors (56.6%) had cognitive impairment on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Impairment was more likely in women and in people with a history of cerebrovascular disease, and less likely in those treated with blood-pressure medicines or prescribed anticoagulants. These are associations rather than proof of cause, but they flag secondary-prevention treatment as a factor worth studying in protecting thinking after stroke.
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Study details
- Effect size56.6%; OR = 2.22; OR = 1.12
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 45/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (BMC neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | BMC Neurology: journal h-index 122 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2015 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 3 / 3 | Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 244 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 18.8 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 9.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 64 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Anne Hickey: h-index 37 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland: institution h-index 406 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25879880) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
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