Investigating the Long-Term Cognitive Impairments of Stroke: A Systematic Review

Stroke is a major cause of long-term morbidity, a cognitive impairment that affects instrumental activities of daily living and quality of life for survivors and caregivers. It is imperative that patients with the risk of Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) are identified early and interventions instituted as soon as possible. This study aims to demystify cognitive domains affected after a stroke, discover features on imaging that suggest the likelihood for the development of PSCI, assess survivors’ quality of life, and examine the impact of non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions on Post-stroke Cognitive impairment (PSCI). Using the PRISMA 2020 guideline, three databases were used: PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar. 1,773 articles were identified; however, after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria and other filters, 13 articles were used for this study: 4 being observational studies, three systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and two narrative literature. The characteristics of each article that passed the quality check were analyzed in tabular form, and the discussion followed afterward. This study found that at three months following a stroke, survivors’ Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) improves. It also sheds more light on the various cognitive assessment tools available and the many nonpharmacologic interventions available to post-stroke victims and caregivers as more investigations are still being carried out to ascertain the usefulness of pharmacological intervention.