PREVALENCE OF COGNITIVE DECLINE IN PATIENTS WITH STROKE

Objective: To determine the prevalence of cognitive decline among the patients of stroke and analyze the associated socio demographic factors. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Tertiary care hospital of Rawalpindi, from May 2018 to Aug 2018. Methodology: The sample population comprised of n=180 patients of hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke presenting at a tertiary care hospital in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Cognitive decline was assessed by using the British Columbia Cognitive Complaints Inventory (BC-CCI) four weeks after the acute stroke. Relationship of age, gender, marital status, education, type of stroke, presence of physical impairment and tobacco smoking was assessed with the presence of cognitive decline among the patients of stroke. Results: Out of 180 patients of stroke screened through British Columbia Cognitive Complaints Inventory, 129 (71.7%) showed the presence of cognitive decline while 51 (28.3%) had no cognitive decline. After applying the logistic regression we found that female gender and presence of physical impairment had significant association with the presence of cognitive decline among the patients of stroke. Conclusion: This study showed a high prevalence of cognitive decline among the patients of stroke in Pakistan. Routine screening for cognitive decline should be done at the stroke follow up clinic and special attention should be paid to the female patients of stroke and those with physical impairment