Incidence of pre- and poststroke dementia: Cracow stroke registry

Background and Purpose: Dementia after stroke may be caused by vascular lesion, but preexisting degenerative changes can also influence its development. After stroke, the patients with coexisting Alzheimer-type pathology need appropriate treatment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the frequency of prestroke and new-onset dementia in stroke patients. Methods: We evaluated prestroke dementia in 250 patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke using the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE). Poststroke dementia was assessed in 220 patients 3 months after stroke by means of the neuropsychological tests and/or IQCODE. The DSM-IV definition of dementia was used. Results: Dementia after stroke was found in 31.4% of stroke patients. Twelve percent of stroke patients had a significant impairment of cognitive functions detected by the IQCODE on admission suggesting prestroke dementia. When we excluded the patients with recurrent stroke, the incidence of pre- and poststroke dementia was 9.3 and 21.2%, respectively. Conclusion: About one tenth of stroke patients have preexisting dementia. Copyright (C) 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel.