ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate cognitive function changes and their influential factors in patients with ischemic stroke and leukoaraiosis.Methods:A total of 500 patients with ischemic stroke who received treatment in Yiwu Central Hospital from January 2018 to October 2019 were included in this study. They were divided into simple ischemic stroke group ( n = 200) and ischemic stroke complicated by leukoaraiosis group (combination group, n = 300). The infarct location and the degree of leukoaraiosis in the combination group were analyzed. An additional 150 volunteers who concurrently underwent the Cognitive Function Test in the same hospital were selected as controls. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Patients in the combination group were divided into cognitive impairment group (MoCA score ≥ 26 points) and non-cognitive impairment group (MoCA score < 26 points) according to MoCA score. The risk factors of cognitive impairment in patients with ischemic stroke and leukoaraiosis were analyzed. Results:The scores of the MMSE, MoCA, Clock Drawing Test (CDT), Verbal Fluency Test (VFT), and Digit Span Test (DST) in the control group were (28.93 ± 2.70) points, (28.35 ± 2.74) points, (4.69 ± 1.14) points, (4.94 ± 0.42) points, and (14.33 ± 1.66) points respectively. They were (26.92 ± 2.18) points, (25.02 ± 3.52) points, (3.61 ± 1.60) points, (4.77 ± 0.46) points, and (11.73 ± 1.16) points, respectively in the simple ischemic stroke group and (24.91 ± 2.79) points, (20.70 ± 3.06) points, (2.87 ± 1.23) points, (4.07 ± 0.85) points, and (10.82 ± 0.93) points respectively in the combination group. There were significant differences in the scores of the MMSE, MoCA, CDT, VFT, and DST among the three groups ( F = 124.50, 318.50, 93.43, 112.60, 428.60, all P < 0.001). Significant differences in the scores of the MMSE, MoCA, CDT, VFT, and DST were observed between patients with different degrees of leukoaraiosis ( F = 69.09, 102.40, 20.98, 60.90, 57.00, all P < 0.001). Spearman correlation analysis results showed that the scores of the MMSE, MoCA, CDT, VFT, and DST were negatively correlated with the degree of leukoaraiosis ( r = -0.61, -0.69, -0.43, -0.56, -0.44, all P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis results showed that age, history of smoking and drinking, history of diabetes, history of stroke, and infarct location were the independent risk factors for cognitive impairment in patients with ischemic stroke and leukoaraiosis. Education level was a protective factor against ischemic stroke and leukoaraiosis. Conclusion:The degree of cognitive impairment in patients with ischemic stroke and leukoaraiosis is related to the degree of leukoaraiosis. Age, history of smoking and drinking, history of diabetes, history of stroke, infarction location, and education level are the influential factors of cognitive impairment.