Cognitive functioning following mild stroke in adults aged 18 to 64 years: association with participation.

Objectives: This cross-sectional study aims to describe objective and subjective cognitive functioning and to explore the relationship between cognition, participation, fatigue, and psychological symptoms, in adults aged 18-64 with mild stroke.

Methods: Fifty-seven adults (mean age = 52 years; 51% women) who were hospitalized after a mild stroke were recruited. They completed a short telephone cognitive assessment and online questionnaires on average six months after stroke (range: 3-13).

Results: Results suggest that mean scores of cognitive tests fell within the average normative range, although an underestimation of cognitive impairment cannot be ruled out. Moreover, compared to a normal distribution, a greater proportion of participants had average or below average cognitive performances. The most common subjective cognitive complaints were mental slowness (54% of sample), memory difficulties (51%), concentration difficulties 51%), and multitasking (47%). Objective cognitive performance was not associated with subjective cognitive complaints. Subjective cognitive complaints, performance on a cognitive flexibility test, and symptoms of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and fatigue significantly correlated with participation. Subjective cognitive functioning was the most significantly associated factor with participation according to regression analyses.

Conclusion: These results raise the importance of implementing rehabilitation services that target cognitive complaints to promote better participation in this population.