Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to assess cognitive functions and analyze associated factors in patients at three months post-strategic cerebral infarction.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 44 patients with a diagnosis of strategic cerebral infarction who received inpatient or outpatient care at Bach Mai Hospital between August 2024 and August 2025. Cognitive functions were assessed 3 months after the stroke diagnosis using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Data analysis was performed using SPSS 20.0 software.
Results: The study revealed a high prevalence, specifically a rate of mild cognitive impairment of 34.1% and a rate of dementia of 43.2%. Patients who were under 65 years of age, had an occupation involving intellectual labor, attained a high educational level, and had no prior history of hypertension or diabetes mellitus exhibited a significantly higher mean MoCA score and a lower prevalence of cognitive impairment.
Conclusions: The prevalence of post-stroke cognitive impairment and post-stroke dementia following strategic cerebral infarction, as assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scale, is high. No statistically significant association was established between factors such as age, gender, educational level, occupation, or pre-existing medical history and post-stroke cognitive impairment. Therefore, screening for cognitive impairment and managing vascular risk factors in patients with strategic cerebral infarction are essential.