Analysis on the risk factors of cognitive impairment in patients with large arteriosclerotic non-disabling ischemic cerebrovascular events

Objective explore the risk factors of cognitive impairment in patients with large arteriosclerotic non-disabling ischemic cerebrovascular events (NICE). Methods A total of 84 NICE patients with stenosis or occlusion of intracranial and extracranial arteries (NICE group) and 71 normal control (normal control group) were included in this study. The general clinical data and imaging data were collected, and the cognitive function was assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA). All the 84 NICE patients were examined by magnetic resonance (MR) cerebral perfusion imaging. Results Compared with the normal control group, the patients in the NICE group were older, with higher smoking rate and higher percentage of hypertension, diabetes, and hyperglycemia(P＜0.05). MoCA score of the NICE group was lower than that of the normal control group (P＜0.05). The cognitive impairment in the NICE patients with cerebral hypoperfusion was significantly reduced in visual execution, language, and delayed recall. Low level of education and low cerebral perfusion were important factors associated with cognitive impairment in NICE patients. Conclusions The NICE patients with large arteriosclerosis are often associated with cognitive impairment. Hypoperfusion is an important cause of cognitive impairment, and high education level is a protective factor of cognitive function. Impairment of visual execution, language and delayed recall might be important manifestations in NICE patients.