Cognitive difficulties after a stroke are common. Ranging from mild cognitive impairment to full-blown dementia, cognitive problems may develop in the immediate aftermath of the stroke or years later. Stroke can cause impairments in memory, thinking and reasoning, planning, language generation and/or comprehension, and deficits in the ability to pay attention. Such cognitive changes commonly impede the ability to work, drive, or live independently after a stroke.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), as many as 60 percent of people who survive a stroke develop cognitive impairment within the first year after their stroke. As many as one in three may develop dementia within five years.
The AHA also reports that up to 20 percent of stroke survivors who experience mild cognitive impairment in the immediate aftermath of a stroke fully recover cognitive function; cognitive recovery is most likely within the first six months after a stroke. Experts find that a program of cognitive rehabilitation started soon after a stroke occurs, as well as increased physical activity, may mitigate the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia.