Table 4.
Associations of separate cognitive tests with risk of stroke subtype.
| Cognitive test (per SD decrease) | Any stroke | Ischemic stroke | Hemorrhagic stroke | Unspecified stroke |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memory | ||||
| 15-Word learning test | ||||
| n/N | 415/7,397 | 308/7,397 | 52/7,397 | 55/7,397 |
| HR (95% CI) | 1.17 (1.04–1.32) | 1.13 (0.99–1.31) | 0.90 (0.63–1.29) | 1.64 (1.21–2.23) |
| Information processing | ||||
| Stroop reading task | ||||
| n/N | 405/7,408 | 296/7,408 | 52/7,408 | 57/7,408 |
| HR (95% CI) | 1.13 (1.04–1.23) | 1.05 (0.93–1.18) | 0.94 (0.69–1.28) | 1.37 (1.22–1.55) |
| Stroop color naming task | ||||
| n/N | 405/7,408 | 296/7,408 | 52/7,408 | 57/7,408 |
| HR (95% CI) | 1.10 (1.05–1.16) | 1.03 (0.91–1.16) | 1.08 (0.87–1.35) | 1.17 (1.10–1.24) |
| Letter-digit substitution test* | ||||
| n/N | 438/7,889 | 328/7,889 | 58/7,889 | 52/7,889 |
| HR (95% CI) | 1.08 (0.96–1.21) | 1.02 (0.89–1.17) | 0.93 (0.68–1.29) | 1.72 (1.19–2.48) |
| Executive function | ||||
| Stroop interference task | ||||
| n/N | 402/7,394 | 296/7,394 | 52/7,394 | 54/7,394 |
| HR (95% CI) | 1.10 (1.02–1.19)† | 1.03 (0.93–1.15) | 0.98 (0.74–1.28) | 1.26 (1.14–1.41) |
| Verbal fluency test | ||||
| n/N | 422/7,660 | 313/7,660 | 53/7,660 | 56/7,660 |
| HR (95% CI) | 1.09 (0.97–1.22) | 1.04 (0.91–1.18) | 0.88 (0.64–1.21) | 1.81 (1.30–2.52) |
| Motor function | ||||
| Purdue pegboard test | ||||
| n/N | 422/7,725 | 317/7,725 | 54/7,725 | 51/7,725 |
| HR (95% CI) | 1.27 (1.13–1.44) | 1.17 (1.02–1.35) | 1.34 (0.95–1.88) | 1.79 (1.28–2.48) |
CI = confidence interval; HR = hazard ratio; SD = standard deviation. Higher scores on cognitive tests indicate better cognitive function. All analyses were censored for incident stroke (any stroke). Significant associations after correction for multiple testing are displayed in bold text. Model II is shown, results did not differ across model I and II. Adjusted for age, sex, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, blood pressure-lowering medication, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, lipid-lowering medication use, BMI, diabetes mellitus type 2, smoking, alcohol use, level of education and apolipoprotein e4 carriership.
*Some studies include the letter-digit substitution test in the executive function domain.
†Associations with p < 0.05 that did not survive multiple testing correction.