Abstract TMP113: Long-term Cognitive Decline After Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Abstract

Introduction: Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is the leading cause of Vascular Cognitive Impairment (VCI). Although Intracerebral Hemorrhage (ICH) is the most severe manifestation of CSVD, VCI among ICH survivors has been the subject of limited investigations. Hypothesis: We sought to test these hypotheses: 1) long-term cognitive decline rates are substantial even among initially non-demented ICH survivors; 2) underlying CSVD plays a substantial role in determining post-ICH long-term cognitive decline. Methods: We enrolled survivors of primary ICH, with no evidence of dementia 6 months post-hemorrhage, in a single-center longitudinal observational study. Presence and severity of CSVD was assessed at enrollment using two established markers of CSVD on CT (CT-defined white hatter hypodensity [CT-WMH]) and MRI (cerebral microbleeds [CMBs]). We captured blood pressure measurements during follow-up via review of medical records. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-m), a standardized validated telephone-based cognitive battery. We constructed multivariate models of cognitive decline rate, defined as slope of TICS-m scores over time. Results: A total of 275 ICH survivors qualified for inclusion in our analyses; of these 83 (30%) developed incident dementia and 33 (12%) developed incident Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) at 5 years (Figure). CSVD imaging markers were associated with cognitive decline rate (CT-WMH: p=0.001, CMBs: p=0.003), as were pulse pressure (p=0.003) and systolic blood pressure variation coefficient (p=0.034). Conclusions: Long-term cognitive decline is frequent and substantial among ICH survivors not demented at time of ICH, and strongly associates with severity of underlying CSVD. Our findings suggest that it is the extent of CSVD and not particular ICH characteristics that are most associated with long-term cognitive decline in survivors of ICH.