Characteristics of cognitive function changes in patients with cerebellar infarction

Abstract

Objective To study the characteristics of cognitive function changes in patients with cerebellar infarction, and to clarify the association between cerebellar infarction and cognitive function. Methods A total of 106 patients with cerebellar infarction, admitted to our hospital from June 2017 to December 2018, and 55 healthy subjects recruited at the same time were chosen. National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was used to evaluate neurological deficits, and modified International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS) was used to evaluate balance function. The cognitive function differences of the two groups were compared by Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Patients with cerebellar infarction were divided into different subgroups according to different courses of disease, different infarction sites and different cerebellar hemispheres to further compare the cognitive functions of the subjects. Results (1) In terms of cognitive function evaluation, the scores of MoCA and Rey auditory word learning test (RAVLT) in the cerebellar infarction group were significantly lower than those in the control group, and the time consumption of Trail Making Test (TMT)-B was significantly longer than that in the control group (P<0.05). (2) MoCA and RAVLT scores in the acute cerebellar infarction group were significantly lower than those in the non-acute cerebellar infarction group (P<0.05). (3) There were significant differences in ICARS scores, MoCA scores, RAVLT scores and TMT-B time consumption between the anterior cerebellar infarction group and the posterior cerebellar infarction group (P<0.05). (4) The time consumption of TMT-B of right cerebellar infarction patients was significantly longer ([258.85±55.96] s) than that in left cerebellar infarction patients ([198.22±40.43] s, P<0.05). Conclusions There are cognitive dysfunctions, especially memory and executive function, in patients with cerebellar infarction, which is correlated with the disease period and location of cerebellar infarction, but not with infarct volume. Cognitive dysfunction is more obvious in patients with acute cerebellar infarction, posterior cerebellar infarction and right cerebellar infarction than those in patients with non-acute cerebellar infarction, anterior cerebellar infarction and left cerebellar infarction. Key words: Cerebellum; Stroke; Cognitive dysfunction