A review of cognitive outcomes in children following perinatal stroke.

Perinatal stroke is a significant cause of congenital neurological disability. Although motor deficits and epilepsy are relatively easy to identify, developmental and behavioral co-morbidities are more complex and challenging to define. We provide an overview of perinatal stroke syndromes and theories relating injury in the developing brain to long-term outcomes. We present a comprehensive overview of the effects on intelligence and other specific cognitive domains, as well as investigations relating clinical features and neuroimaging to deficits. Better understanding of the impact of early stroke has potential to elucidate processes of brain development, in addition to providing guidance for prognosis and rehabilitation.