Fabrizio Pasotti1,2, Francesca G Magnani3,4, Marcello Gallucci5, Gerardo Salvato2,4, Daniela Ovadia2, Massimiliano Scotto3, Stefano Merolla6, Sandro Beretta6, Giuseppe R Micieli7, Elio C Agostoni8, Giovanna Beretta9, Gabriella Bottini10,11,12. 1. Dipartimento di Riabilitazione, Ospedale Civile di Voghera, ASST Pavia, 27058, Voghera, PV, Italy. 2. Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy. 3. Cognitive Neuropsychology Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, 20162, Milan, Italy. 4. NeuroMi - Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano Bicocca, 20126, Milan, Italy. 5. Psychology Department, University of Milan Bicocca, 20126, Milan, Italy. 6. Neurology Department, ASST Vimercate, 20871, Vimercate, MB, Italy. 7. Neurology Department, Fondazione Istituto Neurologico Casimiro Mondino, 27100, Pavia, Italy. 8. Neurology and Stroke Unit, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, 20162, Milan, Italy. 9. Medicina Riabilitativa e Neuroriabilitazione, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, 20162, Milan, Italy. 10. Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy. g.bottini@unipv.it. 11. Cognitive Neuropsychology Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, 20162, Milan, Italy. g.bottini@unipv.it. 12. NeuroMi - Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano Bicocca, 20126, Milan, Italy. g.bottini@unipv.it.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The number of people suffering from stroke is strongly increasing, giving rise to multiple cognitive deficits which frequently prevent a full recovery. The identification of both spared and impaired cognitive domains has a key role to plan adequate interventions. However, the existing standard tests are either too expensive in terms of time and efforts for patients in acute stage or they derived from instruments addressing different pathologies such as dementia. METHODS: We developed a brief neuropsychological battery (mental performance in acute stroke, MEPS) to assess different cognitive domains (language, memory, praxis, visual perception) in acute stroke patients. MEPS was validated by enrolling a sample of 204 patients suffering from stroke in acute stage, and 263 healthy controls participants. RESULTS: The results indicated an adequate construct validity and a high ability in discriminating patients from healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: MEPS can be considered a simple and highly valuable bedside battery, easy to administer, with values of sensitivity and specificity suitable to be proposed as a screening tool for patients with acute stroke.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The number of people suffering from stroke is strongly increasing, giving rise to multiple cognitive deficits which frequently prevent a full recovery. The identification of both spared and impaired cognitive domains has a key role to plan adequate interventions. However, the existing standard tests are either too expensive in terms of time and efforts for patients in acute stage or they derived from instruments addressing different pathologies such as dementia. METHODS: We developed a brief neuropsychological battery (mental performance in acute stroke, MEPS) to assess different cognitive domains (language, memory, praxis, visual perception) in acute strokepatients. MEPS was validated by enrolling a sample of 204 patients suffering from stroke in acute stage, and 263 healthy controls participants. RESULTS: The results indicated an adequate construct validity and a high ability in discriminating patients from healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: MEPS can be considered a simple and highly valuable bedside battery, easy to administer, with values of sensitivity and specificity suitable to be proposed as a screening tool for patients with acute stroke.