Detecting and Predicting Post-stroke Cognitive Impairment Using the Oxford Cognitive Screen

Cognitive problems are common after a stroke and must be identified early so that rehabilitation can be initiated to improve outcome. As a comprehensive cognitive assessment is rarely possible during hospitalization, short screening tools are often used. In 2015, a tool developed specifically to screen for cognitive deficits in stroke, the Oxford Cognitive Screen (OCS), was released. Despite the tool now being widely used internationally, we don't know how good it is at finding cognitive problems and know very little about how well it predicts recovery of cognitive problems. In this study, we will assess cognition in 240 stroke survivors using the OCS and detailed cognitive tests in both the early stage (within three weeks of stroke) and the chronic stage (6-9 months after stroke) to learn more about how well the tool does at measuring cognitive problems and predicting recovery. The study will also inform us on how large a percent of stroke survivors have cognitive impairments in the early stages after stroke and in the chronic stage of recovery.