Chronic Information-processing Changes in Individuals With a First-ever Clinical Lacunar Syndrome

Objective: The aim of this Study was to examine whether chronic cognitive changes occur after a first-ever single clinical lacunar syndrome. Background: Patients who have been diagnosed with a first-ever single clinical lacunar syndrome, on the basis of clinical rather than radiologic criteria, perform normally on general clinical neuropsychologic measures. Method: We examined information-processing abilities in 17 first-ever lacunar syndrome participants [lacunar anterior circulation infarct (LACI)], using 2 experimental tasks of information processing. Results: At a group level, LACI participants were significantly impaired relative to stroke-free controls. Specifically, LACI participants had a reduced ability to process information under conditions of increasing attentional demand; this deficit was not caused by a fundamental impairment in speed of information processing. Conclusions: The current findings represent the first evidence of chronically impaired cognition in individuals who have suffered a single clinical lacunar syndrome event, but have no history of other clinical stroke.