Global Health Neurology Lab

A stroke survivor may regain the ability to walk, yet struggle to remember an appointment, follow a conversation or manage their medications. These less visible difficulties can affect independence, relationships and the prospect of returning to work. Cognitive recovery deserves a central place in how we define recovery after stroke. I am pleased to announce our latest publication from our team in @SpringerNature's journal Clinical Drug Investigation. With a large sample comprising 18,322 participants, our study found: • Post-stroke cognitive impairment affected approximately 33% of participants in treatment-arm analyses and 39% in overall single-arm cohort analyses. • Comparative analyses did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference in cognitive impairment risk between reperfusion-treated patients and comparators. • Findings varied with assessment tools, follow-up timing and study methods, highlighting the need for consistent evaluation. These findings highlight the continuing burden of cognitive impairment after reperfusion therapy and the importance of following cognitive recovery alongside physical recovery. To help translate this evidence into care, we also propose the transdisciplinary PRECISE-ACTION framework: 1. Assess cognition routinely. 2. Customize follow-up and rehabilitation. 3. Track cognitive change over time. 4. Integrate cognition into stroke care pathways. 5. Advance ongoing research through standardized assessments and prospective studies. This transdisciplinary approach connects acute treatment, rehabilitation and longitudinal follow-up around patients and families. It offers a foundation for earlier recognition, tailored support and more consistent measurement of cognitive recovery. A special shout-out to our own fantastic team member Samprithi Raja 🇦🇺, whose perseverance throughout this arduous journey has been remarkable. The study took more than a year to reach acceptance following peer review. This work would not have been possible without the contributions and collaboration of Prof. Robert Weissert (Germany 🇩🇪), Dr. Zeljka Calic (Australia 🇦🇺), Dr. Pravin Thomas (India 🇮🇳), Prof. Jasvinder Chawla (USA), Dr. Susana Mederer Henst (Spain), Prof. Ivica Smokovski (North Macedonia 🇲🇰), Prof. Olga Golubnitschaja (Germany 🇩🇪), A/Prof. Tomotaka Tanaka (Japan 🇯🇵), A/Prof. Kevin J. Spring (Australia 🇦🇺), Prof. Murray C. Killingsworth (Australia 🇦🇺), Prof. Man Mohan Mehndiratta (India 🇮🇳), Prof. Rajesh N. Kalaria (UK 🇬🇧) and Prof. Masafumi Ihara (Japan🇯🇵). Restoring blood flow is a critical beginning. Our responsibility continues as survivors rebuild the cognitive abilities that support everyday life, dignity and independence. Read the paper: link.springer.com/article/10… #Stroke #CognitiveRecovery #BrainHealth #StrokeRehabilitation #TransdisciplinaryCare