Neurodegeneration over 3 years following first-ever or recurrent ischemic stroke: Findings from a case-control study

White matter dysfunction is common among stroke survivors; however, the longitudinal micro- and macrostructural changes of white matter after stroke is yet to be described.
The current study provided evidence of worsened white matter structural degeneration across the brain in post-stroke cases (n=71) than stroke-free controls (n=36). Cognitive performance, as confirmed by a decline in fiber density and cross-section, deteriorated 3 years post-stroke in the domains of visuospatial processing, processing speed, language, and recognition memory.
According to the authors, ischemic stroke-survivors continue to have poor white matter health across the brain, and in turn worsened cognitive performance years after stroke.