Post-stroke delirium and cognitive impairment and dementia

People with delirium after stroke appear to be at a higher risk of developing dementia than people who do not experience delirium.^1,2 However, delirium and dementia have a complex and interconnected relationship, making studies of the effect of post-stroke delirium on later dementia challenging to design.³ The results of the PROPOLIS study suggested that delirium was associated with dementia 3-months after stroke, but not later at 1 year, a result which might reflect the short-term nature of delirium.¹ More research is needed, with larger and longer-term studies, to understand the nature of the relationship between delirium and dementia after stroke.²

References:
1. Droś J, Kowalska K, Pasińska P, et al. Delirium post-stroke influence on post-stroke dementia (research study – part of the PROPOLIS Study). J Clin Med 2020; 9 (7): 2165.

2. van Rijsbergen MW, Oldenbeuving AW, Nieuwenhuis-Mark RE, et al. Delirium in acute stroke: a predictor of subsequent cognitive impairment? A two-year follow-up study. J Neurol Sci 2011; 306 (1–2): 138–142.

3. Fong TG, Inouye SK. The inter-relationship between delirium and dementia: the importance of delirium prevention. Nat Rev Neurol 2022; 18 (10): 579–596.