Transcranial Doppler (TCD) Ultrasound and Cognition in Cerebral Vascular Disease. (SUNRISE)

Transcranial Doppler (TCD) Ultrasound for Predicting and Understanding Cognitive Decline in Cerebral Vascular Disease.

This study aims to contribute to the identification of factors that may be predictive of cognitive function and to provide data on cerebral hemodynamic in ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke. This study will prospectively study cerebral autoregulation, neurovascular coupling and microembolic signs in cerebrovascular patients with ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke and its relationship with cognitive function and functional recovery

Inclusion Criteria:

• Minimum age limit: 18 years
• Patients with intracerebral haemorrhages; Patients with ischemic stroke of atherosclerotic, cardioembolic and embolic etiology from an unknown source;
• Previous mRS equal or more than 4;
• National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS)≤20 at admission;
• IQCODE final score<3.0

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of dementia or other central nervous system disease associated with cognitive impairment;
• Absence of adequate temporal bone window for Transcranial Doppler monitoring;
• Patients with a large cerebral infarct (greater than on third of the middle cerebral artery territory) or a strategic infarct (paramedian thalamus, medial frontal cortex, or hippocampus) evaluated in the 24 hours-CT;
• Average life expectancy less than 1 year for a different cause of cardiovascular disease;
• Patients with intracranial vascular malformation, intracranial venous thrombosis, head trauma or tumour and haemorrhagic transformation within an infarct;
• Serious kidney and systemic diseases;
• Active cancer patients;