Cognition and perception

Cognitive impairment is common in acute stroke, with 59% of patients reported as having cognitive deficit on admission to rehabilitation. Cognitive and perceptual impairments include attention, memory, orientation, language, executive functions, neglect (or hemi-attention, where the patient ignores or is unaware of things on one side of the body), apraxia (impaired ability to plan and sequence a movement) and agnosia (impaired ability to recognise sensory information such as sounds, smells, objects or body parts).

Cognitive impairment may be missed in those who present with mild stroke, and this type of impairment and can have a significant impact on life after stroke.

For current research and evidence-based recommendations see our Clinical Guidelines.