Objetive The present study was aimed to explore the risk factors of mid-term cognitive decline in pa?tients with indexed TIA/minor stroke (NIHSS≤3) in a Chinese hospital-based cohort. Methods We recruited all consec?utive Chinese TIA/minor stroke patients from July to December in 2012 and followed them up in stroke clinics at 3 and 18 months after indexed TIA/minor stroke. The outcome was defined as significantly cognitive decline at 18 months com?pared with that at 3 months. Results A total of 209 consecutive Chinese TIA/minor stroke cases completed their fol?low-up investigation. Among them, 24 (11.5%) exhibited significantly cognitive decline. The independent risk factors of cognitive decline post TIA/minor stroke were education years (OR=0.869,P=0.021), atrial fibrillation(OR=5.950, P=0.001) and multiple silent lacunar infarcts (OR=5.179,P=0.020). Conclusion It is necessary to evaluate the cognition among TIA/minor stroke cases and a close follow-up is required for patients with atrial fibrillation and multiple silent la?cunar infarcts frequently in order to decrease the risk of cognitive decline post TIA/minor stroke.

Objectives Brain atrophy plays a key role in post-stroke dementia. The current study aims to explore risk factors for brain atrophy in different regions in order to find the ultimate therapeutic strategy. Methods Consecutive stroke and/or transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients were recruited from July 2012 to June . The clinical features, neuro?imaging findings and risk factors were collected during hospitalization. Logistic regression analysis showed that, except for age, female gender (Odds ratio, OR=2.447, P=0.007) and the number of silent lacuna infarcts (OR=1.414, P=0.027) were independent risk factors for frontal lobe atrophy. Ischemic stroke history (OR=2.224, P=0.024) was the independent risk factor for parietal lobe atrophy. All of extra-/intracranial larger artery diseases (OR=2.584, P=0.015) and white mat?ter severity score (OR=1.112, P=0.007) as well as the number of silent lacuna infarcts (OR=1.158,P=0.042) were inde?pendent risk factors for medial temporal lobe atrophy. Moreover, diabetes (OR=2.109, P=0.001),atrial fibrillation (OR=1.934, P=0.015) and white matter severity score (OR=1.098, P=0.002) were independent risk factors for global brain atro? phy. Conclusion Risk factors for brain atrophy included diabetes,atrial fibrillation, silent lacuna infarcts and white mat?ter changes. We should pay more attention to those patients with above risk factors in order to slow down the progression of brain atrophy and also prevent them from dementia by early interventions.