Objective To investigate the changes of cognitive impairment with disease progression in patients with minor stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA).Methods Consecutive patients with minor stroke/TIA were enrolled prospectively.Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used to conduct the cognitive function assessment within 7 d of the onset (baseline),at 1 and 3 months,respectively.Compared with the baseline,the total scores of MoCA in patients increased by ≥2 at 3 months were cognitive function improvement and increased <2 were no cognitive function improvement.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to identify the independent risk factors for no cognitive improvement.ResultsA total of 112 patients with minor stroke/TIA were enrolled in the study,including 63 patients (56.2%) with TIA and 49 (43.8%) with minor stroke.At baseline,1 month,and 3 months,77 (68.8%),72 (64.3%) and 60 (53.6%) patients had cognitive impairment.At 3 months after the onset,the cognitive function of 25 patients (22.3%) were improved,in which 19 (76.0%) and 6 (24.0%) patients had TIA/minor stroke respectively;87 (77.7%) did not have any improvement.Compared with the improvement group,the level of education was significantly lower (3.29±3.48 years vs.5.63±4.26 years;t=2.814,P=0.006),the level of glycosylated hemoglobin was significantly higher (6.35%±1.26% vs.7.21%±1.26%;t=-3.088,P=0.003) in the no improvement group,and the proportions of patients with minor stroke (49.4% vs.24.0%;χ2=5.101,P=0.024),hypertension (52.9% vs.24.0%;χ2=6.509,P=0.011),hyperlipidemia (51.7% vs.24.0%;χ2=6.019,P=0.014),diabetes (41.4% vs.16.0%;χ2=5.448,P=0.020),and coronary heart disease (32.2% vs.8.0%;χ2=5.792,P=0.016) were significantly higher.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the level of education (odds ratio [OR] 1.364,95% confidence interval [CI] 1.059-1.756;P=0.016),atrial fibrillation (OR 2.509,95% CI 1.020-6.167;P=0.045),and higher glycosylated hemoglobin level (OR 1.586,95% CI 1.021-2.034;P=0.030) were the independent risk factors for no cognitive function improvement at 3 months after the onset of minor stroke/TIA.As time went on,the MoCA score and visual spatial execution,memory,abstract and directional scores were increased significantly (P<0.001),while there were no significant differences in naming,attention,and language scores.Conclusion s About 2/3 patients with minor stroke/TIA had cognitive impairment,and as time went on,they were improved.The lower education level,atrial fibrillation and higher baseline glycated hemoglobin were the independent risk factors for affecting no cognitive impairment improvement after monor stroke/TIA.