Neuropsychological Rehabilitation

Abstract

Cognitive impairment after stroke is common and can significantly hinder recovery of function and return to functional activities and roles. With an aging population and a decline in mortality rate post-stroke, addressing cognitive impairments in stroke survivors is of critical importance. The umbrella term vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) encompasses the continuum of cognitive impairment of cerebrovascular origin, ranging from mild impairment (with no significant impact on functional abilities) to vascular dementia. Management of individuals with impairments in cognition, affect, or behavior varies depending on the severity of the deficits and the functional consequences. Review of the evidence for rehabilitation of individuals with focal cognitive deficits post-stroke is the focus of this chapter. In this chapter, we define cognitive function broadly as interacting modular mental systems either containing and/or acting on domain-specific knowledge representations (e.g., language, spatial function, calculations).