EXAMINATION OF EXECUTIVE DYSFUNCTIONS IN STROKE SURVIVORS VIA 64 – WISCONSIN CARD SORTING TEST

Abstract

Objective: The objective of our study was to examine executive dysfunctions in stroke survivors (three months after stroke) via Wisconsin Card Scoring Test (WCST) and to assess the influence of stroke severity and lesion location.Contingent and methods: We examined 20 stroke survivors with the following neuropsychological battery: MMSE, 21 – Hamilton test and WCST.Results: We found executive dysfunctions in 90% of our patients. Stroke severity measured by NIHSS influenced MMSE scoring and some of the WCST results (percent conceptual level, trials to complete first category, failure to maintain set and learning abilities). Patients with left hemispheric lesions had statistically significant higher level of total errors than patients with right hemispheric and brainstem lesions.Conclusion: Sub-acute stroke stage is strongly associated with executive dysfunctions

Keywords

• WCST
• executive dysfunctions
• stroke