Investigation of dementia awareness among stroke patients in China: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: To provide guidelines for the prevention of post-stroke dementia, we investigated whether stroke patients were aware of post-stroke dementia and their level of dementia-related knowledge. Methods: Five dementia-related questions were designed. A field survey was conducted in a question-and-answer method using the designed questions. The surveys assessed 3000 stroke patients (2 weeks–6 months after stroke attacks) from 14 hospitals/clinical centers in 7 provinces and cities across China. Results: Among 3000 stroke patients, 80.5% had heard of dementia, 39.1% knew that stroke can lead to dementia, 55.7% believed dementia can be prevented, 50.8% thought dementia can be cured, and only 8.8% had ever seen a doctor because of memory deterioration. Then, patients were classified into three groups, including a no cognitive impairment (NCI) group, a mild cognitive impairment (MCI) group, and a mild dementia (MD) group. Among the MCI and MD groups, only 8.7% (75/861) and 9.9% (64/649) of patients, respectively, had ever seen a doctor because of memory deterioration. According to our results, patients with a higher level of cognitive impairment had a lower awareness of dementia (P < .001). Conclusion: The awareness of dementia in stroke patients in China is low, and the consultation rate is even lower. Moreover, patients with a higher level of cognitive impairment have a lower awareness of dementia. To improve public awareness and improve prevention, more emphasis should be put on education regarding post-stroke dementia. Routine cognitive function screening should be conducted on stroke patients as an effective way to assess dementia.

Keywords

• Stroke
• Dementia
• Cognitive dysfunction
• Public health