Cognitive Decline in Asymptomatic Intracranial Stenosis Patients: A 1-Year Follow-Up Study
Cognitive Decline in Asymptomatic Intracranial Stenosis Patients: A 1-Year Follow-Up Study
To investigate the cognitive decline after standard medical treatment without stenting in
 Asymptomatic Intracranial Stenosis patients and the underlying neural mechanism by fMRI.
All participants underwent a medical evaluation that included routine laboratory studies
 before and after 1-year standard medical treatment. Upon meeting the inclusion criteria and
 providing informed consent, each participant will complete a battery measure of
 neuropsychological tests and Magnetic Resonance imaging scan in multimodalities within 7 days
 after admission and after 1-year when patients received standard medical treatment at the
 First Affiliated Hospital of AnHui Medical University. participants were randomly allocated
 to patient group and the control group.There are about 20 patients and 20 healthy controls in
 this study.

 Firstly, a series of neuropsychological tests were obtained by a trained investigator to
 assess baseline. Each assessment will involve a set of assessment tools, the memory as the
 primary outcome measure and various other tasks and questionnaires to measure cognition
 (including MoCA,MMSE, DS, Stroop test, TMT, VFT), memory (CAVLT), emotion (HAMA-17,HAMD-14),
 behavioral and psychological symptoms(NPI). All the tests are conducted in two days. The
 patients had receiving a magnetic resonance imaging scan in multi-modalities.

 After 1-year standard medical treatment,the patients participants were interviewed to obtain
 the same assessment and magnetic resonance imaging scan in multi-modalities as before.
 Patients are instructed to focus their answers on the past 15 days. The clinical symptom of
 participants were followed 6 and 12 months after the admission. Afterwards, they were
 unblinded by the study coordinator.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Patients with intracranial stenosis which was defined as stenosis of 50% or more in
 Intracranial segment of internal carotid artery and middle cerebral artery (MCA).

 -  The degree of stenosis was measured by transcranial doppler, computed magnetic
 resonance angiography (MRA),tomography angiography (CTA) and digital subtraction
 angiography (DSA).

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  History of stroke,transient ischemic attack,seizures or unexplained loss of
 consciousness.

 -  Organic brain defects on T1 or T2 images.

 -  Any history or clinical signs of other severe psychiatric illnesses (like major
 depression,psychosis or obsessive compulsive disorder).

 -  Implanted pacemaker,medication pump,vagal stimulator,deep brain stimulator. History of
 substance abuse within the last 6 months.