Intellectual Functioning and Cognitive Outcomes in Poststroke Individuals: A Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND

Poststroke cognitive impairment is a frequent complication and has a significant impact on functional recovery and quality of life. Evidence from Indian populations is limited, but intellectual functioning as a measure of cognitive reserve might impact cognitive and functional outcomes following stroke.

AIM: This study aimed to assess the relationship between intellectual functioning and neuropsychological outcomes in poststroke patients.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

This study is a hospital-based cross-sectional correlational design conducted from July 2025 to March 2026 with 122 stroke survivors aged 30-60 years. Intellectual functioning was evaluated by the Binet-Kamat Test of Intelligence (BKT), global cognition by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), visuomotor integration by the Bender-Gestalt Test (BGT), functional independence by the Barthel Index (BI), and depressive symptoms by the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 (HAMD-17).

RESULTS

The mean Binet-Kamat test intelligence quotient (BKT IQ) and MoCA scores were 100.3 ± 6.9 and 25.4 ± 2.7, respectively. BKT IQ showed a significant positive correlation with MoCA (r = 0.52), BI (r = 0.41) and BGT score (r = 0.28), and a negative correlation with HAMD score (r = -0.35) (all P < 0.05). Multiple linear regression showed that BKT IQ was the best independent predictor of cognitive performance (β = 0.38; P < 0.001), followed by education level, BI, HAMD score, and age. The MoCA, BGT and BI scores were significantly higher in ischemic stroke participants compared to hemorrhagic stroke.

CONCLUSION

Intellectual functioning was significantly related to cognitive functioning, functional independence, visuomotor functioning, and depressive symptoms after stroke. Intellectual functioning assessment can help in the prediction of prognosis and in the planning of individual neurorehabilitation in patients after stroke.