In patients tested shortly after their stroke, the affected area still predicted the progression of the disorders. Conversely, in patients tested several weeks later, this predictive value decreased significantly. The severity of the disorders then seemed more linked to the general state of the brain before the stroke and to factors such as the level of education.
This “cognitive reserve” therefore clearly protects people. Patients who had developed more brain capacity before the stroke were, after a few weeks, more likely to present less marked disorders.
These results could lead to a more personalized approach to rehabilitation after a stroke. “It is not only the brain lesion visible on an MRI that determines the way to approach the path to recovery, but also the person the patient was before the stroke,” explains Professor Céline Gillebert.
