Technology-Enabled Cognitive Strategy Intervention for Secondary Stroke Prevention: A Feasibility Study

TL;DR

A virtual cognitive strategy intervention for stroke survivors was found to be feasible and safe, helping them manage vascular risks and improve daily performance.

Contribution

A new virtual intervention combining cognitive training and vascular risk reduction for post-stroke patients was tested for feasibility.

Findings

The intervention had a high retention rate (87.5%) and no serious adverse events.

Participants showed improvements in performance and satisfaction on the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure.

Virtual delivery was key to the intervention's accessibility and success.

Abstract

Background: People with post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) are at increased risk of recurrent stroke, dementia, and accelerated cognitive decline. Objective: To examine the feasibility, safety, acceptability, and suitability of a virtually-delivered vascular risk reduction intervention that integrates tailored cognitive strategy training for people with executive function (EF) impairments post-stroke. Methods: This case series included eight participants who completed up to ten virtual sessions focused on vascular risk reduction and metacognitive strategy training. Sessions averaged 40 min over a 4–5-week period. Results: The intervention was found to be feasible, safe, and acceptable. The recruitment rate was 66.7%, and the retention rate was 87.5% (7 of 8 completed the training). No serious adverse events were reported. Most participants demonstrated improvements on the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), with mean performance and satisfaction change scores of 1.22 ± 0.87 and 1.18 ± 0.83, respectively. Conclusions: This technology-enabled intervention was feasible and acceptable for individuals with post-stroke EF impairments. Virtual delivery was a key factor in its accessibility and success. The results are promising for improving self-management of vascular risk factors, warranting further study in larger trials.

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