Cognitive Effects of a Stroke

Some strokes cause changes in cognition or thinking skills. In most situations, these changes happen when the stroke occurs in the right hemisphere of the brain. These strokes can result in changes to individual's attention, memory, problem solving, organization, reasoning and social communication skills. In some cases, individuals with these types of problems may not be fully aware of their difficulties. This is often called reduced insight. Below are some of the cognitive-communication effects of a stroke.

Reduced Attention Span

Following a stroke, some survivors may have trouble with their attention span. When their attention span is reduced, these survivors may be unable to attend to a specific task for more than a few minutes, at a time. Another effect of a reduced attention span is that survivors may have trouble dividing their attention between more than one task (such as reading the mail while listening to the news), or going back and forth between two or more different activities.

Short-Term Memory Loss

Frequently, stroke survivors' long-term memory remains unchanged. However, they can experience difficulty with short-term memory (also called recent memory). In these situations, survivors may have trouble remembering instructions, conversations, and recent events. They may also have trouble remembering upcoming events such as doctor's appointments.

Reduced Problem Solving Skills

Difficulties with problem-solving skills can mean that a stroke survivor has trouble recognizing and solving common everyday problems, such as a car that will not start or a pot that is boiling over on the stove. Individuals with reduced problem-solving skills often require supervision at home in order to avoid accidents or injury. Stroke survivors with impaired problem-solving skills may also have difficulty with math and maintaining their personal finances.

Difficulty with Social Communication

Some survivors of right hemisphere strokes also have difficulty with social communication. This means that they may say inappropriate things to family, friends, or strangers. They may also have trouble understanding jokes and humor.

Treatment for Cognitive-Communication Disorders

Cognitive changes from a stroke may range from minor to severe. Speech-language pathologists are trained to work with stroke survivors on these cognitive-communication difficulties. During speech therapy, stroke survivors may complete exercises to improve their cognitive skills as well as learn strategies to compensate for these difficulties. While some stroke survivors' speech may not have been affected, they may still benefit from speech therapy to address cognitive changes.