Blood-based biomarkers and neuroimaging for early detection of post-stroke cognitive impairment: current evidence and synergistic prospects.

Post stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) is a series of common complications caused by stroke, ranging from mild cognitive impairment to dementia, which seriously affects the recovery and living quality of patients. Currently, the diagnosis of PSCI in the clinic mostly relies on subjective scale assessment, the untimeliness and imprecision of results greatly limit the efficient identification as well as the subsequent diagnosis and treatment of PSCI. With the increasing popularity and optimization of bioassay techniques and equipment, more and more studies have identified potential early warning markers of stroke patients with the development of their cognitive deficits through hematological testing or imaging. Therefore, the application of blood-based biomarkers and imaging techniques is important for the early identification of PSCI. This review focuses on the research progress of the above two testing modalities in PSCI to discuss their vital meanings for disease recognition. It also suggests that the combined application of the two is expected to improve the potential value of early and accurate diagnosis, with a view to providing new ideas for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of PSCI.