Effect of Formal Education on Vascular Cognitive Impairment after Stroke: A Meta-analysis and Study in Young-Stroke Patients.

Objectives: The extent of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) after stroke varies greatly across individuals, even when the same amount of brain damage is present. Education level is a potentially protective factor explaining these differences, but results on its effects on VCI are inconclusive.

Methods: First, we performed a meta-analysis on formal education and VCI, identifying 21 studies (N=7770).