The responses of older adults who are asked whether they had a stroke frequently do not agree with diagnoses obtained by magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, according to research by Columbia University Medical Center, New York, to be published in the July issue of Archives of Neurology. “Stroke is associated with motor impairment but can also be accompanied by impairments in memory, sensation, and speech or language, diminishing the ability of an individual to accurately report a history of stroke,” the study concluded.

Of 717 Medicare recipients 65 years and older studied, 85 individuals (11.9%) reported a history of stroke, but MRI evidence showed 225 participants (31.4%) had a history of stroke. “Lower-functioning memory, cognitive or language ability or presence of hypertension or myocardial infarction were associated with an increased frequency of false-negative reports,” the authors wrote.