High plasma thrombomodulin level is associated with a decreased risk of cognitive impairment after ischemic stroke

Thrombomodulin, a thrombin receptor with anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective properties, has been suggested to play a pivotal role in ischemic stroke. However, the association of plasma thrombomodulin with post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) remains unclear. We aimed to prospectively investigate the associations of plasma thrombomodulin with PSCI among ischemic stroke patients in a multicenter cohort study. We measured plasma thrombomodulin levels at baseline among 615 ischemic stroke patients from a preplanned ancillary study of the CATIS (China Antihypertensive Trial in Acute Ischemic Stroke). We used Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to evaluate cognitive function at 3-month follow-up after ischemic stroke, and PSCI was defined as MoCA score