Comparing Vascular Brain Injury and Stroke by Cranial Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Physician-Adjudication, and Self-Report: Data from the Strong Heart Study

Abstract

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Epidemiologic studies often use self-report as proxy for clinical history. However, whether self-report correctly identifies prevalence in minority populations with health disparities and poor health-care access is unknown. Furthermore, overlap of clinical vascular events with covert vascular brain injury (VBI), detected by imaging, is largely unexamined. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The Strong Heart Study recruited American Indians from 3 regions, with surveillance and adjudication of stroke events from 1989 to 2013. In 2010–2013, all 817 survivors, aged 65–95 years, underwent brain imaging, neurological history interview, and cognitive testing. VBI was defined as imaged infarct or hemorrhage. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Adjudicated stroke was prevalent in 4% of participants and separately collected, self-reported stroke in 8%. Imaging-defined VBI was detected in 51% and not associated with any stroke event in 47%. Compared with adjudication, self-report had 76% sensitivity and 95% specificity. Participants with adjudicated or self-reported stroke had the poorest performance on cognitive testing; those with imaging-only (covert) VBI had intermediate performance. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> In this community-based cohort, self-report for prior stroke had good performance metrics. A majority of participants with VBI did not have overt, clinically recognized events but did have neurological or cognitive symptoms. Data collection methodology for studies in a resource-limited setting must balance practical limitations in costs, accuracy, feasibility, and research goals.