Objective To investigate the impact of stenting at the origin of vertebral artery (VAO) on cognitive function in patients with first-onset temporal or thalamic infarction.

Methods A total of 65 patients with first-onset temporal or thalamic infarction were selected as research subjects, and were diagnosed with new-onset infarction in the medial temporal lobe or thalamus by craniocerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and severe stenosis of VAO as the responsible vessel for infarction was confirmed by head and neck computed tomography angiography (CTA). A total of 35 patients who received VAO stenting were included in the stenting group, and 30 patients who received drug-based conservative treatment were included in the control group. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Digit Span Test (WAIS-DS), and Fuld Object Memory Evaluation Scale (FOM) scores were compared between the two groups before treatment, 14 days and 3 months after treatment.

Results Before treatment, there was no significant difference in the scores of each scale between the two groups (P>0.05). At 14 days and 3 months after treatment, the total MoCA score and the scores of visual space and executive function, delayed recall, and language dimension in the stenting group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The FOM score in the stenting group was higher than that in the control group at 3 months after treatment (P < 0.05).

Conclusion Stenting can significantly improve the cognitive function of patients with temporal lobe and thalamic infarction.