EAN 2021 | Covert brain infarction: a silent pandemic

Thomas Meinel, MD, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland, discusses the importance of assessing and defining covert brain infarctions (CBI). Their prevalence increases considerably with aging, and reports show that CBI are 4 to 5 times more frequent than manifest stroke, which is already a very frequent disease. CBI can significantly impact cognition, mobility, and frailty; however, its assessment, diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are not precise. Therefore, Dr Meinel considers them a neglected pandemic and believes they present an enormous opportunity to prevent stroke, disability, and dementia. This interview took place during the European Academy of Neurology 2021 congress. For more information on covert brain infarction, read the blog article: Blogging Stroke – #StrokeMonth: Covert Infarction — A Silent Stroke Pandemic by Dr Meinel.