LAUSR

HighlightsC21 reduced weight loss and enhanced recovery in aged rats post‐stroke.C21 preserved non‐spatial and short‐term working memory in aged rats post‐stroke.C21 preserved reference memory and facilitated associative learning post‐stroke.C21 improved cognitive flexibility in aged rats post‐stroke.C21 prevented cortical accumulation of A&bgr;1‐42 in aged animals post‐stroke. Abstract Post stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) is an understudied, long‐term complication of stroke, impacting nearly 30–40% of all stroke survivors. No cure is available once the cognitive deterioration manifests. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the long‐term effects of C21 treatment on the development of PSCI in aged animals. Treatments with C21 or vehicle were administered orally, 24 h post‐stroke, and continued for 30 days. Outcome measures for sensorimotor and cognitive function were performed using a sequence of tests, all blindly conducted and assessed at baseline as well as at different time points post‐stroke. Our findings demonstrate that the angiotensin receptor (AT2R) agonist C21 effectively prevents the development of PSCI in aged animals.