Abstract: Objective To investigate the influence of infarction location on the executive function and self-efficacy of patients with ischemic stroke. Methods 320 patients with cerebral infarction at basal ganglia, parietal-occipital lobe, frontal lobe and other areas (80 cases respectively)and 80 healthy people were assessed with Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Clock Drawing Test (CDT), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and General Self-efficacy Scale (GSES). Results The scores of WCST, CDT and GSES were significantly worse in the patients than in the controls, especially in those with infarction at frontal lobe and basal ganglia. There was no significant difference in scores of SDS and SAS among all the subjects (P>0.05). Conclusion There are executive function and self-efficacy impairment in ischemic stroke patients, especially for those with the focus at frontal lobe and basal ganglia.

Key words: cerebral infarction, executive function, self-efficacy