Post-stroke cognitive impairment ( PSCI) is a common complication after stroke, which significantly affects quality of life. However, the pathogenesis has not been fully explained. Increasing evidence has shown that the mechanism of programmed cell death (PCD) is related to PSCI, including apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, PANoptosis, parthanatos, and ferroptosis. Therefore, it is crucial to clearly understand the various mechanisms of PCD and their relationship with PSCI, and to elucidate the role of PCD in PSCI pathogenesis. The article reviews six PCD pathways related to PSCI, summarizes their mechanisms of action in PSCI, and elucidates the possible crosstalk among pathways to provide a basis for clinical targeting of regulatory factors in the PCD pathway for PSCI treatment.