Minor Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack: Research and Practice

Intensity-dependence of auditory-evoked potentials might present an early surrogate marker for post-stroke depression

OBJECTIVE

Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a common stroke complication, associated with severe physical and cognitive impairment. Low central serotonergic tone, associated with depression, inversely correlates with the intensity-dependence of auditory-evoked potentials (IDAP). Aim of this study was to investigate IDAP's usability as early surrogate marker for PSD development by assessing the correlation between IDAP early after stroke and the occurrence of PSD from 4 weeks after stroke.

METHODS

We assessed auditory-evoked potentials (AEP) and depressive symptoms using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) at day 1 - 3 and > 30 after stroke onset. IDAP was calculated as the linear slope of the N1-P2 amplitude/stimulus intensity function (ASF).

RESULTS

37 patients completed the study. We diagnosed 7 patients with PSD, defined as MADRS-score≥ 7 at follow-up. The PSD group showed significantly steeper ASF slopes at admission compared with the non-depressed group (p = 0.007). We also found a positive correlation between ASF slopes on first and MADRS-scores on last measurement point for all stroke patients as a group (p = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

The study findings support the hypothesis that IDAP can predict the development of depressive symptoms following stroke and may therefore serve as an early surrogate marker for PSD.

SIGNIFICANCE

This is the first longitudinal study to assess the relationship between IDAP and PSD.

Delirium screening in a stroke unit by nurses using 4AT: Results from a quality improvement project

AIM

To assess the feasibility of delirium screening with the screening tool 4AT conducted by stroke unit nurses.

DESIGN

Observational.

METHODS

Patients with confirmed acute stroke admitted to the stroke unit at Baerum Hospital, Norway, from March to October 2020, were consecutively recruited. Nurses performed delirium screening using the rapid screening tool 4AT within 24 h of admission, at discharge and when delirium was suspected, and filled out a questionnaire assessing their experiences with the delirium screening. A geriatrician validated the delirium diagnosis.

RESULTS

In all, 62 patients were included, mean age 73.3 years. 4AT was performed according to protocol in 49 (79.0%) and 39 (62.9%) patients at admission and discharge respectively. Lack of time (40%) was reported as the most common reason for not performing delirium screening. The nurses reported that the felt competent to carry out the 4AT screening, and did not experience it as significant extra workload. Five patients (8%) were diagnosed with delirium. Delirium screening performed by stroke unit nurses seemed feasible and the nurses experienced that 4AT was a useful tool for this purpose.

Lasting impairments following transient ischemic attack and minor stroke: a systematic review protocol

Introduction

The focus on medical management and secondary prevention following Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) and minor stroke is well-established. Evidence is emerging that people with TIA and minor stroke can experience lasting impairments as fatigue, depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment, and communication difficulties. These impairments are often underrecognized and inconsistently treated. Research in this area is developing rapidly and an updated systematic review is required to evaluate new evidence as it emerges. This living systematic review aims to describe the prevalence of lasting impairments and how they affect the lives of people with TIA and minor stroke. Furthermore, we will explore whether there are differences in impairments experienced by people with TIA compared to minor stroke.

Methods

Systematic searches of PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Libraries will be undertaken. The protocol will follow the Cochrane living systematic review guideline with an update annually. A team of interdisciplinary reviewers will independently screen search results, identify relevant studies based on the defined criteria, conduct quality assessments, and extract data. This systematic review will include quantitative studies on people with TIA and/or minor stroke that report on outcomes in relation to fatigue, cognitive and communication impairments, depression, anxiety, quality of life, return to work/education, or social participation. Where possible, findings will be grouped for TIA and minor stroke and collated according to the time that follow-up occurred (short-term < 3 months, medium-term 3-12 months, and long-term > 12 months). Sub-group analysis on TIA and minor stroke will be performed based on results from the included studies. Data from individual studies will be pooled to perform meta-analysis where possible. Reporting will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocol (PRISMA-P) guideline.

Perspectives

This living systematic review will collate the latest knowledge on lasting impairments and how these affect the lives of people with TIA and minor stroke. It will seek to guide and support future research on impairments emphasizing distinctions between TIA and minor stroke. Finally, this evidence will allow healthcare professionals to improve follow-up care for people with TIA and minor stroke by supporting them to identify and address lasting impairments.

Outcomes in Patients with Minor Stroke: Diagnosis and Management in the Post-thrombectomy Era

In the era of mechanical thrombectomy and better preventative strategies, a higher number of patients are being discharged home from the hospital with the so-called minor strokes. This has significantly changed the landscape of stroke recovery. Unfortunately, while symptoms may be categorized as mild compared to individuals with higher NIH Stroke Scale scores, the physical, cognitive, and emotional sequelae can be disabling and result in failure to return to work and poor quality of life in a population with significant potential to recover fully. In this review, we discuss the current state of minor stroke, the most common pattern of resulting deficits, what is known about the underlying pathophysiology that leads to a relatively global pattern of impaired cognition following an infarct in any location, and special considerations for treatment based on this population's unique needs. Raising awareness of the current morbidity associated with minor stroke, the need for a uniform definition that allows for comparisons of individuals across studies, and further research focused on this population to optimize outcomes, has the potential to significantly improve recovery.

Rural versus metropolitan comparison of processes of care in the community‐based management of TIA and minor stroke in Australia (an analysis from the INSIST study)

OBJECTIVES

To compare processes of care and clinical outcomes of community-based management of TIAs and minor strokes (TIAMS) between rural and metropolitan Australia.

DESIGN

Inception cohort study between 2012 and 2016 with 12-month follow-up after index event (sub-study of INSIST).

SETTING

Hunter and Manning valley regions of New South Wales, within the referral territory of the John Hunter Hospital Acute Neurovascular Clinic (JHHANC).

PARTICIPANTS

Consecutive patients of 16 participating general practices, presenting with possible TIAMS to either primary or secondary care.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Processes of care (referrals, key management processes, time-based metrics) and clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

Of 613 participants with possible TIAMS who completed the baseline interview, 298 were adjudicated as having TIAMS (119 from rural, 179 from metropolitan). Mean age was 72.3 years (SD, 10.7) and 127 (43%) were women. Rural participants were more likely to be managed solely by a general practitioner (GP) than metropolitan participants (34% v 20%) and less likely to be referred to a JHHANC specialist (13% v 38%) or have brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [24% v 51%]. Those rural participants who were referred, also waited longer (both p < 0.001). Recurrent stroke, myocardial infarction and death at 12 months were not significantly different between rural and metropolitan participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Although TIAMS prognosis in rural settings where solely GP care is common is very good, the processes of care in such areas are inferior to metropolitan. This suggests there is further scope to support rural GPs to optimise care of TIAMS patients.

Vascular Cognitive Impairment After Mild Stroke: Connectomic Insights, Neuroimaging, and Knowledge Translation

Contemporary stroke assessment protocols have a limited ability to detect vascular cognitive impairment (VCI), especially among those with subtle deficits. This lesser-involved categorization, termed mild stroke (MiS), can manifest compromised processing speed that negatively impacts cognition. From a neurorehabilitation perspective, research spanning neuroimaging, neuroinformatics, and cognitive neuroscience supports that processing speed is a valuable proxy for complex neurocognitive operations, insofar as inefficient neural network computation significantly affects daily task performance. This impact is particularly evident when high cognitive loads compromise network efficiency by challenging task speed, complexity, and duration. Screening for VCI using processing speed metrics can be more sensitive and specific. Further, they can inform rehabilitation approaches that enhance patient recovery, clarify the construct of MiS, support clinician-researcher symbiosis, and further clarify the occupational therapy role in targeting functional cognition. To this end, we review relationships between insult-derived connectome alterations and VCI, and discuss novel clinical approaches for identifying disruptions of neural networks and white matter connectivity. Furthermore, we will frame knowledge translation efforts to leverage insights from cutting-edge structural and functional connectomics research. Lastly, we highlight how occupational therapists can provide expertise as knowledge brokers acting within their established scope of practice to drive substantive clinical innovation.

P2Y12 inhibitors plus aspirin for acute treatment and secondary prevention in minor stroke and high-risk transient ischemic attack: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Aspirin is a cornerstone of preventive treatment for stroke recurrence, but during the last few years the role of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is much more emerging.

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review aimed to compare early use of P2Y12 inhibitors (clopidogrel/ticagrelor) plus aspirin to aspirin alone for acute treatment and secondary prevention in acute non-cardioembolic minor ischemic stroke or TIA.

METHODS

A systematic search on MEDLINE and EMBASE was performed. Treatment effects were estimated with RRs and 95% CI. We used RevMan 5.4 for data analyses. We assessed methodological quality of selected studies according to Rob2 tools and quality of evidence with GRADE approach.

RESULTS

Four RCTs were included, enrolling 21,459 patients. Compared to aspirin alone, DAPT was superior in reducing stroke recurrence (RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.67-0.82, P <0.00001, absolute risk difference by 2%, NNT 50) and disabling stroke defined as mRS>2 (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.75-0.95, P = 0.004), with no impact on all causes of mortality (RR 1.30, 95% CI 0.90-1.89, P = 0.16). An increased risk of major bleeding was emerged (RR 2.54, 95% CI 1.65-3.92, P <0.0001, absolute risk difference by 0,4%, NNH 250), in particular with ticagrelor, but there was no correlation between therapy duration and bleeding risk, as appeared from one-month (RR 3.06, 95% CI 1.64 to 5.69) and three-month (RR 2.09, 95% CI 1.18 to 3.69) follow-up analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Early administration of P2Y12 inhibitors plus aspirin in patients with acute non-cardioembolic minor ischemic stroke or TIA reduced the incidence of ischemic stroke recurrence, impacting more significantly than the increased bleeding risk and influencing patients' quality of life by reducing disabling stroke.

Cognitive Status Predicts Return to Functional Independence After Minor Stroke: A Decision Tree Analysis

About two-thirds of patients with minor strokes are discharged home. However, these patients may have difficulties returning to their usual living activities. To investigate the factors associated with successful home discharge, our aim was to provide a decision tree (based on clinical data) that could identify if a patient discharged home could return to pre-stroke activities and to perform an external validation of this decision tree on an independent cohort. Two cohorts of patients with minor strokes gathered from stroke registries at the Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière and University Hospital Bern were included in this study (n = 105 for the construction cohort coming from France; n = 100 for the second cohort coming from Switzerland). The decision tree was built using the classification and regression tree (CART) analysis on the construction cohort. It was then applied to the validation cohort. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, false positive, and false-negative rates were reported for both cohorts. In the construction cohort, 60 patients (57%) returned to their usual, pre-stroke level of independence. The CART analysis produced a decision tree with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as the first decision point, followed by discharge NIHSS score or age, and then by the occupational status. The overall prediction accuracy to the favorable outcome was 80% in the construction cohort and reached 72% accuracy in the validation cohort. This decision tree highlighted the role of cognitive function as a crucial factor for patients to return to their usual activities after a minor stroke. The algorithm may help clinicians to tailor planning of patients' discharge.

Large Vessel Occlusion in Patients With Minor Ischemic Stroke in a Population-Based Study. The Dijon Stroke Registry

INTRODUCTION

Strategy for the acute management of minor ischemic stroke (IS) with large vessel occlusion (LVO) is under debate, especially the benefits of mechanical thrombectomy. The frequency of minor IS with LVO among overall patients is not well established. This study aimed to assess the proportion of minor IS and to depict characteristics of patients according to the presence of LVO in a comprehensive population-based setting.

METHODS

Patients with acute IS were prospectively identified among residents of Dijon, France, using a population-based registry (2013-2017). All arterial imaging exams were reviewed to assess arterial occlusion. Minor stroke was defined as that with a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of <6. Proportion of patients with LVO was estimated in the minor IS population. The clinical presentation of patients was compared according to the presence of an LVO.

RESULTS

Nine hundred seventy-one patients were registered, including 582 (59.9%) patients with a minor IS. Of these patients, 23 (4.0%) had a LVO. Patients with minor IS and LVO had more severe presentation [median 3 (IQR 2-5) vs. 2 (IQR 1-3), p = 0.001] with decreased consciousness (13.0 vs. 1.6%, p<0.001) and cortical signs (56.5 vs. 30.8%, p = 0.009), especially aphasia (34.8 vs. 15.4%, p = 0.013) and altered item level of consciousness (LOC) questions (26.1 vs. 11.6%, p = 0.037). In multivariable analyses, only NIHSS score (OR = 1.45 per point; 95% CI: 1.11-1.91, p = 0.007) was associated with proximal LVO in patients with minor IS.

CONCLUSION

Large vessel occlusion (LVO) in minor stroke is non-exceptional, and our findings highlight the need for emergency arterial imaging in any patients suspected of acute stroke, including those with minor symptoms because of the absence of obvious predictors of proximal LVO.

Safety and Efficacy of the FRED Jr Flow Re-Direction Endoluminal Device for Intracranial Aneurysms: Retrospective Multicenter Experience With Emphasis on Midterm Results

Background and Purpose: Flow diversion is increasingly used as an endovascular treatment for intracranial aneurysms. In this retrospective multicenter study, we analyzed the safety and efficacy of the treatment of intracranial, unruptured, or previously treated but recanalized aneurysms using Flow Re-Direction Endoluminal Device (FRED) Jr with emphasis on midterm results.

Materials and Methods: Clinical and radiological records of 150 patients harboring 159 aneurysms treated with FRED Jr at six centers between October 2014 and February 2020 were reviewed and consecutively included. Clinical outcome was measured by using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Anatomical results were assessed according to the O'Kelly-Marotta (OKM) scale and the Cekirge-Saatci Classification (CSC) scale.

Results: The overall complication rate was 24/159 (16%). Thrombotic-ischemic events occurred in 18/159 treatments (11%). These resulted in long-term neurological sequelae in two patients (1%) with worsening from pre-treatment mRS 0–2 and mRS 4 after treatment. Complete or near-complete occlusion of the treated aneurysm according to the OKM scale was reached in 54% (85/158) at 6-month, in 68% (90/133) at 1-year, and in 83% (77/93) at 2-year follow-up, respectively. The rates of narrowing or occlusion of a vessel branch originating from the treated aneurysm according to the CSC scale were 11% (12/108) at 6-month, 20% (17/87) at 1-year, and 23% (13/57) at 2-year follow-up, respectively, with all cases being asymptomatic.

Conclusions: In this retrospective multicenter study, FRED Jr was safe and effective in the midterm occlusion of cerebral aneurysms. Most importantly, it was associated with a high rate of good clinical outcome.

[Management of ischemic stroke in the acute phase]

Ischemic stroke accounts for 80% of overall stroke, and is one of the leading causes of death, disability and dementia in worldwide. Management of patients with acute ischemic stroke dramatically improved over time with the implementation of intensive care stroke units, the development of acute recanalization strategies, the optimization of the management of post-stroke complications, and the prevention of early stroke recurrence. The objective of this article is to provide a general overview of the current management of patients with acute ischemic stroke aiming at improving post-stroke outcome.

Estimation of stroke severity with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale grading and retinal features: A cross-sectional study

To estimate National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) grading of stroke patients with retinal characteristics.A cross-sectional study was conducted in Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. Baseline information and retinal photos were collected within 2 weeks of admission. An NIHSS score was measured for each patient by trained doctors. Patients were classified into 0 to 4 score group and 5 to 42 score group for analysis. Three multivariate logistic models, with traditional clinical characteristics alone, with retinal characteristics alone, and with both, were built.For clinical characteristics, hypertension duration is statistically significantly associated with higher NIHSS score (P = .014). Elevated total homocysteine levels had an OR of 0.456 (P = .029). For retinal characteristics, the fractal dimension of the arteriolar network had an OR of 0.245 (P < .001) for the left eyes, and an OR of 0.417 (P = .009) for right eyes. The bifurcation coefficient of the arteriole of the left eyes had an OR of 2.931 (95% CI 1.573-5.46, P = .001), the nipping of the right eyes had an OR of 0.092 (P = .003) showed statistical significance in the model.The area under receiver-operating characteristic curve increased from 0.673, based on the model with clinical characteristics alone, to 0.896 for the model with retinal characteristics alone and increased to 0.931 for the model with both clinical and retinal characteristics combined.Retinal characteristics provided more information than clinical characteristics in estimating NIHSS grading and can provide us with an objective method for stroke severity estimation.

Characterization and Functional Assessment of Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Ischemic Stroke Patients

Endothelial dysfunction has been implicated in atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, and stroke. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), found in the bone marrow and peripheral blood as rare cell population, demonstrated a high proliferation and differentiation capacity. Understanding how such diseases influence the quantity and functionality of EPCs is essential for the development of novel therapies. This study aims to investigate the factors that affect the quantity and functionality of circulating EPCs in stroke patients and healthy controls. Blood samples were collected once from healthy donors (n = 30) and up to 3 times (within 7 days (baseline), 3 and 12 months post-stroke) from stroke patients (n = 207). EPC subpopulations were isolated with flow cytometry for characterization. The Matrigel tubular formation assay was performed as a measure of functionality. An increased amount of circulating EPCs was observed in stroke patients over 45 years when compared to age-matched healthy individuals. EPCs showed a rising trend in stroke patients over the 12-month post-stroke period, reaching statistical significance at 12 months post-stroke. Isolated CD34+KDR+ cells from stroke patients showed impairment in tubular formation capability when compared to cells from healthy donors. The quantity and vasculogenic function of circulating EPCs in peripheral blood have been effectively evaluated in stroke patients and healthy control donors in this study. Age and stroke are found to be 2 influencing factors on the angiogenic capacity. It is suggested that the increase in EPC number is triggered by the recovery response following ischemic stroke. Graphical abstract.

Defining Minor Intracerebral Hemorrhage

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The minor stroke concept has not been analyzed in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients. Our purpose was to determine the optimal cut point on the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) for defining a minor ICH (mICH) in patients with primary ICH.

METHODS

An ICH was considered minor if associated with a favorable 3-month outcome (modified Rankin Scale score ≤2). For supratentorial ICH, the discovery cohort consisted of 478 patients prospectively admitted at University Hospital del Mar. Association between NIHSS at admission and 3-month outcome was evaluated with area under the curve-receiver operating characteristics (AUC-ROC) and Youden's index to identify the optimal NIHSS cutoff point to define mICH. External validation was performed in a cohort of 242 supratentorial ICH patients from University Hospital Sant Pau. For infratentorial location, patients from both hospitals (n = 85) were analyzed together.

RESULTS

The best -NIHSS cutoff point defining supratentorial-mICH was 6 (AUC-ROC = 0.815 [0.774-0.857] in the discovery cohort and AUC-ROC = 0.819 [0.756-0.882] in the external validation cohort). For infratentorial ICH, the best cutoff point was 4 (AUC-ROC = 0.771 [0.664-0.877]). Using these cutoff points, 40.5% of all primary ICH cases were mICH. Of these, 70.2% were living independently at 3-month follow-up (72% for supratentorial ICH and 56.1% for infratentorial ICH) and 6.5% had died (5.3% for supratentorial ICH, and 14.6% for infratentorial ICH). For patients identified as non-mICH, good 3-month outcome was observed in 11.3% of cases; mortality was 51%.

CONCLUSIONS

The definition of mICH using the NIHSS cutoff point of 6 for supratentorial ICH and 4 for infratentorial ICH is useful to identify good outcome in ICH patients.

Carotid artery stenting with Roadsaver stent. Early and four-year results from a single-center registry

INTRODUCTION

Prevention of peri- and postprocedural complications is still a challenge in carotid artery stenting (CAS).

AIM

To assess immediate and long-term safety and effectiveness of CAS using the Roadsaver double-nitinol-layer-micromesh stent.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Since 2014, 298 CAS procedures in 287 non-consecutive patients (203 men, mean age 70.5 ±8.6 years, 100% symptomatic/high risk lesions) have been performed using the Roadsaver stent and proximal (40%) or distal (60%) neuroprotection system. Clinical and neurological examinations as well as duplex ultrasound were completed before CAS, before discharge, at 1, 6 and 12 months, then annually.

RESULTS

All CAS procedures were successful. Carotid stenosis was reduced from 84.9 ±9.9% to 11.0 ±9.4% (p < 000.1). In hospital, 1 ipsilateral periprocedural major (0.3%) and 3 minor (1.34%) ischemic strokes occurred, 2 (0.7%) patients died due to a cerebral hemorrhage on day 9 and 21. Three (1.0%) additional ipsilateral minor strokes within 30 consecutive days occurred. Thus, 30-day complications were observed in 9 (3.0%) patients. Two minor strokes were associated with in-stent thrombosis (0.7%). The 4-year follow-up showed 82% overall survival (95% CI: 69-91%) with no significant difference between asymptomatic (77%) and symptomatic patients (97%; p = 0.076). The stroke-free survival was 89% (95% CI: 77-95%), 84% asymptomatic vs. 98% symptomatic (p = 0.187). Seven (2.3%) patients developed > 50% in-stent restenosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Carotid artery stenting using the Roadsaver stent for symptomatic patients and high risk lesions showed to be safe and effective, with a low complication rate and acceptable in-stent restenosis risk in 4-year follow-up.

Uncertainty as a Key Influence in the Decision To Admit Patients with Transient Ischemic Attack

BACKGROUND

Patients with transient ischemic attacks (TIA) are at high risk of subsequent vascular events. Hospitalization improves quality of care, yet admission rates for TIA patients vary considerably.

OBJECTIVES

We sought to identify factors associated with the decision to admit patents with TIA.

DESIGN

We conducted a secondary analysis of a prior study's data including semi-structured interviews, administrative data, and chart review.

PARTICIPANTS

We interviewed multidisciplinary clinical staff involved with TIA care. Administrative data included information for TIA patients in emergency departments or inpatient settings at VA medical centers (VAMCs) for fiscal years (FY) 2011 and 2014. Chart reviews were conducted on a subset of patients from 12 VAMCs in FY 2011.

APPROACH

For the qualitative data, we focused on interviewees' responses to the prompt: "Tell me what influences you in the decision to or not to admit TIA patients." We used administrative data to identify admission rates and chart review data to identify ABCD² scores (a tool to classify stroke risk after TIA).

KEY RESULTS

Providers' decisions to admit TIA patients were related to uncertainty in several domains: lack of a facility TIA-specific policy, inconsistent use of ABCD² score, and concerns about facilities' ability to complete a timely workup. There was a disconnect between staff perceptions about TIA admission and facility admission rates. According to chart review data, staff at facilities with higher admission rates in FY 2011 reported consistent reliance on ABCD² scores and related guidelines in admission decision-making.

CONCLUSIONS

Many factors contributed to decisions regarding admitting a patient with TIA; however, clinicians' uncertainty appeared to be a key driver. Further quality improvement interventions for TIA care should focus on facility adoption of TIA protocols to address uncertainty in TIA admission decision-making and to standardize timely evaluation of TIA patients and delivery of secondary prevention strategies.

The Prognostic Value of Serum Cytokines in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

The inflammatory response is an unavoidable process and contributes to the destruction of cerebral tissue during the acute ischemic stroke (AIS) phase and has not been addressed fully to date. Insightful understanding of correlation of inflammatory mediators and stroke outcome may provide new biomarkers or therapeutic approaches for ischemic stroke. Here, we prospectively recruited 180 first-ever AIS patients within 72 hrs after stroke onset. We used the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) to quantify stroke severity and modified Rankin scale (mRS) to assess the 3-month outcome for AIS patients. Initially, we screened 35 cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors in sera from 75 AIS patients and control subjects. Cytokines that were of interest were further investigated in the 180 AIS patients and 14 heathy controls. We found that IL-1RA, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-9, IL-10, IL-13, IL-15, EGF, G-CSF, Flt-3L, GM-CSF and Fractalkine levels were significantly decreased in severe stroke patients. In particular, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-7, IL-9, IL-10, IL-15, G-CSF and GM-CSF were significantly reduced in AIS patients with poor outcome, compared to those with good prognosis. IL-6 was notably higher in the poor outcome group. Only IL-9 level decreased in the large infarct volume group. After adjusting for confounders, we found that IL-5 was an independent protective factor for prognosis in AIS patients with an adjusted OR of 0.042 (P = 0.007), whereas IL-6 was an independent risk predictor for AIS patients with an adjusted OR of 1.293 (P = 0.003). Our study suggests the levels of serum cytokines are related to stroke severity, short-term prognosis and cerebral infarct volume in AIS patients.

Cognitive and Emotional Impairment after Minor Stroke and Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI): A Prevalence Study

Aim

To study the prevalence of cognitive and emotional impairment following a minor ischemic stroke compared to an age-matched group with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).

Methods

We included patients aged 18-70 years with a minor ischemic stroke defined as modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0-2 at day 7 or at discharge if before and age-matched NSTEMI patients with the same functional mRS. We applied a selection of cognitive tests and the patients completed a questionnaire comprising of Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) at follow-up 12 months after the vascular event. Results of cognitive tests were also compared to normative data.

Results

325 ischemic stroke and 144 NSTEMI patients were included. There was no significant difference in cognitive functioning between ischemic stroke and NSTEMI patients. Minor stroke patients and to a lesser extent NSTEMI patients scored worse on more complex cognitive functions including planning and implementation of activities compared to validated normative data. For the minor stroke patients the location of the ischemic lesion had no influence on the result. The prevalence of anxiety, depression, and fatigue was significantly higher in the stroke group compared to the NSTEMI group. Depression was independently associated with reduced cognitive function.

Discussion and Conclusion

Minor ischemic stroke patients, and to lesser degree NSTEMI patients, had reduced cognitive function compared to normative data, especially executive functioning, on 12-month follow-up. The difference in cognitive function between stroke and NSTEMI patients was not significant. Depression was associated with low scores on cognitive tests highlighting the need to adequately address emotional sequelae when considering treatment options for cognitive disabilities.

Antiplatelet therapy after stroke: should it differ in the acute and chronic phase after stroke

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Reviewing existing evidence regarding well tolerated and effective antiplatelet treatment in patients with acute or chronic, noncardioembolic ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA).

RECENT FINDINGS

For patients with high-risk stroke or TIA, for instance, minor stroke or high-risk TIA, or stroke of atherosclerotic origin with evidence suggesting risk of artery-to-artery embolism or with high-grade, symptomatic arterial stenosis, early initiated, short-term dual antiplatelet (e.g. aspirin and clopidogrel) is effective in reducing the risk of recurrent stroke and other vascular events which does not increase the risk of severe or fatal bleeding, as compared with mono antiplatelet therapy. However, long-term application of aggressive antiplatelet therapies after a noncardioembolic stroke or TIA increases the bleeding risks. Triple antiplatelet therapy is not appropriate for noncardioembolic stroke or TIA, in view of the high bleeding risk. In addition, emerging antiplatelets such as ticagrelor and cilostazol may work better in certain subgroups of stroke patients, which warrants further investigation.

SUMMARY

Antiplatelet therapies should differ in the acute and chronic phases among patients with high-risk stroke or TIA when more aggressive antiplatelet treatment is reasonable in the acute phase, but no solid evidence supports different antiplatelet strategies in acute and chronic phases in patients with low-risk noncardioembolic stroke.