Frequency and predictors of poststroke epilepsy after mechanical thrombectomy for large vessel occlusion stroke: results from a multicenter cohort study

BACKGROUND

Poststroke epilepsy (PSE) represents an important complication of stroke. Data regarding the frequency and predictors of PSE in patients with large-vessel occlusion stroke receiving mechanical thrombectomy (MT) are scarce. Furthermore, information on acute and preexisting lesion characteristics on brain MRI has not yet been systematically considered in risk prediction of PSE. This study thus aims to assess PSE risk after acute ischemic stroke treated with MT, based on clinical and MRI features.

METHODS

In this multicenter study from two tertiary stroke centers, we included consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients who had received MT for acute intracranial large vessel occlusion (LVO) between 2011 and 2017, in whom post-interventional brain MRI and long term-follow-up data were available. Infarct size, affected cerebrovascular territory, hemorrhagic complications and chronic cerebrovascular disease features were assessed on MRI (blinded to clinical information). The primary outcome was the occurrence of PSE (> 7 days after stroke onset) assessed by systematic follow-up via phone interview or electronic records.

RESULTS

Our final study cohort comprised 348 thrombectomy patients (median age: 67 years, 45% women) with a median long-term follow-up of 78 months (range 0-125). 32 patients (9%) developed PSE after a median of 477 days (range 9-2577 days). In univariable analyses, larger postinterventional infarct size, infarct location in the parietal, frontal or temporal lobes and cerebral microbleeds were associated with PSE. Multivariable Cox regression analysis confirmed larger infarct size (HR 3.49; 95% CI 1.67-7.30) and presence of cerebral microbleeds (HR 2.56; 95% CI 1.18-5.56) as independent predictors of PSE.

CONCLUSION

In our study, patients with large vessel occlusion stroke receiving MT had a 9% prevalence of PSE over a median follow-up period of 6.5 years. Besides larger infarct size, presence of cerebral microbleeds on brain MRI predicted PSE occurrence.

The diagnostic value of ictal SPECT-A retrospective, semiquantitative monocenter study

OBJECTIVE

Ictal single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) can be used as an advanced diagnostic modality to detect the seizure onset zone in the presurgical evaluation of people with epilepsy. In addition to visual assessment (VSA) of ictal and interictal SPECT images, postprocessing methods such as ictal-interictal SPECT analysis using SPM (ISAS) can visualize regional ictal blood flow differences. We aimed to evaluate and differentiate the diagnostic value of VSA and ISAS in the Bonn cohort.

METHODS

We included 161 people with epilepsy who underwent presurgical evaluation at the University Hospital Bonn between 2008 and 2020 and received ictal and interictal SPECT and ISAS. We retrospectively assigned SPECT findings to one of five categories according to their degree of concordance with the clinical focus hypothesis.

RESULTS

Seizure onset zones could be identified more likely on a sublobar concordance level by ISAS than by VSA (31% vs. 19% of cases; OR = 1.88; 95% Cl [1.04, 3.42]; P = 0.03). Both VSA and ISAS more often localized a temporal seizure onset zone than an extratemporal one. Neither VSA nor ISAS findings were predicted by the latency between seizure onset and tracer injection (P = 0.75). In people who underwent successful epilepsy surgery, VSA and ISAS indicated the correct resection site in 54% of individuals, while MRI and EEG showed the correct resection localization in 96% and 33% of individuals, respectively. It was more likely to become seizure-free after epilepsy surgery if ISAS or VSA had been successful. There was no MR-negative case with successful surgery, indicating that ictal SPECT is more useful for confirmation than for localization.

SIGNIFICANCE

The results of the most extensive clinical study of ictal SPECT to date allow an assessment of the diagnostic value of this elaborate examination and emphasize the importance of postprocessing routines.

Early Postoperative Treatment versus Initial Observation in CNS WHO Grade 2 and 3 Oligodendroglioma: Clinical Outcomes and DNA Methylation Patterns

PURPOSE

The treatment of oligodendroglioma consists of tumor resection and radiochemotherapy. The timing of radiochemotherapy remains unclear, and predictive biomarkers are limited.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Adult patients diagnosed with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutated, 1p/19q-codeleted CNS WHO grade 2 and 3 oligodendroglioma at the Medical University of Vienna and the Kepler University Hospital Linz (Austria) in 1992 to 2019 were included. Progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) between early postoperative treatment and initial observation were compared using propensity score-weighted Cox regression models. DNA methylation analysis of tumor tissue was performed using Illumina MethylationEPIC 850k microarrays.

RESULTS

One hundred thirty-one out of 201 (65.2%) patients with CNS WHO grade 2 and 70 of 201 (34.8%) with grade 3 oligodendroglioma were identified. Eighty-three of 201 (41.3%) patients underwent early postoperative treatment, of whom 56 of 83 (67.5%) received radiochemotherapy, 15 of 84 (18.1%) radiotherapy (RT) only and 12 of 83 (14.5%) chemotherapy only. Temozolomide-based treatment was administered to 64 of 68 (94.1%) patients, whereas RT + procarbazine, lomustine (CCNU), and vincristine (PCV) were applied in 2 of 69 (3.5%) patients. Early treatment was not associated with PFS [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.74; 95% CI, 0.33-1.65, P = 0.459] or OS (adjusted HR: 2.07; 95% CI, 0.52-8.21, P = 0.302) improvement. Unsupervised clustering analysis of DNA methylation profiles from patients receiving early treatment revealed two methylation clusters correlating with PFS, whereas no association of clustering with O6-methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation, CNS WHO grade, extent of resection, and treating center could be observed.

CONCLUSIONS

In this retrospective study, early postoperative treatment was not associated with improved PFS/OS in oligodendroglioma. The potentially predictive value of whole-genome methylation profiling should be validated in prospective trials.

Short- and long-term outcome and predictors in an international cohort of patients with neuro COVID-19

Background and purpose

Despite the increasing number of reports on the spectrum of neurological manifestations of COVID‐19 (neuro‐COVID), few studies have assessed short‐ and long‐term outcome of the disease.

Methods

This is a cohort study enrolling adult patients with neuro‐COVID seen in neurological consultation. Data were collected prospectively or retrospectively in the European Academy of Neurology NEuro‐covid ReGistrY ((ENERGY). The outcome at discharge was measured using the modified Rankin Scale and defined as ‘stable/improved’ if the modified Rankin Scale score was equal to or lower than the pre‐morbid score, ‘worse’ if the score was higher than the pre‐morbid score. Status at 6 months was also recorded. Demographic and clinical variables were assessed as predictors of outcome at discharge and 6 months.

Results

From July 2020 to March 2021, 971 patients from 19 countries were included. 810 (83.4%) were hospitalized. 432 (53.3%) were discharged with worse functional status. Older age, stupor/coma, stroke and intensive care unit (ICU) admission were predictors of worse outcome at discharge. 132 (16.3%) died in hospital. Older age, cancer, cardiovascular complications, refractory shock, stupor/coma and ICU admission were associated with death. 262 were followed for 6 months. Acute stroke or ataxia, ICU admission and degree of functional impairment at discharge were predictors of worse outcome. 65/221 hospitalized patients (29.4%) and 10/32 non‐hospitalized patients (24.4%) experienced persisting neurological symptoms/signs. 10/262 patients (3.8%) developed new neurological complaints during the 6 months of follow‐up.

Conclusions

Neuro‐COVID is a severe disease associated with worse functional status at discharge, particularly in older subjects and those with comorbidities and acute complications of infection.

Erster epileptischer Anfall und Epilepsien im Erwachsenenalter

Hintergrund Das Manuskript ist eine aktualisierte und stark erweiterte Version der 2012 entstandenen DGN-Leitlinie zum ersten epileptischen Anfall und Epilepsien im Erwachsenenalter. Ziel der Leitlinie ist es, den gegenwärtigen Stand des Wissens zur Diagnostik und Therapie anhand der zur Verfügung stehenden wissenschaftlichen Literatur zusammenzufassen und damit zur Verbesserung der diagnostischen und therapeutischen Abläufe und deren Vereinheitlichung beizutragen.

Die Leitlinie behandelt ausschließlich Epilepsien im Erwachsenenalter, Epilepsien bei Kindern werden nicht berücksichtigt. Ebenso werden der Status epilepticus sowie Anfälle infolge von immunvermittelten Erkrankungen des Gehirns nicht behandelt, da hierzu eigene Leitlinien vorliegen.

Methodik Das Leitliniengremium wurde durch Experten der Neurologie gebildet, die eine besondere Expertise auf dem Gebiet der Epilepsie besitzen und sowohl aus dem klinischen als auch aus dem niedergelassenen Bereich kommen. Neben der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurologie (DGN) sind auch die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e. V. (DGNC), die Österreichische Sektion der Internationalen Liga gegen Epilepsie, die Schweizerische Liga gegen Epilepsie sowie die Luxemburgische Gesellschaft für Neurologie beteiligt. Es wurde darauf geachtet, auch Mitglieder der jüngeren Generation in das Redaktionskomitee aufzunehmen.

Die seit der letzten Ausgabe der Leitlinie 2012 neu erschienene Literatur wurde gesichtet und in die aktuelle Fassung eingearbeitet. Die Methodik der Leitlinienentwicklung entsprach einem nominalen Gruppenprozess und einem modifizierten Delphi-Verfahren (Vorlage zuvor produzierter Texte oder Tabellen, mehrstufige schriftliche Befragungsmethode, Rückkopplungsprozess, Information der Teilnehmer über die Gruppenantwort, Diskussion aller Kommentare mit ggf. daraus resultierender Überarbeitung des Entwurfes, Gruppenmitglieder haben die Möglichkeit einer Überprüfung bzw. eines Vergleichs ihrer Aussagen). Der Konsensprozess entsprach den Regeln der AWMF und der DGN zum Umgang mit potenziellen Interessenkonflikten.

Ergebnis Wichtigste Neuerung ist eine erneuerte Definition der Epilepsie, ein wesentlich neuer Aspekt dieser Definition ist die Frage, ob eine Epilepsie „überwunden“ werden kann. Auch zur Klassifikation von Anfällen und Epilepsien ist eine neue Version erschienen, die im Wesentlichen wieder der Version von 1989 entspricht.

Als wichtigste therapeutische Neuerung hat sich seit der letzten Fassung der Leitlinie von 2012 das Spektrum der Antiepileptika deutlich erweitert, neue Medikamente sind zugelassen worden (Perampanel, Brivaracetam) oder haben ihre Zulassung erweitert (Zonisamid, Lacosamid, Eslicarbazepinacetat). Der Einsatz von Valproinsäure bei Frauen und Mädchen wird zunehmend kritisch gesehen, in der Leitlinie wird ausführlich auf diese Problematik und die Behandlung von Frauen mit Epilepsie eingegangen. Neben der medikamentösen Therapie werden operative Therapien und Stimulationsverfahren behandelt.

Psychosoziale Aspekte sowie die Bereiche Fahrtauglichkeit, Ausbildung und Beruf sowie die Problematik des Absetzens von Medikamenten bei langjähriger Anfallsfreiheit werden umfangreicher als bisher diskutiert, auch wurden Abschnitte zur Mortalität, zu Erste-Hilfe-Maßnahmen und zu akuten symptomatischen Anfällen (ASA) neu in die Leitlinie aufgenommen.

Ein eigenes Kapitel zur Pharmakokinetik befasst sich mit dem Interaktionspotenzial von Antiepileptika mit anderen Medikamenten sowie dem möglichen Einfluss auf Vitamin- und Hormonspiegel. Insbesondere Therapien maligner Erkrankungen können durch Interaktionen kritisch beeinflusst werden.