Telestroke Training: Considerations for Expansion of Vascular Neurology Program Requirements.

Telemedicine for stroke (Telestroke) has been a key component to efficient, widespread acute stroke care for many years. The expansion of reimbursement through the Furthering Access to Stroke Telemedicine Act and rapid deployment of telemedicine resources during the COVID-19 public health emergency have further expanded remote care, with practitioners of varying educational backgrounds, and experience providing acute stroke care via telemedicine (Telestroke). Some Telestroke practitioners have not had fellowship-level vascular neurology training and many are without training specific to virtual modalities. While many vascular neurology fellowship programs incorporate Telestroke training into the curriculum, components of this curriculum are not consistent, extent of involvement is variable, and not all fellows receive hands-on training in remote care. Furthermore, the extent of training and evaluation of Telestroke in American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology training requirements and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education assessments for vascular neurology fellowship are not standardized. We suggest that Telestroke be formally incorporated into vascular neurology fellowship curricula and provide considerations for key components of this training and metrics for evaluation.

Early recanalization after tenecteplase versus alteplase: Experience in a large stroke network.

INTRODUCTION: Previously published data are conflicting regarding the ability of tenecteplase versus alteplase to produce early recanalization of an intracranial large vessel occlusion. We compared the performance of each thrombolytic in a stroke network. METHODS: We queried our prospectively collected code stroke registry for basilar, internal carotid, or proximal middle cerebral artery occlusion patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis from 11/17/2021-9/16/2023. The primary outcome was early recanalization, defined using angiographic or clinical criteria. Secondary and safety outcomes included 90-day functional independence and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. A multivariable regression analysis was performed to determine independent associations with the primary outcome. RESULTS: 233 patients, with mean age 66.9 (16.6) years and median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 15 (10-21), were included. One-hundred twenty-four of 233 (53.2 %) patients were treated with alteplase while 109/233 (46.8 %) were treated with tenecteplase. Endovascular thrombectomy was performed in 82 % of subjects. Early recanalization rates were similar between the groups (alteplase 22.6 %, tenecteplase 14.7 %; p = 0.14), as were rates of 90-day independent neurological function, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and mortality. Patients with an internal carotid artery occlusion or with higher presenting stroke severity were less likely to achieve early recanalization. CONCLUSIONS: Tenecteplase and alteplase have similar rates of early recanalization, 90-day functional independence, and safety outcomes in large vessel occlusion patients. Occlusion site and stroke severity predict response to thrombolysis. Future studies may investigate other factors associated with a positive response to thrombolytics as expanded treatment indications are explored.

Neurological outcomes for patients meeting radiographic criteria for DEFUSE 3 and SELECT2.

BACKGROUND: The DEFUSE 3 and SELECT2 thrombectomy trials included some patients with similar radiographic profiles, although the rates of good functional outcomes differed widely between the studies. OBJECTIVE: To report neurological outcomes for patients who meet CT and CT perfusion (CTP) inclusion criteria common to both DEFUSE 3 and SELECT2. METHODS: Retrospective study of thrombectomy patients, presenting between November 2016 and December 2023 to a large health system, with Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score ≥6, core infarction 50-69 mL, mismatch ratio ≥1.8, and mismatch volume ≥15 mL. The primary outcome was 90-day modified Rankin Scale score 0-2. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of the primary outcome. RESULTS: 85 patients, with mean age 64.6 (16.6) years and median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 18 (15-23), were included. Thirty-eight of 85 patients (44.7%) were functionally independent at 90 days. Predictors of functional independence included age (OR=0.943, 95% CI 0.908 to 0.980; P=0.003), initial glucose (OR=0.989, 95% CI 0.978 to 1.000; P=0.044), and time last known well to skin puncture (OR=0.997, 95% CI 0.994 to 1.000; P=0.028). The area under the curve for the multivariable model predicting the primary outcome was 0.82 (95% CI 0.73 to 0.92). CONCLUSION: Nearly half of patients meeting radiographic criteria common to DEFUSE 3 and SELECT2 are functionally independent at 90 days, similar to rates reported for the treated DEFUSE 3 cohort. This might be due to their moderate core volumes and large ischemic penumbra.

Interest and Satisfaction of Telemedicine Use Among Ambulatory Neurology Patients in Western North Carolina During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, care shifted from exclusively telemedicine to hybrid models with in-person, video, and telephone visits. We explored how patient satisfaction and visit preferences have changed by comparing in-person versus virtual visits (telephone and video) in an ambulatory neurology practice across three time points. Methods: Patients who completed a virtual visit in March 2020 (early-pandemic), May 2020 (mid-pandemic), and March 2021 (later-pandemic) were contacted. Patients were assessed for visit satisfaction and desire for future telemedicine. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine factors independently associated with video visit completion. Results: Four thousand seven hundred seventy-eight the number of ambulatory visits (n = 4,778) were performed (1,004 early; 1,265 mid; and 2,509 later); 1,724 patients (36%) assented to postvisit feedback; mean age 45.8 ± 24.4 years, 58% female, 79% white, and 56% with Medicare/Medicaid insurance. Patient satisfaction significantly increased (73% early, 79% mid, 81% later-pandemic, p = 0.008). Interest in telemedicine also increased for patients completing telephone visits (40% early, 50% mid, 59% later, p = 0.027) and video visits (52% early, 59% mid, 62% later, p = 0.035). Patients satisfied with telemedicine visits were younger (p < 0.001). White patients were more interested in future telemedicine (p = 0.037). Multivariable analysis showed that older patients (for each 1 year older), Black patients, and patients with Medicare/Medicaid were 2%, 45%, and 54% less likely to complete a video visit than telephone, respectively. Discussion: Patients, especially younger ones, have become more satisfied and more interested in hybrid care models during the COVID-19 pandemic. Barriers to conducting video visits persist for older, Black patients with Medicare or Medicaid insurance.

Predictors of devastating functional outcome despite successful basilar thrombectomy.

BACKGROUND: Basilar thrombosis frequently leads to poor functional outcomes, even with good endovascular reperfusion. We studied factors associated with severe disability or death in basilar thrombectomy patients achieving revascularization. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed records from a health system's code stroke registry, including successful basilar thrombectomy patients from January 2017 to May 2023 who were evaluated with pretreatment computed tomography perfusion. The primary outcome was devastating functional outcome (90-day modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score 5-6). A multivariable logistic regression model was constructed to determine independent predictors of the primary outcome. The area under the receiver operator characteristics curve (AUC) was calculated for the model distinguishing good from devastating outcome. RESULTS: Among 64 included subjects, with mean (standard deviation) age 65.6 (14.1) years and median (interquartile range) National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) 18 (5.75-24.5), the primary outcome occurred in 28 of 64 (43.8%) subjects. Presenting NIHSS (odds ratio [OR] 1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.14, p = 0.02), initial glucose (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.97-1.00, p < 0.05), and proximal occlusion site (OR 7.38, 95% CI 1.84-29.60, p < 0.01) were independently associated with 90-day mRS 5-6. The AUC for the multivariable model distinguishing outcomes was 0.81 (95% CI 0.70-0.92). CONCLUSION: We have identified presenting stroke severity, lower glucose, and proximal basilar occlusion as predictors of devastating neurological outcome in successful basilar thrombectomy patients. These factors may be used in medical decision making or for patient selection in future clinical trials.

The Charlotte Large artery occlusion Endovascular therapy Outcome Score predicts independent outcome after thrombectomy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Predicting functional outcomes after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is of interest to patients and families as they navigate hospital and post-acute care decision-making. We evaluated the prognostic ability of several scales to predict good neurological function after EVT. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed records from a health system's code stroke registry, including consecutive successful thrombectomy patients from August 2020 to February 2023 presenting with an anterior circulation large vessel occlusion who were evaluated with pre-EVT CT perfusion. Primary and secondary outcomes were 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores 0-2 and 0-1, respectively. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate the ability of each scale to predict the outcomes. Scales were compared by calculating the area under the curve (AUC). RESULTS: A total of 465 patients (mean age 68.1 [±14.9] years, median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] 16 [11-21]) met inclusion criteria. In the logistic regression, the Charlotte Large artery occlusion Endovascular therapy Outcome Score (CLEOS), Totaled Health Risks in Vascular Events, Houston Intra-Arterial Therapy-2, Pittsburgh Response to Endovascular therapy, and Stroke Prognostication using Age and NIHSS were significant in predicting the primary and secondary outcomes. CLEOS was superior to all other scales in predicting 90-day mRS 0-2 (AUC .75, 95% confidence interval [CI] .70-.80) and mRS 0-1 (AUC .74, 95% CI .69-.78). Twenty of 22 patients (90.9%) with CLEOS <315 had 90-day mRS 0-2. CONCLUSIONS: CLEOS predicts independent and excellent neurological function after anterior circulation EVT.

Predicting severe disability or death in endovascular thrombectomy with large computed tomography perfusion core infarction and limited penumbra.

BACKGROUND: Patients presenting with large core infarctions benefit from treatment with endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), with a notable 50% reduction in rates of severe disability (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] 5) at 90 days. We studied the ability of previously reported prognostic scales to predict devastating outcomes in patients with a large ischemic core and limited salvageable brain tissue. METHODS: Retrospective analysis from a health system's code stroke registry, including consecutive thrombectomy patients from November 2017 to December 2022 with an anterior circulation large vessel occlusion, computed tomography perfusion core infarct ≥ 50 ml, and mismatch volume < 15 ml or mismatch ratio < 1.8. Previously reported scales were compared using logistic regression and area under the curve (AUC) analyses to predict 90-day mRS 5-6. RESULTS: Sixty patients (mean age 62.38 ± 14.25 years, median core volume 103 ml [74.75-153]) met inclusion criteria, of whom 27 (45%) had 90-day mRS 5-6. The Charlotte Large artery occlusion endovascular therapy Outcome Score (CLEOS) (odds ratio [OR] 1.35, 95% CI [1.14-1.60], p = 0.0005), Houston Intra-Arterial Therapy-2 (OR 1.35, 95% CI [1.00-1.83], p = 0.0470), and Totaled Health Risks in Vascular Events (OR 1.53, 95% CI [1.07-2.18], p = 0.0199) predicted the primary outcome in the logistic regression analysis. CLEOS performed best in the AUC analysis (AUC 0.83, 95% CI [0.72-0.94]). CONCLUSION: CLEOS predicts devastating outcomes after EVT in patients with large core infarctions and small volumes of ischemic penumbra.

The charlotte large artery occlusion endovascular therapy outcome score compares favorably to the critical area perfusion score for prognostication before basilar thrombectomy.

INTRODUCTION: The Critical Area Perfusion Score (CAPS) predicts functional outcomes in vertebrobasilar thrombectomy patients based on computed tomography perfusion (CTP) hypoperfusion. We compared CAPS to the clinical-radiographic Charlotte Large artery occlusion Endovascular therapy Outcome Score (CLEOS). METHODS: Acute basilar thrombosis patients from January 2017-December 2021 were included in this retrospective analysis from a health system's stroke registry. Inter-rater reliability was assessed for 6 CAPS raters. A logistic regression with CAPS and CLEOS as predictors was performed to predict 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score 4-6. Area under the curve (AUC) analyses were performed to evaluate prognostic ability. RESULTS: 55 patients, mean age 65.8 (± 13.1) years and median NIHSS score 15.55-24, were included. Light's kappa among 6 raters for favorable versus unfavorable CAPS was 0.633 (95% CI 0.497-0.785). Increased CLEOS was associated with elevated odds of a poor outcome (odds ratio (OR) 1.0010, 95% CI 1.0007-1.0014, p<0.01), though CAPS was not (OR 1.0028, 95% CI 0.9420-1.0676, p=0.93). An overall favorable trend was observed for CLEOS (AUC 0.69, 95% CI 0.54-0.84) versus CAPS (AUC 0.49, 95% CI 0.34-0.64; p=0.051). Among 85.5% of patients with endovascular reperfusion, CLEOS had a statistically higher sensitivity than CAPS at identifying poor 90-day outcomes (71% versus 21%, p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: CLEOS demonstrated better predictive ability than CAPS for poor outcomes overall and in patients achieving reperfusion after basilar thrombectomy.

Telehealth Trials to Address Health Equity in Stroke Survivors.

Telehealth has seen rapid expansion into chronic care management in the past 3 years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Telehealth for acute care management has expanded access to equitable stroke care to many patients over the past two decades, but there is limited evidence for its benefit for addressing disparities in the chronic care of patients living with stroke. In this review, we discuss advantages and disadvantages of telehealth use for the outpatient management of stroke survivors. Further, we explore opportunities and potential barriers for telehealth in addressing disparities in stroke outcomes related to various social determinants of health. We discuss two ongoing large randomized trials that are utilizing telehealth and telemonitoring for management of blood pressure in diverse patient populations. Finally, we discuss strategies to address barriers to telehealth use in patients with stroke and in populations with adverse social determinants of health.

Inpatient Telemedicine for Neurology Consultation at Satellite Hospitals: Patient and Provider Perspectives.

Background and Purpose: Describe an inpatient teleneurology consultation service novel to our hospital system, and capture feedback from patients, ordering providers, and consulting neurologists. Methods: A single cohort of teleneurology consult patients was surveyed via telephone. Ordering and consulting providers completed online surveys. Quantitative survey data was reported using descriptive statistics and free-response survey data was summarized. Patient demographics and consult data were gathered via retrospective chart review. Results: Telephone survey was obtained from 25 of 53 patients receiving teleneurology consults from June 1-September 30, 2020. Patient-reported benefits included better understanding of condition (72%) and ability to remain close to home. Online surveys were completed by 11 ordering providers and by consulting neurologists on 20 telemedicine encounters. Ordering providers reported they were likely to use the service again (98.7%), agreed it added value to patient care (91%) and was valued by patients (82%), with concern for missed diagnosis (46%) and potential patient transfer (36%) without the service. In contrast, fewer consulting neurologists predicted need for transfer (5%) or missed diagnosis (10%) in the absence of teleneurology, though 20% indicated that length of stay may increase without the service. Conclusion: We confirm feasibility of an inpatient teleneurology service run by an academic medical center. Satisfaction was high among all key stakeholders, with few transfers to a tertiary care center. This service is valuable to patients, ordering providers, and potentially the hospital network, as a community based care model of neurological care, centered on the needs of the patient and hospitalist.

Telestroke Across the Continuum of Care: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic.

While use of telemedicine to guide emergent treatment of ischemic stroke is well established, the COVID-19 pandemic motivated the rapid expansion of care via telemedicine to provide consistent care while reducing patient and provider exposure and preserving personal protective equipment. Temporary changes in re-imbursement, inclusion of home office and patient home environments, and increased access to telehealth technologies by patients, health care staff and health care facilities were key to provide an environment for creative and consistent high-quality stroke care. The continuum of care via telestroke has broadened to include prehospital, inter-facility and intra-facility hospital-based services, stroke telerehabilitation, and ambulatory telestroke. However, disparities in technology access remain a challenge. Preservation of reimbursement and the reduction of regulatory burden that was initiated during the public health emergency will be necessary to maintain expanded patient access to the full complement of telestroke services. Here we outline many of these initiatives and discuss potential opportunities for optimal use of technology in stroke care through and beyond the pandemic.

Implementation of a Transitional Care Model for Stroke: Perspectives From Frontline Clinicians, Administrators, and COMPASS-TC Implementation Staff.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Stroke is a chronic, complex condition that disproportionally affects older adults. Health systems are evaluating innovative transitional care (TC) models to improve outcomes in these patients. The Comprehensive Post-Acute Stroke Services (COMPASS) Study, a large cluster-randomized pragmatic trial, tested a TC model for patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack discharged home from the hospital. The implementation of COMPASS-TC in complex real-world settings was evaluated to identify successes and challenges with integration into the clinical workflow. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted a concurrent process evaluation of COMPASS-TC implementation during the first year of the trial. Qualitative data were collected from 4 sources across 19 intervention hospitals. We analyzed transcripts from 43 conference calls with hospital clinicians, individual and group interviews with leaders and clinicians from 9 hospitals, and 2 interviews with the COMPASS-TC Director of Implementation using iterative thematic analysis. Themes were compared to the domains of the RE-AIM framework. RESULTS: Organizational, individual, and community factors related to Reach, Adoption, and Implementation were identified. Organizational readiness was an additional key factor to successful implementation, in that hospitals that were not "organizationally ready" had more difficulty addressing implementation challenges. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Multifaceted TC models are challenging to implement. Facilitators of implementation were organizational commitment and capacity, prioritizing implementation of innovative delivery models to provide comprehensive care, being able to address challenges quickly, implementing systems for tracking patients throughout the intervention, providing clinicians with autonomy and support to address challenges, and adequately resourcing the intervention. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02588664.

Pooled assessment of computed tomography interpretation by vascular neurologists in the STRokE DOC telestroke network.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The objective of this pooled analysis was to determine the level of agreement between central read and each of 2 groups (spoke radiologists and hub vascular neurologists) in interpreting head computed tomography (CT) scans of stroke patients presenting to telestroke network hospitals. METHODS: The Stroke Team Remote Evaluation Using a Digital Observation Camera (STRokE DOC and STRokE DOC-AZ TIME) trials were prospective, randomized, and outcome blinded comparing telemedicine and teleradiology with telephone-only consultations. In each trial, the CT scans of the subjects were interpreted by the hub vascular neurologist in the telemedicine arm and by the spoke radiologist in the telephone arm. We obtained a central read for each CT using adjudicating committees blinded to treatment arm and outcome. The data were pooled and the results reported for the entire population. Kappa statistics and exact agreement rates were used to assess interobserver agreement for radiographic contraindication to recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA), presence of hemorrhage, tumor, hyperdense artery, acute stroke, prior stroke, and early ischemic changes. RESULTS: Among 261 analyzed cases, the agreement with central read for the presence of radiological rt-PA contraindication was excellent for hub vascular neurologist (96.2%, κ = .81, 95% CI .64-.97), spoke radiologist report (94.7%, κ = .64, 95% CI .39-.88), and overall (95.4%, κ = .74, 95% CI .59-.88). For rt-PA-treated patients (N = 65), overall agreement was 98.5%, and vascular neurologist agreement with central read was 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Both vascular neurologists and reports from spoke radiologists had excellent reliability in identifying radiologic rt-PA contraindications. These pooled findings demonstrate that telestroke evaluation of head CT scans for acute rt-PA assessments is reliable.

Does symptom onset to primary stroke center time goals affect stroke outcome?

BACKGROUND: Treating acute ischemic stroke (AIS) within 4.5 hours and door-to-needle time of less than 60 minutes may optimize recovery. It is unknown if onset to Primary Stroke Center (PSC) time goals affect outcome. The purpose of this study was to examine effects of symptom onset to PSC time goals on outcome. METHODS: Analysis included prospectively collected data from the University of California San Diego Specialized Program of Treatment Research in Acute Stroke. All AIS patients treated with intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator were included if treated within 270 minutes, and 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score was known. Primary outcome of the 90-day mRS was analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Good outcome was defined as a 90-day mRS score of 0-2. Variables assessed were time from onset to arrival, stroke code, neurologic exam, imaging, laboratories, treatment decision, and treatment (by quartiles). RESULTS: Two hundred ninety-one patients were included (49.8% female, mean age 70.6 ± 16.1, median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale 10, SD = 8.5). Good outcome occurred in 45% of patients. Significant baseline differences included HTN (P ≤ .001), A fib (P ≤ .001), prestroke mRS (P < .001), and Hispanic ethnicity (P = .011). Comparing good with poor outcome groups: mean onset to arrival was 70.6 min versus 62.5 min (P = .129) and mean onset to treatment was 140.1 min versus 134.9 min (P = .118). Controlling for prespecified covariates, no PSC time goals were significant predictors of the 90-day outcome. CONCLUSIONS: In our Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC), onset to PSC time goals were not significant predictors of the 90-day outcome. Expedited care processes in CSC may compensate for differences in outcome. These results should be validated in a larger cohort and in PSCs versus CSCs.

Stroke Prognostication using Age and NIH Stroke Scale: SPAN-100.

OBJECTIVES: Age and stroke severity are major determinants of stroke outcomes, but systematically incorporating these prognosticators in the routine practice of acute ischemic stroke can be challenging. We evaluated the effect of an index combining age and stroke severity on response to IV tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) among patients in the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) tPA stroke trials. METHODS: We created the Stroke Prognostication using Age and NIH Stroke Scale (SPAN) index by combining age in years plus NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) ≥100. We applied the SPAN-100 index to patients in the NINDS tPA stroke trials (parts I and II) to evaluate its ability to predict clinical response and risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) after thrombolysis. The main outcome measures included ICH (any type) and a composite favorable outcome (defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 or 1, NIHSS ≤1, Barthel index ≥95, and Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 1) at 3 months. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to determine the association between SPAN-100 and outcomes of interest. RESULTS: Among 624 patients in the NINDS trials, 62 (9.9%) participants were SPAN-100 positive. Among those receiving tPA, ICH rates were higher for SPAN-100-positive patients (42% vs 12% in SPAN-100-negative patients; p < 0.001); similarly, ICH rates were higher in SPAN-100-positive patients (19% vs 5%; p = 0.005) among those not receiving tPA. SPAN-100 was associated with worse outcomes. The benefit of tPA, defined as favorable composite outcome at 3 months, was present in SPAN-100-negative patients (55.4% vs 40.2%; p < 0.001), but not in SPAN-100-positive patients (5.6% tPA vs 3.9%; p = 0.76). Similar trends were found for secondary outcomes (e.g., symptomatic ICH, catastrophic outcome, discharge home). CONCLUSION: The SPAN-100 index could be a simple method for estimating the clinical response and risk of hemorrhagic complications after tPA for acute ischemic stroke. These results need further confirmation in larger contemporary datasets.

Endoplasmic reticulum export site formation and function in dendrites.

The elongated and polarized characteristics of neurons render targeting of receptors to the plasma membrane of distal axonal projections and dendritic branches a major sorting task. Although the majority of biosynthetic cargo synthesis, transport, and sorting are believed to occur in the soma, local membrane protein translation and sorting has been reported recently to take place in dendrites and axons. We investigated where endoplasmic reticulum (ER) export occurs in dendrites using an in vitro permeabilized neuron system that enables us to specifically control the assembly of ER export sites. We show that ER export sites are assembled regularly throughout the entire dendritic tree by the regulated sequential recruitment of Sar1 and COPII (coat protein complex II). Moreover, activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors leads to the recruitment of the NMDA receptor subunit NR1 to remodeled ER export sites. We propose that regulation of receptor assembly and export from the ER in dendrites plays an important role in modulating receptor surface expression and neuronal function.