Cilostazol decreases cerebral arterial pulsatility in patients with mild white matter hyperintensities: subgroup analysis from the Effect of Cilostazol in Acute Lacunar Infarction Based on Pulsatility Index of Transcranial Doppler (ECLIPse) study.

BACKGROUND: The Effect of Cilostazol in Acute Lacunar Infarction Based on Pulsatility Index of the Transcranial Doppler (ECLIPse) study showed a significant decrease in the transcranial Doppler (TCD) pulsatility index (PI) with cilostazol treatment at 90 days after acute lacunar infarction. The aim of the present study was to perform a subgroup analysis of the ECLIPse study in order to explore the effect of cilostazol in acute lacunar infarction based on cerebral white matter hyperintensities (WMH) volume. METHODS: The ECLIPse study was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that evaluated the difference between the efficacy of cilostazol and a placebo to reduce the PI in patients with acute lacunar infarction using serial TCD examinations. The primary outcome was changes in the PIs of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and basilar artery at 14 and 90 days from the baseline TCD study. For this subgroup analysis, using semi-automated computerized software, the WMH volume was measured for those subjects for whom fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images were available. RESULTS: Of the 203 patients in eight hospitals in the ECLIPse study, 130 participants from six hospitals were included in this subgroup analysis. Cilostazol was given to 63 patients (48.5%) and placebo to 67 patients (51.5%). All baseline characteristics were well balanced across the two groups, and there were no significant differences in these characteristics except in the changes of PI from the baseline to the 90-day point. There was a significant decrease of TCD PIs at 90-day study from baseline in the cilostazol group (p = 0.02). The mean WMH volume was 11.57 cm(3) (0.13-68.45, median 4.86) and the mean MCA PI was 0.95 (0.62-1.50). The changes in PIs from the baseline to 14 days and to 90 days were 0.09 (-0.21 to 0.33) and 0.10 (-0.22 to 0.36). While there were no significant correlations between WMH volume and the changes in PIs, a trend of inverse correlation was observed between the WMH volume and the changes in PIs from the baseline to the 90-day point. For the subgroup analysis, the WMH volume was dichotomized based on its median value (4.90 cm(3)). Cilostazol decreased the TCD PIs significantly at the 90-day point in patients with WMH volumes ≤ 4.9 cm(3) (p = 0.002). Significant treatment effects were observed in the cilostazol group. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that cilostazol decreased cerebral arterial pulsatility in patients with WMH. Our findings indicate the unique effect of cilostazol in small vessel disease (SVD), especially in patients with mild WMH changes. Further clinical trials focusing on WMH volume and clinical outcomes are required to assess the unique efficacy of cilostazol in SVD.

Post-stroke memory impairment among patients with vascular mild cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: The American Stroke Association/American Heart Association recommended the criteria for diagnosis of vascular cognitive impairment and memory impairment (MI) is a feature in the classification of vascular mild cognitive impairment (VaMCI). VaMCI patients with MI may differ in terms of infarct location or demographic features, so we evaluated the clinical characteristics associated with MI in patients with VaMCI. METHODS: A prospective multicenter study enrolled 353 acute ischemic stroke patients who underwent evaluation using the Korean Vascular Cognitive Impairment Harmonization Standard Neuropsychological Protocol at three months after onset. The association between MI and demographic features, stroke risk factors, and infarct location was assessed. RESULTS: VaMCI was diagnosed in 141 patients, and 58 (41.1%) exhibited MI. Proportions of men and of left side infarcts were higher in VaMCI with MI than those without (75.9 vs. 57.8%, P = 0.03, 66.7 vs. 47%, P = 0.02). Multiple logistic analyses revealed that male sex (odds ratio [OR] 3.07, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.12-8.42), left-side infarcts (OR 3.14, 95% CI 1.37-7.20), and basal ganglia/internal capsule infarcts (OR 4.53, 95% CI 1.55-13.22) were associated with MI after adjusting other demographic variables, vascular risk factors, and subtypes of stroke. CONCLUSIONS: MI is associated with sex and infarct location in VaMCI patients.

Effect of cilostazol in acute lacunar infarction based on pulsatility index of transcranial Doppler (ECLIPse): a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: This study is intended to evaluate the propensities of cilostazol to reduce the pulsatility index (PI) in patients with acute lacunar infarction using the serial transcranial Doppler (TCD) examinations. METHODS: In a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, patients were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or 100 mg cilostazol twice a day as well as aspirin 100 mg a day. The primary outcomes were the changes of middle cerebral artery (MCA) and basilar artery (BA) PIs at 14 and 90 days from the baseline TCD study. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00741286). RESULTS: Trial medication was given to 203 patients, with 100 receiving cilostazol and 103 receiving placebo, and 164 were included in the per-protocol analysis of the primary outcome. Results from the linear mixed model showed that significant effects were obtained for time-by-group interactions (p = 0.008 in right MCA, p = 0.015 in left MCA, p = 0.002 in BA), suggesting that changes of PIs from the baseline to the 90-day study were different across the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Cilostazol further decreased TCD PIs at 90 days from baseline compared to placebo in acute lacunar infarction. This result may be related to pleiotropic effects, such as vasodilation, beyond its antiplatelet activity.

Association of Knowledge About Dementia with Two Dimensional Attitudes Among a Community Population in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: Providing correct information about dementia and people living with dementia and improving the attitude toward the disease have important implications in overcoming prejudice and negative perceptions and strengthening the social support system. However, studies are limited about which aspects of dementia knowledge affect attitudes toward it and the influence of such knowledge on particular aspects of such attitudes. OBJECTIVE: This study examined which part of dementia knowledge affects attitudes toward dementia and, furthermore, the influence of such knowledge on two aspects of attitudes in the general population. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional survey of 1,200 participants aged 20 years or older was adopted. A landline and wireless telephone survey was conducted from October 12 to October 22, 2021. The survey data included self-report questions about dementia knowledge, dementia attitudes, demographics, and family information. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: Dementia knowledge was positively associated with global dementia attitudes. In terms of the relationship between the two dimensions of dementia attitudes and knowledge, the latter displayed a significant positive association with accepting attitudes (ß= 0.121, p < 0.001) but not with affective attitudes (ß= 0.064, p = 0.084). Among dementia knowledge, dementia symptom/diagnosis and policy categories were positively associated with accepting attitudes (ß= 0.198, p = 0.006; ß= 0.357, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that people with more dementia knowledge have more accepting attitudes toward dementia. It may be effective to continue education on dementia to improve the public accepting attitudes. However, to improve negative emotional attitudes toward dementia, various approaches beyond education may be needed.

Five-Year Community Management Rate for Dementia Patients: A Proposed Indicator for Dementia Policies.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is no specific indicator for monitoring dementia management. We propose an auxiliary indicator called the community management rate, defined as the proportion of dementia patients who receive informal care from close caregivers or themselves within their community population. The 5-year community management rate is the percentage of dementia patients who are receiving community management at 5 years after they were diagnosed. The aim of this study was to identify how the community management rate has changed over time and how the 5-year community management rate differs according to age, sex, income, residence area, and comorbidities. METHODS: We analyzed customized research database of the Korean National Health Insurance Services from 2003 to 2018. The 5-year community management rate was calculated annually with newly diagnosed dementia patients, and compared among subgroups according to age, sex, income, residence area, and comorbidities. RESULTS: This study analyzed 549,297 patients. Among those newly diagnosed with dementia in 2003, the mean duration of community management during the 15-year follow-up was 5.98 years. The community management rate decreased rapidly from 2003 to 2006, after which it increased. A low 5-year community management rate was associated with older age, higher comorbidity burden, nonmetropolitan residence, and low income. CONCLUSIONS: The community management rate seems to reflect diverse patient factors. Efforts are needed to reduce the comorbidity burden and differences in the 5-year community management rate according to residence area and income. This study indicates the need for further investigations into the use of this indicator to monitor the management of dementia patients.

Body Fat Mass and Risk of Cerebrovascular Lesions: The PRESENT (Prevention of Stroke and Dementia) Project.

Obesity is known to increase the risk of stroke. It is unclear whether high absolute fat mass (FM) increases the risk of stroke independently. We studied the correlation between FM and silent brain infarction/white matter change (SI/WMC) using brain computed tomography. We selected subjects from the local government health promotion project. We randomly selected a target population that had never been diagnosed with stroke or dementia. FM was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). We divided the subjects into three groups according to the FM (gender-specific tertiles [GTx]). Seven hundred and twenty-two subjects (321 men) between 50 and 75 years of age were recruited. The overall odds ratio (OR) of SI/WMC was 2.23 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.34-3.71; p = 0.002) times higher in the 37th to 100th percentiles (GT3) than in the first to 32nd percentiles (GT1). When men and women were separated, the OR of GT3 was 1.35 (CI, 0.62-2.94; p = 0.45) in men and 3.2 (CI, 1.60-6.40; p = 0.001) in women. The findings were not found to be statistically significant after adjusting for the well-known stroke risk factors. When the subjects were divided into a high FM (HFMG, GT3) and low FM group (LFMG, GT1 + GT2), the HFMG showed an increased OR of SI/WMC in women. Similar results were seen after adjusted (overall: OR, 1.38; CI, 0.85-2.25, p = 0.198; men: OR, 0.93; CI, 0.422-2.051; p = 0.86; women: OR, 2.02; CI, 1.06-3.86; p = 0.03). The findings suggest that high FM may be an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke among adults free from stroke and dementia, especially in women.

Serum Uric Acid Is Associated with Cerebral White Matter Hyperintensities in Patients with Acute Lacunar Infarction.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Effect of Cilostazol in Acute Lacunar Infarction Based on Pulsatility Index of Transcranial Doppler (ECLIPse) study showed a significant decrease in transcranial Doppler pulsatility index (PI) with cilostazol treatment after 90 days of acute lacunar infarction. The aim of this analysis was to perform a subgroup analysis of the ECLIPse study to explore the relationship between serum uric acid (UA) and the volume of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) in patients with acute lacunar infarction. METHODS: The ECLIPse was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted in Korea. For this subgroup analysis, WMH volume was measured for those subjects for whom FLAIR or T2-weighted images were available using semiautomated computerized software. RESULTS: Of the 203 patients in 8 hospitals in the ECLIPse study, 130 in 6 hospitals were entered for this subgroup analysis. The mean age was 64.7 ± 9.95 years, and 20.8% were women. The mean WMH volume was 11.57 cm(3) (.13 to 68.45, median 4.86) and mean serum UA was 5.2 mg/dL (1.5 to 8.9). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age (P < .001) and serum UA (P = .013) were significantly associated with WMH volume. Age-adjusted scatterplots showed that serum UA level was positively related to WMH volume in patients with acute lacunar infarction (r = 0.275, P = .003). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that serum UA was associated with cerebral WMH in patients with acute lacunar infarction.

A case of cerebellar infarction caused by acute subclavian thrombus following minor trauma.

Subclavian steal syndrome caused by an acute thrombus is very rare. We present a case of cerebellar infarction with proximal subclavian artery thrombosis. A 56-year-old woman was admitted for sudden vertigo. One day prior to admission, she received a shoulder massage comprised of chiropractic manipulation. On examination, her left hand was pale and radial pulses were absent. Blood pressure was weak in the left arm. Downbeat nystagmus and a right falling tendency were observed. Brain MRI showed multiple acute infarctions in the left cerebellum. The findings of Doppler ultrasonography in the left vertebral artery were compatible with a partial subclavian artery steal phenomenon. Digital subtraction angiography demonstrated a large thrombus in the left subclavian artery. After heparin infusion, thrombus size markedly decreased. Cerebellar infarction caused by acute subclavian thrombosis following minor trauma is rare, but the thrombus can be successfully resolved with anticoagulation.

Application of magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography as diagnostic measures for the first attack of suspected cerebrovascular diseases in Korea.

PURPOSE: No precise data are available showing how magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) can be applied to diagnosis for the first attack of a suspected cerebrovascular disease in Korea. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the application level of MRI and MRA as diagnostic tools and the related factors to the use of these techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study used the health benefit claim data of 89,890 patients who were hospitalized for the first time due to suspected cerebrovascular disease in 2007 without having visited medical institutions as an outpatient or inpatient from 2003 to 2006. RESULTS: Of the 89,890 cases, 28.4% took both MRI and MRA, 10.7% took only MRI and 6.9% took only MRA. The related factors identified in the multivariate logistic regression analysis were gender, type of insurance, type of medical institution, type of department, duration of hospitalization, and type of disease. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the application level of MRI and MRA as diagnostic measures for the first attack of a suspected cerebrovascular diseases varied depending on several factors. It is necessary to study more accurate levels of computerized tomography (CT), computerized tomography angiography (CTA), MRI or MRA as measures to diagnose a first attack of suspected cerebrovascular disease.

Changes in Length of Stay for Neurological Geriatric Diseases in Korea between 2003 and 2007.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The elderly population and the prevalence of stroke, dementia, and Parkinson's disease are increasing rapidly in Korea. The aim of this study was to establish the length of stay (LOS) for neurological geriatric diseases, and analyze this parameteraccording to healthcare institutions. METHODS: We used data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service from 2003 to 2007. Nineteen neurological geriatric diseases were classified into four groups: dementia, cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction, and Parkinson's disease. LOS was analyzed according to gender, age, insurance type, disease group, and type of healthcare institution. RESULTS: The LOS for neurological geriatric diseases lengthened from 5,550,193 days (10.8% of the total National Health Insurance admission days) in 2003 to 14,749,671 days (19.7%) in 2007. The mean LOS was 40.8 days in 2003, and lengthened to 71.2 days in 2007. After stratification by disease group, the mean LOS for long-term-care hospitals lengthened by 1.43 times (from 81.7 to 116.6 days) in the cerebral infarction group, 1.35 times (from 85.6 to 115.2 days) in the cerebral hemorrhage group, and 1.28 times (from 82.7 to 105.7 days) in the Parkinson's disease group. CONCLUSIONS: The LOS for neurological geriatric diseases has lengthened markedly, which isdue to an increasesin the number of hospitalized patients and the mean LOS, which have increased most rapidly in long-term-care hospitals. These results may be useful in developing geriatric health policies.