Role of serum alkaline phosphatase as a potential biomarker of severity and prognosis in intracerebral hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVES: Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) catalyzes the hydrolysis of pyrophosphate and facilitates vascular calcification. We aimed at investigating serum ALP levels in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients and ascertaining its relationship to severity and prognosis. METHODS: Serum ALP levels from 148 patients and 148 healthy controls were detected. Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score and hematoma volume at admission were recorded to evaluate hemorrhagic severity. Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score > 2 at 90 days after onset was judged as a poor prognosis. RESULTS: Serum ALP levels in patients with ICH were substantially elevated compared with healthy controls, and were significantly related to hematoma volume and GCS score. Serum ALP levels significantly distinguished ICH patients at risk for unfavorable prognosis. Serum ALP levels > 78.5 U/L in ICH patients may indicated a unfavorable prognosis with 69.1 % sensitivity and 83.6 % specificity, and served as an independent predictor for unfavorable prognosis. CONLUSIONS: Elevated serum ALP levels were intimately connected with increased severity and 90-day unfavorable prognosis in patients with ICH. Serum ALP could be a potential biomarker for severity and prognosis of ICH.

Overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of acupuncture for stroke.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to systematically overview published systematic reviews and meta-analyses in order to identify whether and when acupuncture is an effective treatment for stroke and stroke-related disorders. We also hoped to identify the best directions for future research in this area. METHODS: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs evaluating the efficacy of acupuncture to treat stroke or stroke-related conditions were included. Electronic searches were conducted in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, Ovid EMBASE, EBSCO Allied and Complementary Medicine (AMED) database, Chinese Biological Medicine Database, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Database. Two authors independently assessed the compliance of studies with eligibility criteria, and extracted data from included studies. The quality of systematic reviews was assessed according to the Overview Quality Assessment Questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 24 systematic reviews were included, of which 4 (16.7%) were Cochrane systematic reviews and 20 (83.3%) were non-Cochrane reviews. Acupuncture was analyzed as an acute stroke intervention in 3 reviews (12.5%), as an approach to stroke rehabilitation in 6 (25%), and as an intervention to treat various stroke-related disorders in the remaining 15 (62.5%). Reviews analyzing death or dependency/disability as the primary outcome reported no statistically significant difference between acupuncture and nonacupuncture control treatments. In contrast, reviews in which the outcome was improvement in global neurological deficit scores or performance on the video-fluoroscopic swallowing study test or water-swallowing test often reported that acupuncture was superior to control treatment. The quality of 10 reviews was 'poor', 6 reviews were 'moderate' and 8 were 'good'. CONCLUSIONS: The available evidence suggests that acupuncture may be effective for treating poststroke neurological impairment and dysfunction such as dysphagia, although these reported benefits should be verified in large, well-controlled studies. On the other hand, the available evidence does not clearly indicate that acupuncture can help prevent poststroke death or disability, or ameliorate other aspects of stroke recovery, such as poststroke motor dysfunction. These findings suggest that researchers should focus on the potential application of acupuncture to treat poststroke neurological impairment and dysfunction and on the development of more precise tools to assess these improvements after stroke.

STN versus GPi deep brain stimulation for dyskinesia improvement in advanced Parkinson's disease: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and the globus pallidus internus (GPi) are currently the most common and effective surgical targets for advanced Parkinson's disease (APD). Herein, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the comprehensive efficacy of STN-DBS and GPi-DBS in patients with APD. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search for relevant articles written in English in the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and EMBASE databases through January 2020. Studies comparing the efficacy and clinical outcomes of GPi-DBS and STN-DBS for APD were included and analyzed. RESULTS: Ten eligible trials with a total of 857 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed no significant difference between the STN-DBS and GPi-DBS groups in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) III scores during the on and off-medication phases(SMD, 0.1; 95 % CI, -0.04 to 0.25; p = 0.17, on-med), (SMD,-0.12;95 % CI -0.37 to 0.13, p = 0.33,off-med). Dyskinesia scores and the activities of daily living (ADLs) scores during the on-medication phase showed significant differences in favor of GPi stimulation (SMD, 0.16; 95 % CI, 0.01-0.32; P < 0.05)/(SMD, 0.18; 95 % CI, 0.01-0.34; P < 0.05). The ADLs score during the off-medication phase showed no significant difference between the STN-DBS and GPi-DBS groups (SMD, -0.11; 95 % CI, -0.32-0.11; P = 0.33). The LED showed significant differences in favor of STN stimulation (SMD, -0.57; 95 % CI, -0.74-0.40; P < 0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: Both STN and GPi-DBS were equally effective in improving motor dysfunction. STN-DBS was superior for medication reduction, whereas GPi-DBS perhaps led to less dyskinesia and improved the postoperative ADLs (on-medication) in APD patients. Hence, the goals of DBS can be important in the target selection. More studies comparing the adverse events and quality of life between the two targets are needed.

Detrimental effects of hypercortisolism on brain structure and related risk factors.

Brain structural abnormalities are often observed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of Cushing's syndrome patients, but the pathogenesis is not fully understood. To understand the relationship between brain structural abnormalities and potential risk factors in active Cushing's disease (CD) patients, a total of 101 treatment-naïve CD patients and 95 sex-, age- and education matched controls with non-functioning adenomas (NFA) underwent clinical evaluation and MRI investigation, and the relative risk factors were analyzed. 14 patients in sustained remission after transsphenoidal surgery were followed. Compared with the NFA subjects, the patients with CD had more cortical (P < 0.01) and subcortical atrophy (P < 0.01) and a higher prevalence of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) (P < 0.01). WMH severity in CD patients positively correlated with age (r = 0.532, P = 0.000), disease course (r = 0.257, P = 0.009), postprandial glucose (r = 0.278, P = 0.005), frequency of left ventricular hypertrophy (r = 0.398, P = 0.001) and hypothyroidism (r = 0.246, P = 0.014). The markers of cortical and subcortical atrophy (sylvian fissure ratio, bifrontal ratio, bicaudate ratio and third ventricle width) were positively associated with the progression of WMH in the CD patients. In the follow-up of 14 patients with CD, brain atrophy and WMH was partially reversible after correction of hypercortisolism. In conclusions, brain atrophy and WMH were more likely to appear in CD patients and were possibly partially reversible following correction of hypercortisolism.

Reduction in Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) Results in an Increased Risk of Spontaneous Hemorrhagic Transformation in Patients with Large-artery Atherosclerosis Stroke.

The association between chronic kidney disease and spontaneous hemorrhagic transformation (HT) in patients with acute ischemic stroke is seldom reported. We performed this study to identify whether reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is associated with spontaneous HT in acute ischemic stroke patients, and examine whether the association depends on stroke etiology. Patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke whose serum creatinine levels at admission were available were consecutively and prospectively enrolled in the Chengdu Stroke Registry Database. All were analyzed on admission by cranial computed tomography (CT) scanning, followed by regular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 2-3 days later and afterwards CT scan if neurological symptoms deteriorated. HT was defined based on the MRI or later CT, and eGFR was calculated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. Univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression were performed to determine whether reduced eGFR, defined as < 60 ml/min/1.73m2, was associated with spontaneous HT. The association was also assessed in subgroups of patients classified according to the criteria of the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST). Of the 1,645 patients enrolled, 123 (7.5%) developed spontaneous HT and 215 (13.1%) had reduced eGFR. Reduced eGFR was significantly associated with increased risk of spontaneous HT in all ischemic stroke patients (OR 1.821, 95% CI 1.081 to 3.06, P=0.024), and in the subgroup of large artery atherosclerosis, not in the cardio-embolism stroke group (OR 1.588, 95% CI 0.642 to 3.782, P=0.327). Reduced eGFR did not increase the risk of symptomatic hemorrhagic transformation (OR 0.937, 95%CI 0.247 to 3.577, P=0.924). In conclusion, reduced eGFR was significantly associated with increased risk of spontaneous HT in all ischemic stroke patients, and in large artery atherosclerosis, not in cardio-embolism stroke. Reduced eGFR did not increase the risk of symptomatic HT.

Is diabetes a predictor of worse outcome for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Diabetes is common in acute stroke and is associated with worse outcome in ischemic stroke, but its influence on intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) remains controversial. We examined the association between diabetes and clinical outcome in a large hospitalized population of Chinese patients with ICH. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled patients with ICH who were admitted within 3 days of stroke onset from March 2002 to December 2010. Data were analyzed on demographic and clinical characteristics such as age, gender, vascular risk factors, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at admission, site of hemorrhage and surgical treatment. Patient characteristics, functional outcome according to the modified Rankin scale (mRS) and mortality were compared between patients with and without diabetes. RESULTS: Of the 1438 ICH patients included, 118 (8.2%) had diabetes and this subgroup showed a significantly higher proportion of hypertension (OR=1.98, 95% CI 1.33-2.96, P=0.001) and hyperlipidemia (OR=3.22, 95% CI 1.16-8.89, P=0.024). Patients were followed up for a mean of 147.48 ± 3.59 days. Cox regression suggested that diabetes was not a significant predictor of mortality in our cohort (P>0.05), and repeated-measures ANOVA showed that variance in mRS over the course of follow-up was similar between patients with and without diabetes (P=0.463). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that diabetes in Chinese patients with ICH is not associated with increased mortality or functional outcome. Future studies are needed to clarify possible confounders affecting prognosis after ICH.