Non-ECG-gated cardiac CT angiography in acute stroke is feasible and detects sources of embolism.

BACKGROUND: A significant portion of cryptogenic stroke is hypothesized to be secondary to cardiac embolism. However, transthoracic echocardiogram is usually delayed after stroke, and more detailed cardiac imaging is not routinely done. AIMS: This study aimed to determine whether non-ECG-gated cardiac CT angiography (cCTA) during hyperacute stroke would provide diagnostic quality images and act as an adjunct modality of cardiac imaging to detect sources of emboli. METHODS: In this single-center prospective cohort study, modified Code Stroke imaging was implemented with a 64-slice CT scanner, where the longitudinal axis of CT angiography was extended from the carina to the diaphragm. The primary outcomes of image quality, recruitment feasibility, impact on hyperacute time metrics, and additional radiation dose were assessed. Secondary outcomes consisted of detection of high-risk cardiac sources of embolism, mediastinal or lung pathology, and impact on etiologic classification. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty eligible patients were enrolled, of which 105 (87.5%) had good/moderate quality images for motion artifact and 119 (99.2%) for contrast opacification. Total CT time, door-to-needle time, and door-to-groin puncture time were unchanged with the addition of cCTA. Eighty-nine patients received a final diagnosis of ischemic stroke, of which 12/89 (13.5%) had high-risk cardioembolic findings on cCTA. Incidental findings, such as pulmonary embolism (PE) (7/89, 7.9%) and malignancy (6/89, 6.7%), were observed. cCTA led to changes in management for 19/120 (15.8%) of all patients, and reclassification of stroke etiology for 8/89 (9%) of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Non-ECG-gated cCTA can be feasibly incorporated into Code Stroke and provide diagnostic quality images without delays in hyperacute time metrics. It can detect high-risk cardiac sources, and other findings impacting patient care. This may help reclassify a subset of cryptogenic stroke cases and improve secondary prevention.

Robotic technology quantifies novel perceptual-motor impairments in patients with chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Neurocognitive impairment is commonly reported in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The precise nature of this impairment is unclear, due to the lack of objective and quantitative assessment tools used. The feasibility of using robotic technology to precisely quantify neurocognitive impairment in patients with CKD is unknown. METHODS: Patients with stage 4 and 5 CKD with no previous history of stroke or neurodegenerative disease were eligible for study enrollment. Feasibility was defined as successful study enrollment, high data capture rates (> 90%), and assessment tolerability. Our assessment included a traditional assessment: The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), and a robot-based assessment: Kinarm. RESULTS: Our enrollment rate was 1.6 patients/month. All patients completed the RBANS portion of the assessment, with a 97.8% (range 92-100%) completion rate on Kinarm. Missing data on Kinarm were mainly due to time constraints. Data from 49 CKD patients were analyzed. Kinarm defined more individuals as impaired, compared to RBANS, particularly in the domains of perceptual-motor function (17-49% impairment), complex attention (22-49% impairment), and executive function (29-37.5% impairment). Demographic features (sex and education) predicted performance on some, but not all neurocognitive tasks. CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible to quantify neurocognitive impairments in patients with CKD using robotic technology. Kinarm characterized more patients with CKD as impaired, and importantly identified novel perceptual-motor impairments in these patients, when compared to traditional assessments.

Road to recovery: a study protocol quantifying neurological outcome in cardiac surgery patients and the role of cerebral oximetry.

INTRODUCTION: Patients undergoing cardiac surgery may experience both short-term and long-term postoperative neurological problems. However, the underlying cause of this impairment is unclear. Regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) levels may play a role in the development of acute dysfunction, known as postoperative delirium, in addition to longer term outcomes after cardiac surgery. Yet the degree of impairment has been difficult to define, partly due to subjective methods of assessments. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap by determining the relationship between rSO2, postoperative delirium and long-term neurological outcome after cardiac surgery using quantitative robotic technology. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: 95 patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery will be recruited for this single-centre prospective observational study. Patients will be assessed before as well as 3 and 12 months after their surgery using the Kinarm End-Point Lab and standardised tasks. Intraoperatively, rSO2 and other haemodynamic data will be collected for the duration of the procedure. Following their operation, patients will also be screened daily for delirium during their hospital stay. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by the Health Sciences Research Ethics Board at Queen's University (DMED-1672-14). The results of this study will be published in a peer-review journal and presented at international and/or national conferences as poster or oral presentations. Participants wishing to know the results of this study will be contacted directly on data publication. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04081649.