Modified DWI-FLAIR mismatch guided thrombolysis in unknown onset stroke.

DWI-FLAIR mismatch has been recently proven to identify patients with unknown onset stroke (UOS) eligible for thrombolysis. However, this concept may exclude patients from thrombolysis who may eventually benefit as well. We aimed to examine the feasibility, safety and potential efficacy of thrombolysis in wake-up stroke (WUS) and UOS patients using a modified DWI-FLAIR mismatch allowing for partial FLAIR positivity. WUS/UOS patients fulfilling the modified DWI-FLAIR mismatch and treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) were compared to propensity score matched WUS/UOS patients excluded from IVT due to FLAIR positivity. The primary endpoint was a symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH), the secondary endpoints were improvement of ≥ 4 in NIHSS score and mRS score at 3 months. 64 IVT-treated patients (median NIHSS 9) and 64 controls (median NIHSS 8) entered the analysis (p = 0.2). No significant difference in SICH was found between the IVT group and the controls (3.1% vs. 1.6%, p = 0.9). An improvement of ≥ 4 NIHSS points was more frequent in IVT patients as compared to controls (40.6% vs. 18.8%, p = 0.01). 23.4% of IVT patients achieved a mRS score of 0-1 at 3 months as compared to 18.8% of the controls (p = 0.8). SICH, improvement of NIHSS ≥ 4 and mRS 0-1 at 3 months were comparable in thrombolyzed patients with negative FLAIR images versus those thrombolyzed with partial positive FLAIR images (3% vs. 3%, p = 0.9; 40% vs. 41%, p = 0.9; 19% vs. 22%, p = 0.8). Our study signalizes that thrombolysis may be feasible in selected WUS/UOS patients with partial FLAIR signal positivity.

Heart rate entropy is associated with mortality after intracereberal hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Autonomic nervous system changes have been associated with outcome after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) previously. We aimed to investigate the association of heart rate entropy (HRE) with mortality after ICH. METHODS: Sample HRE, heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity were examined in consecutive ICH patients. Hematoma volume, intraventricular hemorrhage, infratentorial origin, consciousness impairment and age were combined into standard ICH score. RESULTS: In 47 patients suffering ICH (mean age 61 years, median hemorrhage volume 38 mL) the areas under the curve (AUC) for mortality were 0.86, 0.83, 0.76, 0.74, 0.72 and 0.7 for HRE, ICH-score, normalized low frequency powers, low frequency/high frequency powers ratio, normalized high frequency powers and BRS, respectively. HRE and ICH score were associated with mortality independently (adjusted odd ratio (aOR) 0.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.1-0.8, p = .03 and aOR 2.6, CI 1.03-6.6, p = .04). Combining ICH score with HRE into a novel score resulted in an AUC of 0.94, CI 0.88-0.99, p < .001. CONCLUSION: Compared to several autonomic markers HRE seems to bear the largest amount of information on death probability after ICH. Moreover, HRE may predict mortality comparable to ICH score. Combining HRE with ICH score may increase the predictive performance for mortality after ICH.

Baroreflex sensitivity is associated with post-stroke infections. An open, prospective study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Autonomic nervous system (ANS) seems to play an important role in the post-stroke immunosuppression syndrome with increased susceptibility to infections. The aim of this study was to investigate if ANS activity measured at admission is associated with post-stroke infections. METHODS: We prospectively analyzed patients with acute ischemic stroke. ANS was measured using the cross-correlational baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) at admission. The occurrence and cause of in-hospital infections was assessed based on the clinical and laboratory examination. Demographic and clinical variables including initial stroke severity, dysphagia, procedures as nasogastric tubes, central venous and urinary catheters and mechanical ventilation were included in the analysis. RESULTS: We included 161 patients with ischemic stroke, of those 49 (30.4%) developed a nosocomial infection during the first 7 days of hospital stay. Patients with infections had significantly lower BRS (median 3 vs 5 ms/mmHg, p < .001) higher initial NIHSS (median 15 vs 5, p < .001), had more often non-lacunar etiology and underwent more invasive procedures. In the multivariable regression model decreased BRS (adjusted OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.03-1.41, p = .02), admission NIHSS (adjusted OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02-1.19, p = .02) and invasive procedures (adjusted OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.03-2.06, p = .03) were independently associated with infection after ischemic stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased BRS was independently associated with infections after ischemic stroke. Autonomic shift may play an important role in increased susceptibility to infections after stroke. The possible diagnostic and therapeutic relevance of this finding deserves further research.

Heart rate variability is associated with outcome in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage.

PURPOSE: Autonomic imbalance as measured by heart rate variability (HRV) has been associated with poor outcome after stroke. Observations on HRV changes in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) are scarce. Here, we aimed to investigate HRV in ICH as compared to a control group and to explore associations with stroke severity, hemorrhage volume and outcome after ICH. METHODS: We examined the autonomic modulation using frequency domain analysis of HRV during the acute phase of the ICH and in a healthy age- and hypertension-matched control group. Hematoma volume, intraventricular extension, initial stroke severity and baseline demographic, clinical parameters as well as mortality and functional outcome were included in the analysis. RESULTS: 47 patients with ICH and 47 age- and hypertension matched controls were analyzed. ICH patients showed significantly lower total high frequency band (HF) and low frequency band (LF) powers (p = 0.01, p < 0.001), higher normalized HF power (p = 0.03), and lower LF/HF ratio (p < 0.001) as compared to the controls. Autonomic parameters showed associations with stroke severity (p = 0.004) and intraventricular involvement (p = 0.01) and predicted poor outcome independently (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Autonomic changes seems to be present in acute ICH and are associated with poor outcome independently. This may have future monitoring and therapeutic implications.