Deep Resequencing of the 1q22 Locus in Non-Lobar Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: Genome-wide association studies have identified 1q22 as a susceptibility locus for cerebral small vessel diseases, including non-lobar intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and lacunar stroke. In the present study, we performed targeted high-depth sequencing of 1q22 in ICH cases and controls to further characterize this locus and prioritize potential causal mechanisms, which remain unknown. METHODS: A total of 95,000 base pairs spanning 1q22, including SEMA4A, SLC25A44, and PMF1/PMF1-BGLAP were sequenced in 1,055 spontaneous ICH cases (534 lobar and 521 non-lobar) and 1,078 controls. Firth regression and Rare Variant Influential Filtering Tool analysis were used to analyze common and rare variants, respectively. Chromatin interaction analyses were performed using Hi-C, chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing, and chromatin interaction analysis with paired-end tag databases. Multivariable Mendelian randomization assessed whether alterations in gene-specific expression relative to regionally co-expressed genes at 1q22 could be causally related to ICH risk. RESULTS: Common and rare variant analyses prioritized variants in SEMA4A 5'-UTR and PMF1 intronic regions, overlapping with active promoter and enhancer regions based on ENCODE annotation. Hi-C data analysis determined that 1q22 is spatially organized in a single chromatin loop, and that the genes therein belong to the same topologically associating domain. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing and chromatin interaction analysis with paired-end tag data analysis highlighted the presence of long-range interactions between the SEMA4A-promoter and PMF1-enhancer regions prioritized by association testing. Multivariable Mendelian randomization analyses demonstrated that PMF1 overexpression could be causally related to non-lobar ICH risk. INTERPRETATION: Altered promoter-enhancer interactions leading to PMF1 overexpression, potentially dysregulating polyamine catabolism, could explain demonstrated associations with non-lobar ICH risk at 1q22, offering a potential new target for prevention of ICH and cerebral small vessel disease. ANN NEUROL 2024;95:325-337.

Association Between Hematoma Volume and Risk of Subsequent Ischemic Stroke: A MISTIE III and ATACH-2 Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is independently associated with a long-term increased risk of major arterial ischemic events. While the relationship between ICH location and ischemic risk has been studied, whether hematoma volume influences this risk is poorly understood. METHODS: We pooled individual patient data from the MISTIE III (Minimally Invasive Surgery Plus Alteplase for Intracerebral Hemorrhage Evacuation Phase 3) and the ATACH-2 (Antihypertensive Treatment of Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage-2) trials. The exposure was hematoma volume, treated as a continuous measure in the primary analysis, and dichotomized by the median in the secondary analyses. The outcome was a symptomatic, clinically overt ischemic stroke, adjudicated centrally within each trial. We evaluated the association between hematoma volume and the risk of an ischemic stroke using Cox regression analyses after adjustment for demographics, vascular comorbidities, and ICH characteristics. RESULTS: Of 1470 patients with ICH, the mean age was 61.7 (SD, 12.8) years, and 574 (38.3%) were female. The median hematoma volume was 17.3 mL (interquartile range, 7.2-35.7). During a median follow-up of 107 days (interquartile range, 91-140), a total of 30 ischemic strokes occurred, of which 22 were in patients with a median ICH volume of ≥17.3 mL and a cumulative incidence of 4.6% (95% CI, 3.1-7.1). Among patients with a median ICH volume <17.3 mL, there were 8 ischemic strokes with a cumulative incidence of 3.1% (95% CI, 1.7-6.0). In primary analyses using adjusted Cox regression models, ICH volume was associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 1.02 per mL increase [95% CI, 1.01-1.04]). In secondary analyses, ICH volume of ≥17.3 mL was associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 2.5 [95% CI, 1.1-7.2]), compared with those with an ICH volume <17.3 mL. CONCLUSIONS: In a heterogeneous cohort of patients with ICH, initial hematoma volume was associated with a heightened short-term risk of ischemic stroke.

Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction is Associated with Reduced Hematoma Growth in Fast Bleeding Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) at the highest risk of hematoma growth are those with the most potential to benefit from anti-expansion treatment. Large clinical trials have not definitively shown a clear benefit of blood pressure (BP) reduction. We aim to determine whether intensive blood pressure reduction could benefit patients with fast bleeding ICH. METHODS: An exploratory analysis of data from the Antihypertensive Treatment of Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage 2 (ATACH-2) randomized controlled trial was performed. In order to capture not just early bleeding (even if a small amount), but the rate of bleeding (ml/hour), we restricted the study to "Fast bleeding ICH," defined as an ICH volume/onset to computed tomography (CT) time >5 ml/hr. Hematoma growth, as defined as an increase of hematoma volume > 33% between baseline and 24 hours. RESULTS: A total of 940 patients were included (mean age = 62.1 years, 61.5% men), of whom 214 (22.8%) experienced hematoma expansion. Of these, 567 (60.3%) met the definition of "fast bleeding" with baseline ICH volume/time to presentation of at least 5 ml/hr. Intensive BP reduction was associated with a significantly lower rate of hematoma growth in fast bleeding patients (20.6% vs 31.0%, p = 0.005). In a subgroup of 266 (46.9%) fast-bleeding patients who received treatment within 2 hours after symptom onset, intensive BP lowering was associated with improved functional independence (odds ratio [OR] = 1.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06-3.69, p = 0.031). INTERPRETATION: Our results suggest that early use of intensive BP reduction may reduce hematoma growth and improve outcome in fast bleeding patients. ANN NEUROL 2023.

Whole-Exome Sequencing Analyses Support a Role of Vitamin D Metabolism in Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic stroke (IS) is a highly heritable trait, and genome-wide association studies have identified several commonly occurring susceptibility risk loci for this condition. However, there are limited data on the contribution of rare genetic variation to IS. METHODS: We conducted an exome-wide study using whole-exome sequencing data from 152 058 UK Biobank participants, including 1777 IS cases. We performed single-variant analyses for rare variants and gene-based analyses for loss-of-function and deleterious missense rare variants. We validated these results through (1) gene-based testing using summary statistics from MEGASTROKE-a genome-wide association study of IS that included 67 162 IS cases and 454 450 controls, (2) gene-based testing using individual-level data from 1706 IS survivors, including 142 recurrent IS cases, enrolled in the VISP trial (Vitamin Intervention for Stroke Prevention); and (3) gene-based testing against neuroimaging phenotypes related to cerebrovascular disease using summary-level data from 42 310 UK Biobank participants with available magnetic resonance imaging data. RESULTS: In single-variant association analyses, none of the evaluated variants were associated with IS at genome-wide significance levels (P<5×10-8). In the gene-based analysis focused on loss-of-function and deleterious missense variants, rare genetic variation at CYP2R1 was significantly associated with IS risk (P=2.6×10-6), exceeding the Bonferroni-corrected threshold for 16 074 tests (P<3.1×10-6). Validations analyses indicated that CYP2R1 was associated with IS risk in MEGASTROKE (gene-based test, P=0.003), with IS recurrence in the VISP trial (gene-based test, P=0.001) and with neuroimaging traits (white matter hyperintensity, mean diffusivity, and fractional anisotropy) in the UK Biobank neuroimaging study (all gene-based tests, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Because CYP2R1 plays an important role in vitamin D metabolism and existing observational evidence suggests an association between vitamin D levels and cerebrovascular disease, our results support a role of this pathway in the occurrence of IS.

A Genomic Risk Score Identifies Individuals at High Risk for Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has an estimated heritability of 29%. We developed a genomic risk score for ICH and determined its predictive power in comparison to standard clinical risk factors. METHODS: We combined genome-wide association data from individuals of European ancestry for ICH and related traits in a meta-genomic risk score ([metaGRS]; 2.6 million variants). We tested associations with ICH and its predictive performance in addition to clinical risk factors in a held-out validation dataset (842 cases and 796 controls). We tested associations with risk of incident ICH in the population-based UK Biobank cohort (486 784 individuals, 1526 events, median follow-up 11.3 years). RESULTS: One SD increment in the metaGRS was significantly associated with 31% higher odds for ICH (95% CI, 1.16-1.48) in age-, sex- and clinical risk factor-adjusted models. The metaGRS identified individuals with almost 5-fold higher odds for ICH in the top score percentile (odds ratio, 4.83 [95% CI, 1.56-21.2]). Predictive models for ICH incorporating the metaGRS in addition to clinical predictors showed superior performance compared to the clinical risk factors alone (c-index, 0.695 versus 0.686). The metaGRS showed similar associations for lobar and nonlobar ICH, independent of the known APOE risk locus for lobar ICH. In the UK Biobank, the metaGRS was associated with higher risk of incident ICH (hazard ratio, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.09-1.21]). The associations were significant within both a relatively high-risk population of antithrombotic medications users, as well as among a relatively low-risk population with a good control of vascular risk factors and no use of anticoagulants. CONCLUSIONS: We developed and validated a genomic risk score that predicts lifetime risk of ICH beyond established clinical risk factors among individuals of European ancestry. Whether implementation of the score in risk prognostication models for high-risk populations, such as patients under antithrombotic treatment, could improve clinical decision making should be explored in future studies.

Higher Hospital Frailty Risk Score Is Associated With Increased Risk of Stroke: Observational and Genetic Analyses.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is a prevalent state associated with several aging-related traits and conditions. The relationship between frailty and stroke remains understudied. Here we aim to investigate whether the hospital frailty risk score (HFRS) is associated with the risk of stroke and determine whether a significant association between genetically determined frailty and stroke exists. DESIGN: Observational study using data from All of Us research program and Mendelian Randomization analyses. METHODS: Participants from All of Us with available electronic health records were selected for analysis. All of Us began national enrollment in 2018 and is expected to continue for at least 10 years. All of Us is recruiting members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in research. All participants provided informed consent at the time of enrollment, and the date of consent was recorded for each participant. Incident stroke was defined as stroke event happening on or after the date of consent to the All of Us study HFRS was measured with a 3-year look-back period before the date of consent for stroke risk. The HFRS was stratified into 4 categories: no-frailty (HFRS=0), low (HFRS ≥1 and <5), intermediate (≥5 and <15), and high (HFRS ≥15). Last, we implemented Mendelian Randomization analyses to evaluate whether genetically determined frailty is associated with stroke risk. RESULTS: Two hundred fifty-three thousand two hundred twenty-six participants were at risk of stroke. In multivariable analyses, frailty status was significantly associated with risk of any (ischemic or hemorrhagic) stroke following a dose-response way: not-frail versus low HFRS (HR, 4.9 [CI, 3.5-6.8]; P<0.001), not-frail versus intermediate HFRS (HR, 11.4 [CI, 8.3-15.7]; P<0.001) and not-frail versus high HFRS (HR, 42.8 [CI, 31.2-58.6]; P<0.001). We found similar associations when evaluating ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke separately (P value for all comparisons <0.05). Mendelian Randomization confirmed this association by indicating that genetically determined frailty was independently associated with risk of any stroke (OR, 1.45 [95% CI, 1.15-1.84]; P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Frailty, based on the HFRS was associated with higher risk of any stroke. Mendelian Randomization analyses confirmed this association providing evidence to support a causal relationship.

Detection of Intracerebral Hemorrhage Using Low-Field, Portable Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients With Stroke.

BACKGROUND: Neuroimaging is essential for detecting spontaneous, nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Recent data suggest ICH can be characterized using low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Our primary objective was to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of ICH on a 0.064T portable MRI (pMRI) scanner using a methodology that provided clinical information to inform rater interpretations. As a secondary aim, we investigated whether the incorporation of a deep learning (DL) reconstruction algorithm affected ICH detection. METHODS: The pMRI device was deployed at Yale New Haven Hospital to examine patients presenting with stroke symptoms from October 26, 2020 to February 21, 2022. Three raters independently evaluated pMRI examinations. Raters were provided the images alongside the patient's clinical information to simulate real-world context of use. Ground truth was the closest conventional computed tomography or 1.5/3T MRI. Sensitivity and specificity results were grouped by DL and non-DL software to investigate the effects of software advances. RESULTS: A total of 189 exams (38 ICH, 89 acute ischemic stroke, 8 subarachnoid hemorrhage, 3 primary intraventricular hemorrhage, 51 no intracranial abnormality) were evaluated. Exams were correctly classified as positive or negative for ICH in 185 of 189 cases (97.9% overall accuracy). ICH was correctly detected in 35 of 38 cases (92.1% sensitivity). Ischemic stroke and no intracranial abnormality cases were correctly identified as blood-negative in 139 of 140 cases (99.3% specificity). Non-DL scans had a sensitivity and specificity for ICH of 77.8% and 97.1%, respectively. DL scans had a sensitivity and specificity for ICH of 96.6% and 99.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate improvements in ICH detection accuracy on pMRI that may be attributed to the integration of clinical information in rater review and the incorporation of a DL-based algorithm. The use of pMRI holds promise in providing diagnostic neuroimaging for patients with ICH.

Genetically Determined Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Risk of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

We evaluated whether genetically elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels are associated with lower risk of intracranial aneurysms and subarachnoid hemorrhage (IA/SAH). We conducted a 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study. Our primary analysis used the inverse-variance weighted method. In secondary analyses, we implemented the MR-PRESSO method, restricted our analysis to LDL-C-specific instruments, and performed multivariate MR. A 1-mmol/l increase in genetically instrumented LDL-C levels was associated with a 17% lower risk of IA/SAH (odds ratio = 0.83, 95% confidence interval = 0.73-0.94, p = 0.004). Results remained consistent in secondary and multivariate analyses (all p < 0.05). Our results provide evidence for an inverse causal relationship between LDL-C levels and risk of IA/SAH. ANN NEUROL 2022;91:145-149.

Deep Learning Applications for Acute Stroke Management.

Brain imaging is essential to the clinical care of patients with stroke, a leading cause of disability and death worldwide. Whereas advanced neuroimaging techniques offer opportunities for aiding acute stroke management, several factors, including time delays, inter-clinician variability, and lack of systemic conglomeration of clinical information, hinder their maximal utility. Recent advances in deep machine learning (DL) offer new strategies for harnessing computational medical image analysis to inform decision making in acute stroke. We examine the current state of the field for DL models in stroke triage. First, we provide a brief, clinical practice-focused primer on DL. Next, we examine real-world examples of DL applications in pixel-wise labeling, volumetric lesion segmentation, stroke detection, and prediction of tissue fate postintervention. We evaluate recent deployments of deep neural networks and their ability to automatically select relevant clinical features for acute decision making, reduce inter-rater variability, and boost reliability in rapid neuroimaging assessments, and integrate neuroimaging with electronic medical record (EMR) data in order to support clinicians in routine and triage stroke management. Ultimately, we aim to provide a framework for critically evaluating existing automated approaches, thus equipping clinicians with the ability to understand and potentially apply DL approaches in order to address challenges in clinical practice. ANN NEUROL 2022;92:574-587.

Genetically regulated multi-omics study for symptom clusters of posttraumatic stress disorder highlights pleiotropy with hematologic and cardio-metabolic traits.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that may arise in response to severe traumatic event and is diagnosed based on three main symptom clusters (reexperiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal) per the Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders (version DSM-IV-TR). In this study, we characterized the biological heterogeneity of PTSD symptom clusters by performing a multi-omics investigation integrating genetically regulated gene, splicing, and protein expression in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex tissue within a sample of US veterans enrolled in the Million Veteran Program (N total = 186,689). We identified 30 genes in 19 regions across the three PTSD symptom clusters. We found nine genes to have cell-type specific expression, and over-representation of miRNA-families - miR-148, 30, and 8. Gene-drug target prioritization approach highlighted cyclooxygenase and acetylcholine compounds. Next, we tested molecular-profile based phenome-wide impact of identified genes with respect to 1678 phenotypes derived from the Electronic Health Records of the Vanderbilt University biorepository (N = 70,439). Lastly, we tested for local genetic correlation across PTSD symptom clusters which highlighted metabolic (e.g., obesity, diabetes, vascular health) and laboratory traits (e.g., neutrophil, eosinophil, tau protein, creatinine kinase). Overall, this study finds comprehensive genomic evidence including clinical and regulatory profiles between PTSD, hematologic and cardiometabolic traits, that support comorbidities observed in epidemiologic studies of PTSD.

Impact of genetic polymorphisms on the risk of epilepsy amongst patients with acute brain injury: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The genetics of late seizure or epilepsy secondary to traumatic brain injury (TBI) or stroke are poorly understood. We undertook a systematic review to test the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with the risk of post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) and post-stroke epilepsy (PSE). METHODS: We followed methods from our prespecified protocol on PROSPERO to identify indexed articles for this systematic review. We collated the association statistics from the included articles to assess the association of SNPs with the risk of epilepsy amongst TBI or stroke patients. We assessed study quality using the Q-Genie tool. We report odds ratios (OR) and hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: The literature search yielded 420 articles. We included 16 studies in our systematic review, of which seven were of poor quality. We examined published data on 127 SNPs from 32 genes identified in PTE and PSE patients. Eleven SNPs were associated with a significantly increased risk of PTE. Three SNPs, TRMP6 rs2274924, ALDH2 rs671, and CD40 -1C/T, were significantly associated with an increased risk of PSE, while two, AT1R rs12721273 and rs55707609, were significantly associated with reduced risk. The meta-analysis for the association of the APOE ɛ4 with PTE was nonsignificant (OR 1.8, CI 0.6-5.6). CONCLUSIONS: The current evidence on the association of genetic polymorphisms in epilepsy secondary to TBI or stroke is of low quality and lacks validation. A collaborative effort to pool genetic data linked to epileptogenesis in stroke and TBI patients is warranted.

Impact of Therapeutic Interventions on Cerebral Autoregulatory Function Following Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Secondary Analysis of the BOOST-II Study.

BACKGROUND: The Brain Oxygen Optimization in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Phase II randomized controlled trial used a tier-based management protocol based on brain tissue oxygen (PbtO2) and intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring to reduce brain tissue hypoxia after severe traumatic brain injury. We performed a secondary analysis to explore the relationship between brain tissue hypoxia, blood pressure (BP), and interventions to improve cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP). We hypothesized that BP management below the lower limit of autoregulation would lead to cerebral hypoperfusion and brain tissue hypoxia that could be improved with hemodynamic augmentation. METHODS: Of the 119 patients enrolled in the Brain Oxygen Optimization in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Phase II trial, 55 patients had simultaneous recordings of arterial BP, ICP, and PbtO2. Autoregulatory function was measured by interrogating changes in ICP and PbtO2 in response to fluctuations in CPP using time-correlation analysis. The resulting autoregulatory indices (pressure reactivity index and oxygen reactivity index) were used to identify the "optimal" CPP and limits of autoregulation for each patient. Autoregulatory function and percent time with CPP outside personalized limits of autoregulation were calculated before, during, and after all interventions directed to optimize CPP. RESULTS: Individualized limits of autoregulation were computed in 55 patients (mean age 38 years, mean monitoring time 92 h). We identified 35 episodes of brain tissue hypoxia (PbtO2 < 20 mm Hg) treated with CPP augmentation. Following each intervention, mean CPP increased from 73 ± 14 mm Hg to 79 ± 17 mm Hg (p = 0.15), and mean PbtO2 improved from 18.4 ± 5.6 mm Hg to 21.9 ± 5.6 mm Hg (p = 0.01), whereas autoregulatory function trended toward improvement (oxygen reactivity index 0.42 vs. 0.37, p = 0.14; pressure reactivity index 0.25 vs. 0.21, p = 0.2). Although optimal CPP and limits remained relatively unchanged, there was a significant decrease in the percent time with CPP below the lower limit of autoregulation in the 60 min after compared with before an intervention (11% vs. 23%, p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis suggests that brain tissue hypoxia is associated with cerebral hypoperfusion characterized by increased time with CPP below the lower limit of autoregulation. Interventions to increase CPP appear to improve autoregulation. Further studies are needed to validate the importance of autoregulation as a modifiable variable with the potential to improve outcomes.

Clinical implications of Peri-hematomal edema microperfusion fraction in intracerebral hemorrhage intravoxel incoherent motion imaging - A pilot study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Perihematomal edema (PHE) represents the secondary brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). However, neurobiological characteristics of post-ICH parenchymal injury other than PHE volume have not been fully characterized. Using intravoxel incoherent motion imaging (IVIM), we explored the clinical correlates of PHE diffusion and (micro)perfusion metrics in subacute ICH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 41 consecutive patients scanned 1-to-7 days after supratentorial ICH, we determined the mean diffusion (D), pseudo-diffusion (D*), and perfusion fraction (F) within manually segmented PHE. Using univariable and multivariable statistics, we evaluated the relationship of these IVIM metrics with 3-month outcome based on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). RESULTS: In our cohort, the average (± standard deviation) age of patients was 68.6±15.6 years, median (interquartile) baseline National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was 7 (3-13), 11 (27 %) patients had poor outcomes (mRS>3), and 4 (10 %) deceased during the follow-up period. In univariable analyses, admission NIHSS (p < 0.001), ICH volume (p = 0.019), ICH+PHE volume (p = 0.016), and average F of the PHE (p = 0.005) had significant correlation with 3-month mRS. In multivariable model, the admission NIHSS (p = 0.006) and average F perfusion fraction of the PHE (p = 0.003) were predictors of 3-month mRS. CONCLUSION: The IVIM perfusion fraction (F) maps represent the blood flow within microvasculature. Our pilot study shows that higher PHE microperfusion in subacute ICH is associated with worse outcomes. Once validated in larger cohorts, IVIM metrics may provide insight into neurobiology of post-ICH secondary brain injury and identify at-risk patients who may benefit from neuroprotective therapy.

Effect of Intensive Blood Pressure Control on Incident Stroke Risk in Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment.

BACKGROUND: Patients with mild cognitive impairment may be at higher risk of incident stroke, but the effect of intensive blood pressure (BP) control on that risk has not been explored. METHODS: We performed a post hoc analysis of SPRINT (Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial) and included patients with a baseline Montreal Cognitive Assessment score of 19 to 25 and without a prior history of stroke. The primary outcome was incident stroke (ischemic and hemorrhagic) during follow-up. We report the unadjusted cumulative risk of our primary outcome by SPRINT randomization arm (intensive versus standard BP control) and also fit Cox models to the primary outcome and adjusted for patient age at randomization, race/ethnicity, sex, baseline BP, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, and smoking. RESULTS: We included 5091 patients (mean age 68.2, 44% female, 56.7% non-Hispanic White, and 50.2% randomized to intensive BP control), of which 95/5091 (1.9%) had an incident stroke during a mean of 3.8±0.9 years of follow-up. The risk of incident stroke in patients randomized to standard BP control was 57/2536 (2.3%) and to intensive BP control was 38/2555 (1.5%; P=0.045). In the adjusted Cox model, the hazard ratio for incident stroke events with intensive BP control was 0.65 (95% CI, 0.43-0.98; P=0.040). CONCLUSIONS: Although the SPRINT trial failed to show a reduction in stroke with intensive BP control for all subjects, those with a Montreal Cognitive Assessment score consistent with mild cognitive impairment at baseline had an association between intensive BP control and lower risk of incident stroke. Future trials of primary prevention of stroke may benefit from enrichment using baseline vascular biomarkers of elevated risk, such as mild cognitive impairment.

Association of Intraventricular Fibrinolysis With Clinical Outcomes in Intracerebral Hemorrhage: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: In patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), the presence of intraventricular hemorrhage constitutes a promising therapeutic target. Intraventricular fibrinolysis (IVF) reduces mortality, yet impact on functional disability remains unclear. Thus, we aimed to determine the influence of IVF on functional outcomes. METHODS: This individual participant data meta-analysis pooled 1501 patients from 2 randomized trials and 7 observational studies enrolled during 2004 to 2015. We compared IVF versus standard of care (including placebo) in patients treated with external ventricular drainage due to acute hydrocephalus caused by ICH with intraventricular hemorrhage. The primary outcome was functional disability evaluated by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS; range: 0-6, lower scores indicating less disability) at 6 months, dichotomized into mRS score: 0 to 3 versus mRS: 4 to 6. Secondary outcomes included ordinal-shift analysis, all-cause mortality, and intracranial adverse events. Confounding and bias were adjusted by random effects and doubly robust models to calculate odds ratios and absolute treatment effects (ATE). RESULTS: Comparing treatment of 596 with IVF to 905 with standard of care resulted in an ATE to achieve the primary outcome of 9.3% (95% CI, 4.4-14.1). IVF treatment showed a significant shift towards improved outcome across the entire range of mRS estimates, common odds ratio, 1.75 (95% CI, 1.39-2.17), reduced mortality, odds ratio, 0.47 (95% CI, 0.35-0.64), without increased adverse events, absolute difference, 1.0% (95% CI, -2.7 to 4.8). Exploratory analyses provided that early IVF treatment (≤48 hours) after symptom onset was associated with an ATE, 15.2% (95% CI, 8.6-21.8) to achieve the primary outcome. CONCLUSIONS: As compared to standard of care, the administration of IVF in patients with acute hydrocephalus caused by intracerebral and intraventricular hemorrhage was significantly associated with improved functional outcome at 6 months. The treatment effect was linked to an early time window <48 hours, specifying a target population for future trials.

The Need for Medical Artificial Intelligence That Incorporates Prior Images.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has grown dramatically in the past few years in the United States and worldwide, with more than 300 AI-enabled devices approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Most of these AI-enabled applications focus on helping radiologists with detection, triage, and prioritization of tasks by using data from a single point, but clinical practice often encompasses a dynamic scenario wherein physicians make decisions on the basis of longitudinal information. Unfortunately, benchmark data sets incorporating clinical and radiologic data from several points are scarce, and, therefore, the machine learning community has not focused on developing methods and architectures suitable for these tasks. Current AI algorithms are not suited to tackle key image interpretation tasks that require comparisons to previous examinations. Focusing on the curation of data sets and algorithm development that allow for comparisons at different points will be required to advance the range of relevant tasks covered by future AI-enabled FDA-cleared devices.

Genetic determinants of LDL cholesterol and risk of intracerebral haemorrhage.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The role of lipids in spontaneous, nontraumatic intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) remains controversial, as some studies suggest that lower levels of total and LDL cholesterol could increase the risk of this disease. Because of their random assortment during meiosis, genetic variants known to associate with lipid levels can be used as instruments to evaluate this relationship from a causal perspective. The purpose of this review is to summarize the existing literature related to genetically determined LDL cholesterol levels and risk of ICH. RECENT FINDINGS: A number of studies have demonstrated that lower LDL levels are associated with a higher risk of ICH and a higher burden of neuroimaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease, such as microbleeds and white matter hyperintensity volume. As for genetically elevated lipid levels, several studies confirmed an inverse association between LDL levels and ICH. However, a number of observational studies and large meta-analyses of clinical trials of statins have failed to show such association. SUMMARY: Observational studies and clinical trials of statins have yielded inconsistent results regarding a possible link between LDL levels and the risk of ICH. Genetic studies focused on genetically elevated LDL levels and risk of ICH have, for the most, found an inverse association.

Excess Cerebrovascular Mortality in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The magnitude and drivers of excess cerebrovascular-specific mortality during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are unknown. We aim to quantify excess stroke-related deaths and characterize its association with social distancing behavior and COVID-19-related vascular pathology. METHODS: United States and state-level excess cerebrovascular deaths from January to May 2020 were quantified using National Center for Health Statistic data and Poisson regression models. Excess cerebrovascular deaths were analyzed as a function of time-varying stroke-related emergency medical service (EMS) calls and cumulative COVID-19 deaths using linear regression. A state-level regression analysis was performed to determine the association between excess cerebrovascular deaths and time spent in residences, measured by Google Community Mobility Reports, during the height of the pandemic after the first COVID-19 death (February 29). RESULTS: Forty states and New York City were included. Excess cerebrovascular mortality occurred nationally from the weeks ending March 28 to May 2, 2020, up to a 7.8% increase above expected levels during the week of April 18. Decreased stroke-related EMS calls were associated with excess stroke deaths one (70 deaths per 1000 fewer EMS calls [95% CI, 20-118]) and 2 weeks (85 deaths per 1000 fewer EMS calls [95% CI, 37-133]) later. Twenty-three states and New York City experienced excess cerebrovascular mortality during the pandemic height. A 10% increase in time spent at home was associated with a 4.3% increase in stroke deaths (incidence rate ratio, 1.043 [95% CI, 1.001-1.085]) after adjusting for COVID-19 deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Excess US cerebrovascular deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic were observed and associated with decreases in stroke-related EMS calls nationally and mobility at the state level. Public health measures are needed to identify and counter the reticence to seeking medical care for acute stroke during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Patients With COVID-19: An Analysis From the COVID-19 Cardiovascular Disease Registry.

[Figure: see text].

Stroke Disparities Among Nonracial Minorities in the All of Us Research Program.

[Figure: see text].