Short-term outcome after ischemic stroke and 24-h blood pressure variability: association and predictors.

To examine the association between blood pressure (BP) variability measured within 24 h after admission for acute ischemic stroke and functional outcome 30 days after stroke onset and to find outcome predictors. A total of 174 patients were included in this retrospective study. Supine BP was measured every 4 h during the first 24 h after admission. The functional outcome was assessed using the modified Rankin Scale. BP parameters including systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and pulse pressure (PP) were examined. A set of six variability indices was calculated, including standard deviation (SD), successive variation (SV), difference between maximum and minimum value (DMM), and maximal successive change (MSC). Patients with high SBP or PP variability measures were significantly more likely to develop an unfavorable outcome. All PP variability indices displayed the highest correlations with the outcome. This association was confirmed in logistic regression analysis, both in univariable model and a model adjusted to the baseline National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score and mean BP (the OR for an unfavorable outcome following a 10-mmHg increase in SD, SV, MSC, and DMM parameters was in the interval 1.4-2.7, p < 0.05). Following receiver operating characteristic analysis, the PP parameters yielded area under the curve (AUC) values between 0.654 and 0.666, p < 0.005. Thus, in the acute phase of ischemic stroke, the SD and MSC indices of PP variability during the first 24 h after admission were robustly associated with patients' 30-day outcomes and served as predictors of unfavorable outcomes with thresholds of 14 and 26 mmHg, respectively.

Real-world effectiveness of abobotulinumtoxinA (Dysport®) in adults with upper limb spasticity in routine clinical practice: an observational study.

AbobotulinumtoxinA (aboBoNT-A, Dysport®) is used in clinical practice as a well-tolerated and effective therapy for muscle spasticity. AboBoNT-A has been shown to reduce upper and lower limb spastic paresis in clinical trials, demonstrating improvements in muscle tone and limb function. This open-label, multicentre, observational, non-interventional study was the first to investigate aboBoNT-A's efficacy in adult patients with upper limb spasticity (ULS) in routine clinical practice in Poland. All enrolled patients received ≥1 aboBoNT-A injection cycles, per routine clinical practice (full analysis set, FAS), and ≥1 rehabilitation session. Patients attended a baseline visit (V1) and two follow-up visits (V2, V3) for retreatment, depending on the investigator's assessment of individual patient needs, with a mean interval (SD) between injections of 4.4 (1.4) and 4.5 (1.2) months. The primary effectiveness endpoint was patient- and physician-based evaluation using the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement Scale (CGII), a validated 7-point scale (1 = very much improved to 7 = very much worse) relative to baseline. CGI-I has not previously been used as a primary endpoint in studies evaluating ULS. Secondary endpoints included muscle tone in shoulder, elbow, carpal joint, and finger muscles, measured by the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), and muscle strength according to the Medical Research Council scale (MRC). Of 108 enrolled patients (FAS), 92 (85.2%) completed the study and 57 (52.8%) were included in the per protocol (PP) population. AboBoNT-A improved patient conditions in 96.4% and 98.6% at V2 and V3 (investigator assessment) and 92.8% and 98.6% (as reported by patient) of patients, respectively. Significant reductions in muscle tone from baseline were observed at both visits (p < 0.0001-0.0077) across muscle groups. Increased muscle strength by cumulative MRC was observed at V2 (p = 0.0566) and V3 (p = 0.0282) versus baseline. Safety was consistent with the known profile of aboBoNT-A. In conclusion, aboBoNT-A treatment is beneficial in patients with post-stroke ULS in routine clinical practice, assessed by patients and investigators.

Full-matrix capture with phased shift migration for flaw detection in layered objects with complex geometry.

This paper introduces a method for an ultrasonic imaging with a phased array based on a wave migration algorithm. The method allows for imaging layered objects with lateral velocity variations such as objects with a complex geometry or layers that are not perpendicular to the array's axis. The full-matrix capture ensures that there is enough information to reconstruct an image even when the wave indication angle is large. The method is implemented in a omega-k domain. The proposed algorithm is first tested in a single simulation of a concave object with side drilled holes under the concave surface. For evaluating the algorithm's performance three experiments are presented: one with a tilted object (surface not perpendicular with respect to the array axis) with side drilled holes and two experiments of an object with concave surface and two artificial defects under it. The results presented in the paper verify that the proposed method reconstructs images from the data gathered with the phased array.