Mediation effect of stroke recurrence in the association between post-stroke interleukin-6 and functional disability.

AIM: Post-stroke inflammation increases the risk of functional disability through enlarged cerebral infarct size directly and follow-up stroke event indirectly. We aimed to use post-stroke proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a marker of inflammatory burden and quantify post-stroke inflammation's direct and indirect effect on functional disability. METHODS: We analyzed patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted to 169 hospitals in the Third China National Stroke Registry. Blood samples were collected within 24 h of admission. Stroke recurrence and functional outcome measured by the modified Rankin scale (mRS) were assessed via face-to-face interviews at 3 months. Functional disability was defined as an mRS score ≥2. Mediation analyses under the counterfactual framework were performed to examine the potential causal chain in which stroke recurrence may mediate the relationship between IL-6 and functional outcome. RESULTS: Among the 7053 analyzed patients, the median (interquartile range [IQR]) NIHSS score was 3 (1-5), and the median (IQR) level of IL-6 was 2.61 (1.60-4.73) pg/mL. Stroke recurrence was observed in 458 (6.5%) patients, and functional disability was seen in 1708 (24.2%) patients at the 90-day follow-up. Per stand deviation (4.26 pg/mL) increase in the concentration of IL-6 was associated with an increased risk of stroke recurrence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.19; 95% CI, 1.09-1.29) and disability (aOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.15-1.30) within 90 days. Mediation analyses revealed that 18.72% (95% CI, 9.26%-28.18%) of the relationship between IL-6 and functional disability was mediated by stroke recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Stroke recurrence mediates less than 20% of the association between IL-6 and functional outcome at 90 days among patients with acute ischemic stroke. In addition to typical secondary prevention strategies for preventing stroke recurrence, more attention should be paid to novel anti-inflammatory therapy to improve functional outcomes directly.

Short-term effect of PM2.5 on stroke in susceptible populations: A case-crossover study.

BACKGROUND: Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a risk factor for stroke, and patients with pre-existing diseases appear to be particularly susceptible. We conducted a case-crossover study to examine the association between short-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and hospital admission for stroke in individuals with atrial fibrillation (AF), hypertension, diabetes, or hyperlipidemia. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) were recruited from 2015 to 2017 in Chinese Stroke Center Alliances. We estimated daily PM2.5 average exposures with a spatial resolution of 0.1° using a data assimilation approach combining satellite measurements, air model simulations, and monitoring values. Conditional logistic regression was used to assess PM2.5-related stroke risk in patients with pre-existing medical co-morbidities. RESULTS: A total of 155,616 patients diagnosed with AIS were admitted. Patients with a history of AF (n = 15,430), hypertension (n = 138,220), diabetes (n = 43,737), or hyperlipidemia (n = 16,855) were assessed separately. A 10 µg/m3 increase in daily PM2.5 was associated with a significant increase in AIS for individuals with AF at lag 4 (odds ratio (OR), 1.008; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.002-1.014), and with hypertension (OR, 1.008; 95% CI, 1.006-1.010), diabetes (OR, 1.006; 95% CI, 1.003-1.010), and hyperlipidemia (OR, 1.007; 95% CI, 1.001-1.012) at lags 0-7. Elderly (⩾ 65 years old) and female patients with AF had significantly higher associations at lag 5 (OR, 1.009; 95% CI, 1.002-1.015) and lag 5 (OR, 1.010; 95% CI, 1.002-1.018), respectively. CONCLUSION: Short-term exposure to PM2.5 is significantly associated with hospital admission for stroke in individuals with pre-existing medical histories, especially in older or female patients with AF. Preventive measures to reduce PM2.5 concentrations are particularly important in individuals with other medical co-morbidities.

Pre-stroke dementia and in-hospital outcomes in the Chinese Stroke Center Alliance.

Background: Little is known about the impact of prevalent dementia on in-hospital outcomes of patients with incident stroke in China. Using data from the Chinese Stroke Center Alliance (CSCA), we aim to quantify the prevalence of pre-stroke dementia and whether this group is at higher risk of adverse in-hospital outcomes compared to those without pre-stroke dementia. Methods: We used multivariable logistic regression models to assess the associations between pre-stroke dementia and ambulation by day 2, in-hospital mortality, in-hospital complications, and being discharged home. Covariates included age, sex, comorbidities [dyslipidemia, atrial fibrillation, peripheral vascular disease (PVD), smoking, and alcohol use], medication history (antiplatelet drugs or lipid-lowering drugs), stroke severity [measured by the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS)], administration of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA) within 4.5 hours of stroke onset, and receipt of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis if indicated. Results: In the final analytic sample of 559,070 ischemic stroke patients with no prior stroke history enrolled across 1,476 hospitals, those with pre-stroke dementia (n=1,511; 0.3%) were older and more likely to be female. Despite having received similar treatment, patients with pre-stroke dementia had lower odds of ambulating by day 2 [odds ratio (OR) =0.69; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.62-0.78], higher odds of in-hospital mortality (OR =2.01; 95% CI: 1.35-2.99) or complications (OR =2.17; 95% CI: 1.93-2.44), and lower odds of being discharged home compared to those without pre-stroke dementia (OR =0.71; 95% CI: 0.62-0.83). Conclusions: Worse in-hospital outcomes among patients with pre-stroke dementia may be explained by pre-existing cognitive impairment that limited their ability to advocate for care needs. Further research is needed to determine whether a different care pathway or additional attention from clinicians is necessary for patients with pre-stroke dementia.

Dysphagia screening and pneumonia after subarachnoid hemorrhage: Findings from the Chinese stroke center alliance.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Dysphagia is common and is associated with aspiration pneumonia. However, little is known about the prevalence of and factors influencing dysphagia screening (DS) and pneumonia after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). METHODS: We used data on SAH patients admitted to 1476 hospitals from the China Stroke Center Alliance (CSCA) from August 2015 to July 2019 to analyze the rates of DS and pneumonia. We then conducted univariate and multivariable analyses to examine the relationship between DS and pneumonia. RESULTS: Among 4877 SAH patients who were eligible for DS and had complete data on pneumonia status, 3527 (72.3%) underwent DS, and 1006 (20.6%) developed pneumonia. Compared with patients without pneumonia, patients with pneumonia were older (mean: 63.4 vs. 57.8 years of age), had lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores at admission (mean: 13.5 vs. 14.3), were more likely to have dysphagia (15.2% vs. 3.3%), and were more likely to have undergone aneurysm isolation (19.1% vs. 10.0%). In multivariable analyses, factors independently associated with a higher risk of pneumonia were dysphagia [odds ratio (OR), 3.77; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.85-4.98], age (OR, 1.50 per 10-year increase; 95% CI, 1.40-1.60), male sex (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.02-1.49), arrival at the hospital by emergency medical services (OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.16-1.58), nimodipine treatment (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.11-1.81), endovascular embolization of aneurysms (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.03-1.47), cerebral ventricular shunt placement (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.41-3.54), and treatment at a higher grade hospital (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.21-1.71). CONCLUSION: More than a quarter of patients with SAH did not have documented DS, while one-fifth developed pneumonia. DS performance was associated with a lower risk of pneumonia. Randomized controlled trials may be needed to determine the effectiveness of DS.

Sex Differences in Short-Term and Long-Term Outcomes Among Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke in China.

BACKGROUND: Sex differences in stroke outcomes are crucial to secondary prevention, but previous reports showed inconsistent results. We aimed to explore the sex differences in stroke outcomes in the Third China National Stroke Registry, a prospective multicenter registry study. METHODS: Among the 15 166 patients enrolled between 2015 and 2018, 9038 patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) were included. The primary outcomes were stroke recurrence, mortality, and unfavorable functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale > 2) at 3, 6, and 12 months. Cox regression model was used for stroke recurrence and mortality and logistic regression was used for the unfavorable functional outcome, and adjusted as follows: (1) Model 1: without adjustment; (2) Model 2: adjusted for potential risk factors, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale at admission, prestroke modified Rankin Scale, tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator) treatment, TOAST (Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment) classification, and onset-to-door time; (3) Model 3: adjusted for covariates from model 2 in addition to blood pressure and blood serum covariates. Multiple imputation was used for missing values, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to describe sex differences by age groups. RESULTS: One-third (2802/9038) of the patients were women. Women were significantly older than men (64.78±10.84 versus 61.26±11.42, P<0.001). In the fully adjusted model, female patients were more likely to have unfavorable functional outcomes at 3 months (odds ratio, 1.28 [1.09-1.50]), especially among patients aged 65 years or older (odds ratio, 1.39 [1.14-1.70]), but no difference was discovered in patients aged <65 years. There were no sex differences in stroke recurrence and mortality at 3, 6, or 12 months or unfavorable functional outcomes at 6 or 12 months after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with men, women with AIS were less likely to have favorable outcomes at 3 months in China, especially among those over 65 years of age. Experts should aim to tailor secondary prevention strategies for high-risk patients.

Assessment of Trends in Guideline-Based Oral Anticoagulant Prescription for Patients With Ischemic Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation in China.

Importance: Adherence to oral anticoagulants (OACs) per guideline recommendations is crucial in reducing ischemic stroke and systemic thromboembolism in high-risk patients with ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation. However, data on OAC use are underreported in China. Objective: To assess adherence to the Chinese Stroke Association or the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's clinical management guideline-recommended prescription of OACs, the temporal improvement in adherence, and the risk factors associated with OAC prescriptions. Design, Setting, and Participants: This quality improvement study was conducted at 1430 participating hospitals in the Chinese Stroke Center Alliance (CSCA) among patients with ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation enrolled in the CSCA between August 1, 2015, and July 31, 2019. Exposure: Calendar year. Main Outcomes and Measures: Adherence to the Chinese Stroke Association or the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's clinical management guideline-recommended prescribing of OACs (warfarin and non-vitamin K OACs, including dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban) at discharge. Results: Among 35 767 patients (18 785 women [52.5%]; mean [SD] age, 75.5 [9.2] years) with previous atrial fibrillation at admission, the median CHA2DS2-VASc (cardiac failure or dysfunction, hypertension, age 65-74 [1 point] or ≥75 years [2 points], diabetes, and stroke, transient ischemic attack or thromboembolism [2 points]-vascular disease, and sex category [female]) score was 4.0 (interquartile range, 3.0-5.0); 6303 (17.6%) were taking OACs prior to hospitalization for stroke, a rate that increased from 14.3% (20 of 140) in the third quarter of 2015 to 21.1% (118 of 560) in the third quarter of 2019 (P < .001 for trend). Of 49 531 eligible patients (26 028 men [52.5%]; mean [SD] age, 73.4 [10.4] years), 20 390 (41.2%) had an OAC prescription at discharge, an increase from 23.2% (36 of 155) in the third quarter of 2015 to 47.1% (403 of 856) in the third quarter of 2019 (P < .001 for trend). Warfarin was the most commonly prescribed OAC (11 956 [24.2%]) and had the largest temporal increase (from 5.8% [9 of 155] to 20.7% [177 of 856]). Older age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] per 5 year increase, 0.89;95% CI, 0.89-0.90), lower levels of education (aOR for below elementary school, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.74-0.95 ), lower income (aOR for ≤¥1000 [$154], 0.66; 95% CI, 0.59-0.73), having new rural cooperative medical scheme insurance (aOR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.87-0.96), prior antiplatelet use (aOR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.66-0.74), having several cardiovascular comorbid conditions (including stroke or transient ischemic attack [aOR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.75-0.82], hypertension [aOR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.80-0.89], diabetes [aOR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.83-0.99], dyslipidemia [aOR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.80-0.94], carotid stenosis [aOR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.69-0.98], and peripheral vascular disease [aOR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.71-0.90]), and admission to secondary hospitals (aOR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.68-0.74) or hospitals located in the central region of China (aOR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.75-0.84) were associated with not being prescribed an OAC at discharge. Conclusions and Relevance: This quality improvement study suggests that, despite significant improvement over time, OAC prescriptions remained low. Efforts to increase OAC prescriptions, especially non-vitamin K OACs, are needed for vulnerable subgroups by age, socioeconomic status, and presence of comorbid conditions.

In-hospital prognosis of first-ever noncardiogenic ischemic stroke in patients with and without indication for prestroke antiplatelet therapy: Chinese Stroke Center Alliance.

BACKGROUND: It is unknown about the influence of prestroke antiplatelet use on early outcomes in patients with and without the indication. We aimed to evaluate the in-hospital prognosis of first-ever noncardiogenic ischemic stroke patients with and without indications of antiplatelet use for primary prevention. METHODS: This was a retrospective, observational study based on a prospective hospital-based registry (Chinese Stroke Center Alliance). Using the data with 436,660 first-ever noncardiogenic acute ischemic strokes recorded from Aug 1, 2015, to July 31, 2019, from 1,453 hospitals in China, we examined the associations between the indication for prestroke antiplatelet use and in-hospital clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Among 436,660 first-ever noncardiogenic ischemic stroke patients, 42,409 patients (9.7%) had a documented previous vascular indication and 394,251 (90.3%) did not. Compared to those without, patients with the indication were associated with increased prevalence of in-hospital morbid conditions, including stroke severity (OR 2.71; 95% CI: 2.62-2.81; P<0.0001), length of stay >14 days (OR 1.16; 95% CI: 1.13-1.19; P<0.0001), mortality (OR 2.20; 95% CI: 1.96-2.46, P<0.0001), and recurrence of ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) (OR 1.5; 95% CI: 1.43-1.59, P<0.0001). Among patients without indication, prestroke antiplatelet use was associated with lower mortality (OR 0.73, 95% CI: 0.56-0.96; P=0.0221); while among patients with indication, those receiving prestroke antiplatelet had lower odds ratios in stroke severity (P<0.0001) and disability (P=0.0003) than those who not. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with indications of prestroke antiplatelet use were more likely to have unfavorable outcomes than those without. Prestroke antiplatelet might be associated with lower mortality, less disability, and less stroke severity in certain population groups. Future studies to improve risk prediction rules are needed to guide effective primary prevention for ischemic stroke.

Emergent loading dose of antiplatelets for stenting after IV rt-PA in acute ischemic stroke: a feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: A loading dose of antiplatelets reduces in-stent thrombosis after stent implantation. However, whether it is safe in patients undergoing acute stenting after intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is unclear. METHODS: A case series of acute ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous rt-PA followed by emergent stenting were prospectively included in Jinling Hospital Stroke Unit. An emergent loading dose of antiplatelets (aspirin 300 mg and clopidogrel 300 mg) were administered to all patients through a nasogastric tube immediately before stenting. Clinical and angiographic outcomes were evaluated in these patients. RESULTS: A total of 12 patients were included. The median of NIHSS score on admission was 15 points (interquartile range 11-19). The median of time from stroke symptom onset to start IV rt-PA and stent placement was 172 min (interquartile range 123.75-189) and 311.5 min (interquartile range 285.5-349.5), respectively. All patients reached complete or partial recanalization (TICI ≥2a). One patient occurred hemorrhagic transformation at 24 h following the emergent loading dose of antiplatelets. A favorable outcome as defined by mRS ≤2 at 90 days was obtained in 58.3% (7/12) of all patients. CONCLUSION: Our finding preliminary suggested that an emergent loading dose of antiplatelets may be safe and feasible for acute stenting after IV rt-PA.

Neuropsychiatric Symptom Clusters in Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack by Cognitive Status and Stroke Subtype: Frequency and Relationships with Vascular Lesions, Brain Atrophy and Amyloid.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study are 1) to examine the frequencies of neuropsychiatric symptom clusters in patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) by cognitive level and stroke subtype; and 2) to evaluate effect of demographic, clinical, and neuroimaging measures of chronic brain changes and amyloid upon neuropsychiatric symptom clusters. METHODS: Hospital-based, cross-sectional study. 518 patients were administered the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) 3-6 months post index admission. NPI symptoms were classified into four symptom clusters (Behavioral Problems, Psychosis, Mood Disturbance & Euphoria) derived from a confirmatory factor analysis of the 12 NPI items. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine independent associations between demographic, clinical and neuroimaging measures of chronic brain changes (white matter changes, old infarcts, whole brain atrophy, medial temporal lobe atrophy [MTLA] and frontal lobe atrophy [FLA]) with the presence of NPI symptoms and all symptom clusters except euphoria. 11C-Pittsburg Compound B Positron Emission Tomography (11C-PiB PET) was performed in 24 patients to measure amyloid retention for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) pathology. RESULTS: 50.6% of the whole sample, including 28.7% cognitively normal and 66.7% of patients with mild cognitive symptoms, had ≥1 NPI symptoms. Frequencies of symptom clusters were largely similar between stroke subtypes. Compared to patients with cardioembolic stroke and intracranial haemorrhage, those with TIA had less frequent mood disturbance. Stroke severity at admission and MTLA were the most robust correlates of symptoms. FLA was associated with behavioral problems cluster only. Frequency of symptom clusters did not differ between patients with and without significant amyloid retention. CONCLUSION: Frequency of neuropsychiatric symptoms increased with level of cognitive impairment but was largely similar between stroke subtypes. Stroke severity and MTLA were associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms. AD pathology appeared to be unrelated to neuropsychiatric manifestations but further studies with larger sample size are required to substantiate this finding.

Relations between Recent Past Leisure Activities with Risks of Dementia and Cognitive Functions after Stroke.

BACKGROUND: Leisure activity participation has been shown to lower risks of cognitive decline in non-stroke populations. However, effects of leisure activities participation upon cognitive functions and risk of dementia after stroke are unclear. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of recent past leisure activities participation upon cognitive functions and risk of incident dementia after stroke. METHODS: Hospital-based, retrospective cohort study. 88 of 1,013 patients with stroke or TIA having no prestroke dementia were diagnosed to have incident poststroke dementia (PSD) 3-6 months after stroke. Regular participation (≥3 times per week) in intellectual, recreational, social and physical activities over the year before the index stroke was retrospectively recorded at 3-6 months after stroke. RESULTS: Logistic regression analyses showed that regular participation in intellectual (RR 0.36, 95%CI 0.20-0.63) and stretching & toning physical exercise (0.37, 0.21-0.64) was significantly associated with a reduced risk of PSD after controlling for age, education, prestroke cognitive decline, stroke subtype, prior strokes and chronic brain changes including white matter changes, old infarcts and global atrophy. Results were similar in patients with past strokes in unadjusted models. Participation in increased number of activities in general (r = 0.41, p<0.01) and in intellectual (r = 0.40, p<0.01), recreational (r = 0.24, p<0.01), strenuous aerobic (r = 0.23, p<0.01) and mind-body (r = 0.10, p<0.01) activities was associated with higher poststroke Mini-mental State Examination scores in models adjusted for prestroke cognitive decline. CONCLUSIONS: Regular participation in intellectual activities and stretching & toning exercise was associated with a significantly reduced short-term risk of PSD in patients with and without recurrent strokes. Participation in greater number of recent past leisure activities was associated with better poststroke cognitive performance. Findings of this retrospective cohort study call for studies of activity intervention for prevention of cognitive decline in individuals at elevated risk of stroke.

Severity assessment of intracranial large artery stenosis by pressure gradient measurements: A feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided revascularization strategy is popular in coronary intervention. However, the feasibility of assessing stenotic severity in intracranial large arteries using pressure gradient measurements still remains unclear. METHODS: Between March 2013 and May 2014, 12 consecutive patients with intracranial large artery stenosis (including intracranial internal carotid artery, middle cerebral M1 segment, intracranial vertebral artery, and basilar artery) were enrolled in this study. The trans-stenotic pressure gradient was measured before and/or after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting (PTAS), and was then compared with percent diameter stenosis. A Pd /Pa cut-off of ≤0.70 was used to guide stenting of hemodynamically significant stenoses. The device-related and procedure-related serious adverse events and recurrent cerebral ischemic events were recorded. RESULTS: The target vessel could be reached in all cases. No technical complications occurred due to the specific study protocol. Excellent pressure signals were obtained in all patients. For seven patients who performed PTAS, the mean pre-procedural pressure gradient decreased from 59.0 ± 17.2 to 13.3 ± 13.6 mm Hg after the procedure (P < 0.01). Only one patient who refused stenting experienced a TIA event in the ipsilateral MCA territory. No recurrent ischemic event was observed in other patients. CONCLUSION: Mean trans-stenotic pressure gradients can be safely and easily measured with a 0.014-inch fluid-filled guide wire in intracranial large arteries. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Volumetric magnetic resonance imaging correlates of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Canadian Stroke Network vascular cognitive impairment neuropsychology protocols.

BACKGROUND: Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) refers to the entire spectrum of cognitive dysfunction attributable to vascular changes in the brain. The objective of this study is to evaluate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) correlates of performance on the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Canadian Stroke Network (NINDS-CSN) VCI neuropsychology protocols. METHOD: Fifty ischemic stroke patients and 50 normal elderly persons completed the VCI protocols and MRI. Relationships between the four cognitive domains (executive/activation, language, visuospatial, and memory) and three protocol (60-, 30-, and 5-min) summary scores with MRI measures of volumes of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and global brain and hippocampal atrophy were assessed using linear regression. RESULTS: All cognitive domain scores were associated with WMH volume and, with the exception of language domain, with global atrophy. Additional relationships were found between executive/activation and language domains with left hippocampal volume, visuospatial domain with right hippocampal volume, and memory domain with bilateral hippocampal volumes. All protocol summary scores showed comparable relationships with WMH and hippocampal volumes, with additional relationships found between the 60- and 30-min protocols with global brain volume. CONCLUSIONS: Performance on the NINDS-CSN VCI protocols reflects underlying volumetric brain changes implicated in cognitive dysfunctions in VCI.

[Prognostic effect of posterior cerebral artery laterality on middle cerebral artery occlusion].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the prognostic value of posterior cerebral artery (PCA) laterality in patients with symptomatic middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion on standard medical therapy. METHODS: Forty consecutive patients with first onset isolated atherosclerotic occlusion in M1 segment of MCA received medication from June 2009 to March 2013. All patients underwent magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) for assessment of PCA laterality. Clinical data and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 3 months were compared between PCA positive and negative patients. Retrospective analysis was performed on their clinical and imaging data. RESULTS: Among them, 20 patients (50%) showed PCA laterality on MRA and 32 patients (80%) completed a 3-month follow-up. No significant difference existed between PCA laterality positive and negative groups in a favorable outcome of mRS = 0-1 at 3 months (P = 0.433). CONCLUSION: The presence of PCA laterality showed no prognostic effect on patients with symptomatic MCA occlusion on standard medical therapy.

The NINDS-Canadian stroke network vascular cognitive impairment neuropsychology protocols in Chinese.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) affects up to half of stroke survivors and predicts poor outcomes. Valid and reliable assessement for VCI is lacking, especially for the Chinese population. In 2005, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and Canadian Stroke Network (NINDS-CSN) Harmonisation workshop proposed a set of three neuropsychology protocols for VCI evaluation. This paper is to introduce the protocol design and to report the psychometric properties of the Chinese NINDS-CSN VCI protocols. METHODS: Fifty patients with mild stroke (mean National Institute of Health Stroke Scale 2.2 (SD=3.2)) and 50 controls were recruited. The NINDS-CSN VCI protocols were adapted into Chinese. We assessed protocols' (1) external validity, defined by how well the protocol summary scores differentiated patients from controls using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis; (2) concurrent validity, by correlations with functional measures including Stroke Impact Scale memory score and Chinese Disability Assessment for Dementia; (3) internal consistency; and (4) ease of administration. RESULTS: All three protocols differentiated patients from controls (area under ROC for the three protocols between 0.77 to 0.79, p<0.001), and significantly correlated with the functional measures (Pearson r ranged from 0.37 to 0.51). A cut-off of 19/20 on MMSE identified only one-tenth of patients classified as impaired on the 5-min protocol. Cronbach's α across the four cognitive domains of the 60-min protocol was 0.78 for all subjects and 0.76 for stroke patients. CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese NINDS-CSN VCI protocols are valid and reliable for cognitive assessment in Chinese patients with mild stroke.

Evaluation of age-related white matter changes using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography.

BACKGROUND: Age-related white matter changes (WMC) increase risk of cognitive and functional decline. They are considered as target for preventive trials. However, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to screen for subclinical WMC is not cost-effective. We explored the clinical utility of transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) in the evaluation of WMC. We hypothesized that the pulsatility index (PI) of TCD correlates with severity of WMC. METHODS: Among 100 stroke patients with WMC, we obtained the mean PI of middle cerebral artery (MCA) and vertebral basilar artery (VB). We investigated the association between PI and WMC volume. We also obtained PI of 50 subjects who had no WMC on MRI and explored the ability of PI values in differentiating subjects with and without WMC. RESULTS: Multivariate linear regressions found that mean MCA PI and mean VB PI were independent predictors for total WMC volume (beta = .43, P < .001 and beta = .37, P < .001, respectively). Mean MCA PI significantly differentiated patients with WMC from those without WMC (area under curve [AUC] .85 [95% confidence interval .78-.91]) with an optimal cut-off value at 1.15 that yielded sensitivity and specificity of 73.7% and 82%, respectively. AUC for mean VB PI was .81 (95% confidence interval .74-.88) with cut-off value at 1.06 that yielded sensitivity and specificity of 70% and 75%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: PI correlates with volume of WMC. It may help to differentiate those with and without WMC in stroke patients. Further study evaluating the clinical utility of TCD in screening for subclinical WMC among community elderly is warranted.

Age-related white matter changes.

Age-related white matter changes (WMC) are considered manifestation of arteriolosclerotic small vessel disease and are related to age and vascular risk factors. Most recent studies have shown that WMC are associated with a host of poor outcomes, including cognitive impairment, dementia, urinary incontinence, gait disturbances, depression, and increased risk of stroke and death. Although the clinical relevance of WMC has been extensively studied, to date, only very few clinical trials have evaluated potential symptomatic or preventive treatments for WMC. In this paper, we reviewed the current understanding in the pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical importance, chemical biomarkers, and treatments of age-related WMC.

Frequency and predictors of proxy-confirmed post-stroke cognitive complaints in lacunar stroke patients without major depression.

OBJECTIVE: Many lacunar stroke patients complained of cognitive decline after stroke. This study aims to investigate the factors underlying post-stroke cognitive complaints in these patients. METHODS: Seventy-five consecutive lacunar stroke patients without major depression were recruited for the study. Stroke severity was measured using NIHSS score and MRI was performed during the acute admission period. At 3 months, objective psychometric performance and depressive symptoms were assessed. Post-stroke cognitive complaints were corroborated by a proxy. Using logistic regression we examined the contribution of demographic features, stroke severity, objective psychometric scores, depressive symptoms, and imaging features (white matter lesion volume and infarct measures) to post-stroke cognitive complaints. RESULTS: Thirty-two (42.7%) patients had post-stroke cognitive complaints. Patients with post-stroke cognitive complaints had more depressive symptoms and worse psychometric performance than those without. In the multivariate logistic regression model, only the severity of depressive symptoms was independently associated with post-stroke cognitive complaints. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that post-stroke cognitive complaints are frequent among lacunar stroke patients without major depression and are prominently determined by the subclinical depressive symptomatology.