Chronic small vessel disease affects clinical outcome in patients with acute striatocapsular stroke.

BACKGROUND: Recovery from stroke is presumed to be a function of a cerebral network. Chronic small vessel disease (SVD) has been shown to disrupt this network's integrity and has been proposed as a predictor of poor outcome after stroke. We studied this hypothesis in patients with acute ischemic stroke of the striatocapsular region, an area of pronounced cortical and subcortical connectivity. METHODS: We identified 62 patients with isolated striatocapsular stroke from our stroke registry. The standardized workup included clinical rating according to the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and MRI, rated according to the Fazekas scale for the extent of SVD, ranging from grade 0 to III. MRS at admission, at discharge, and a short-term recovery parameter (the difference between mRS at admission and discharge) were correlated with the extent of SVD. Comorbidity was assessed with the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI). RESULTS: SVD was graded 0 in 7%, I in 60%, II in 18%, and III in 16% of patients. The median mRS at discharge for the groups was 2, 1, 2 and 4, and the median recovery parameter was 2, 1, 1 and 0.5, respectively. The extent of SVD significantly correlated with both the mRS at discharge and the recovery parameter. While age was also a significant predictor of these outcome parameters, SVD severity was a significant predictor even after correction for age or CCI. CONCLUSIONS: SVD is a predictor of poor outcome and recovery in striatocapsular stroke, independent of age or comorbidity. Severe SVD disturbs the integrity of the cerebral network leading to aggravation of and poor recovery from neurological deficits.

Vestibular testing in children - The suppression head impulse (SHIMP) test.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of vestibular disorders and vertigo during childhood is increasing and pediatric clinicians have become more sensitive to children's balance disorders; thus, there is a need for appropriate detection test procedures for peripheral vestibular hypofunction. In order to ensure a reliable diagnosis and minimize misdiagnosis, a standardized clinical procedure via careful history and clinical examination is recommended. However, children, especially, are often unable to verbalize "vertigo" in a concrete manner, which often necessitates a consultation with a pediatrician holding nonspecific symptoms. The so-called suppression of the head impulse test (SHIMPs) represents a modification of the video head impulse test (HIMP) and is used for a more sensitive assessment of residual vestibular functions. In adults, SHIMPs are already an established diagnostic method. Nevertheless, to date, nothing is known about the applicability and standard values in childhood. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this monocentric, prospective study, we investigated whether SHIMPs enable a sensitive functional analysis of the vestibular system in healthy children of different ages. For this purpose, SHIMPs were performed in 40 children aged 3-18 years. RESULTS: In this study, we demonstrated that SHIMPs can be easily performed in children (3-18 years). It is vital that the test be appropriately explained for children to ensure sufficient test tolerance and compliance. CONCLUSION: SHIMPs are a helpful supplement to clinically established vestibular tests such as the HIMP in pediatric vestibular balance disorder diagnostics and can be integrated into the clinical routine, especially in children who have minimal verbal abilities or understanding of the instructions for HIMP. Similar to the HIMP, SHIMPs are characterized by a short test duration and a high tolerance.

Risk scores for transient ischemic attack.

The risk of recurrent ischemic stroke after a transient ischemic attack (TIA) has been reported to be 5-10%, and is elevated especially within the first days after the index event. Since TIA primarily has a good outcome without persisting new deficits, interest has been growing to predict stroke recurrence after TIA. This has led to the development of scores, initially for long-term prognosis such as the Stroke Prognosis Instrument (SPI) or the Hankey score, which both have shown a good predictive value at 1 or 2 years after TIA. Risk factors such as age, hypertension or cardiovascular disease were integrated in these systems. Since the early risk prediction for stroke in patients presenting within 24 h after onset of symptoms became clinically more and more relevant in emergency stroke units, the ABCD score (for the predictive factors Age, Blood pressure, Clinical symptoms, Duration of symptoms) was developed. Validation was promising, and hence further scores were developed, which entailed a large number of studies trying to validate these systems or to improve them (e.g. ABCD(2), ABCD(2)I, ABCD(3), ABCD(3)I, CIP model, ASPIRE approach, ABCDE+ etc.). The main approaches were to include imaging results (such as DWI positivity) or etiologic considerations (e.g. carotid stenosis or atrial fibrillation). However, these new scores necessitate an extensive diagnostic workup, and therefore can only be used in large stroke centers. Currently, for acute TIA management, the use of ABCD(2) is recommended in several guidelines.

Antithrombotic therapy in transient ischemic attack patients.

Historically, studies of antithrombotic therapy in ischemic cerebrovascular disease have included both stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA). Thus, therapy regimes are very similar. Aspirin (75-325 mg within 48 h after onset of symptoms) is still the standard antithrombotic treatment because other agents have performed similarly (or worse). Combinations of agents have shown mixed results. Aspirin combined with clopidogrel has failed to show a significant reduction of stroke/TIA recurrences but increased the bleeding risk if taken for more than several months. The combination of aspirin and dipyridamole is slightly better than aspirin alone and in particular reduced nonfatal stroke/TIA - hence it is recommended as an alternative and may be used in patients with recurrent events while on regular aspirin. In contrast, combined treatment is regularly recommended after endovascular interventions and if both cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases are present. Warfarin and similar compounds have long been the standard treatment for most patients with permanent, paroxysmal or intermittent non-valvular atrial fibrillation, for which there is excellent evidence in most patients (CHADS-VASc score >1). New compounds have been approved in recent years and shown to reduce either ischemic events, intracranial bleeding complications or both when compared with warfarin. None of them requires regular therapy monitoring. Because there are no head-to-head comparisons of these newer agents, definite recommendations as to which to choose, and when, are hard to make. However, there are some notable differences as well as new approved entities.