Lancet neurology
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Multicenter Study
Asymptomatic embolisation for prediction of stroke in the Asymptomatic Carotid Emboli Study (ACES): a prospective observational study.
Whether surgery is beneficial for patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis is controversial. Better methods of identifying patients who are likely to develop stroke would improve the risk-benefit ratio for carotid endarterectomy. We aimed to investigate whether detection of asymptomatic embolic signals by use of transcranial doppler (TCD) could predict stroke risk in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis. ⋯ British Heart Foundation.
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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common, complex neurological disease. The precise aetiology of MS is not yet known, although epidemiological data indicate that both genetic and environmental factors are important. The evidence that the environment acts long before MS becomes clinically evident is well established and suggests the existence of a prodromal phase for the disease. ⋯ Studying a prodrome requires techniques other than clinical observation such as monitoring endophenotypes that result from associated risk factors. However, our current knowledge of causal pathways and endophenotypes in MS is limited. Identifying and studying individuals with a high risk of developing the disease provides a powerful opportunity to understand the MS causal cascade and is highly relevant to strategies that are aimed at preventing this debilitating disease.
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The term cerebral small vessel disease refers to a group of pathological processes with various aetiologies that affect the small arteries, arterioles, venules, and capillaries of the brain. Age-related and hypertension-related small vessel diseases and cerebral amyloid angiopathy are the most common forms. The consequences of small vessel disease on the brain parenchyma are mainly lesions located in the subcortical structures such as lacunar infarcts, white matter lesions, large haemorrhages, and microbleeds. ⋯ This classification, however, restricts the definition of small vessel disease to ischaemic lesions and might be misleading. Small vessel disease has an important role in cerebrovascular disease and is a leading cause of cognitive decline and functional loss in the elderly. Small vessel disease should be a main target for preventive and treatment strategies, but all types of presentation and complications should be taken into account.
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Biography Historical Article
Ralph Sacco: putting the heart into neurology.