Stroke; a journal of cerebral circulation
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Chronic pain syndromes after ischemic stroke: PRoFESS trial.
Chronic pain syndromes are reported to be common after stroke, but most previous epidemiological studies have generally included small cohorts of patients with relatively short-term follow-up. In a large cohort with ischemic stroke (Prevention Regimen for Effectively avoiding Second Stroke [PRoFESS] trial), we determined the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical consequence of new poststroke pain syndromes. ⋯ Chronic pain syndromes are common after ischemic stroke and are associated with increased functional dependence and cognitive decline.
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Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are a marker of small vessel diseases, including hypertensive arteriopathy and cerebral amyloid angiopathy, and may be associated with cognitive impairment. The relationship between CMBs and cognitive function in ischemic cerebrovascular disease remains uncertain. We, therefore, investigated the cognitive impact of CMBs in a cohort of patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. ⋯ Strictly lobar CMBs are independently associated with executive dysfunction in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. Our findings suggest that a microangiopathy related to strictly lobar CMBs (eg, cerebral amyloid angiopathy) contributes to cognitive impairment in this population.
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To date, there is no immediate radiographic surrogate to quantify primary cerebral injury to identify patients at risk for delayed cerebral ischemia and poor clinical outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Therefore, we investigated the relation of early cerebral perfusion-computerized tomography and clot volume with radiological events of delayed cerebral ischemia and clinical outcome in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. ⋯ Assessment of early cerebral perfusion and intracranial blood clot may serve as a radiographic surrogate for delayed cerebral ischemia and functional outcome in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage using risk group modeling.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Efficacy of coupling inhibitory and facilitatory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to enhance motor recovery in hemiplegic stroke patients.
Although there has been extensive research on the effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to improve patients' motor performance after experiencing chronic stroke, explicit findings on the coupling of different rTMS protocols are meager. We designed this sham-controlled randomized study to investigate the potential for a consecutive suppressive-facilitatory TMS protocol to improve motor outcomes after chronic stroke. ⋯ Our clinical trials established an extended timeframe during which conditioning could be safely continued and produced more favorable outcomes in facilitating motor performance and ameliorating interhemispheric imbalance than those obtained from single-course rTMS modulation alone.