Stroke; a journal of cerebral circulation
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Comparative Study
Enlarged perivascular spaces on MRI are a feature of cerebral small vessel disease.
Enlarged perivascular spaces in the brain are common but generally overlooked and of uncertain pathophysiology. They may reflect underlying cerebral small vessel disease. We determined whether enlarged perivascular spaces were associated with lacunar stroke subtype and white matter hyperintensities, markers of established small vessel disease. ⋯ Although prevalent in patients with vascular risk factors and stroke, enlarged perivascular spaces are specifically associated with lacunar ischemic stroke and white matter hyperintensities. Further studies should determine the mechanism of this association while including adequate controls to account for stroke and vascular risk factors. Enlarged perivascular spaces should not be overlooked in studies of small vessel disease.
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Comparative Study
Therapeutic milestone: stroke declines from the second to the third leading organ- and disease-specific cause of death in the United States.
Stroke mortality rates declined for much of the second half of the 20th century, but recent trends and their relation to other organ- and disease-specific causes of death have not been characterized. ⋯ With stroke death rates decreasing substantially in the United States from 1996 to 2005, stroke moved from the second to the third leading organ- and disease-specific cause of death. Women and blacks may warrant attention for targeted stroke prevention and treatment because they continue to have disproportionately high stroke death rates.
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Review Meta Analysis
Safety and efficacy of ultrasound-enhanced thrombolysis: a comprehensive review and meta-analysis of randomized and nonrandomized studies.
Ultrasound-enhanced thrombolysis is a promising new approach to facilitate reperfusion therapies for acute ischemic stroke. So far, 3 different ultrasound technologies were used to increase the thrombolytic activity of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), including transcranial Doppler (TCD), transcranial color-coded duplex (TCCD), and low-frequency ultrasound. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ultrasound-enhanced thrombolysis compared to the current standard of care (intravenous tPA). ⋯ The present safety and signal-of-efficacy data of high-frequency ultrasound-enhanced thrombolysis should be taken into account in the design of future randomized controlled trials.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Effects of early intensive blood pressure-lowering treatment on the growth of hematoma and perihematomal edema in acute intracerebral hemorrhage: the Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction in Acute Cerebral Haemorrhage Trial (INTERACT).
The Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction In Acute Cerebral Haemorrhage Trial (INTERACT) study suggests that early intensive blood pressure (BP) lowering can attenuate hematoma growth at 24 hours after intracerebral hemorrhage. The present analyses aimed to determine the effects of treatment on hematoma and perihematomal edema over 72 hours. ⋯ Early intensive BP-lowering treatment attenuated hematoma growth over 72 hours in intracerebral hemorrhage. There were no appreciable effects on perihematomal edema.