Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Apr 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyPredictors of stroke recurrence in patients with recent lacunar stroke and response to interventions according to risk status: secondary prevention of small subcortical strokes trial.
Among participants in the Secondary Prevention of Small Subcortical Strokes randomized trial, we sought to identify patients with high versus low rates of recurrent ischemic stroke and to assess effects of aggressive blood pressure control and dual antiplatelet therapy according to risk status. ⋯ In this large, carefully followed cohort of patients with recent lacunar stroke and aggressive blood pressure management, prior symptomatic lacunar ischemia, diabetes, black race, and male sex independently predicted ischemic stroke recurrence. The effects of blood pressure targets and dual antiplatelet therapy were similar across the spectrum of independent risk factors and recurrence risk.
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Feb 2014
Multicenter StudyQuality of acute ischemic stroke care in Thailand: a prospective multicenter countrywide cohort study.
Data concerning quality of acute stroke care and outcome are scarce in developing countries. ⋯ Limited access to acute ischemic stroke care interventions were observed in many domains especially thrombolysis and stroke unit admission. These findings emphasize an urgent need for strategies to improve standard acute stroke care among developing countries.
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Nov 2013
Multicenter StudyInterobserver reproducibility of signal intensity ratio on magnetic resonance angiography for hemodynamic impact of intracranial atherosclerosis.
Changes of signal intensities (SIs) across intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) on magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) may reflect hemodynamic impact of the lesion. We evaluated the interobserver reproducibility of an index termed signal intensity ratio (SIR), developed in a previous study to represent the changes of SIs across ICAS on MRA. ⋯ SIR was demonstrated to be highly reproducible between observers in the present study. Future studies are warranted to further explore the role of this index in comprehensive evaluation and risk stratification of symptomatic ICAS.
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Nov 2013
Multicenter StudyThe impact of intracranial carotid artery calcification on the development of thrombolysis-induced intracerebral hemorrhage.
We aimed to assess whether intracranial carotid artery calcification (ICAC) evident on head computed tomography is a risk factor for symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) following tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) treatment for acute stroke. ⋯ A significantly higher percentage of patients with moderate to severe ICAC developed ICH following tPA administration for stroke. ICAC severity is an independent risk factor for ICH events. ICAC severity can help predict short-term and long-term functional dependency in tPA-treated patients, although this can be confounded by other cardiovascular risk factors and stroke severity.
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Aug 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyThe iScore predicts efficacy and risk of bleeding in the National Institute of Neurological disorders and Stroke Tissue Plasminogen Activator Stroke Trial.
The iScore is a validated tool to estimate outcomes after an acute ischemic stroke. A previous study showed the iScore can predict clinical response and risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) after administration of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). We applied the iScore (www.sorcan.ca/iscore) to participants in the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke tPA stroke trials to evaluate its ability to estimate clinical response and risk of ICH after thrombolysis. ⋯ Despite the higher favorable composite outcome of tPA therapy in patients with an iScore <200 (58.7% v 41.9%; P < .001), this therapy had no benefit in patients with an iScore ≥ 200 (15.4% v 13.4%; P = .77). In patients receiving tPA in the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke trial, the iScore estimated the clinical response and risk of hemorrhagic complications. Further prospective studies are needed before a change in practice can be recommended.