International journal of stroke : official journal of the International Stroke Society
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Poststroke apathy affects 19-55% of patients following stroke and has a negative impact on functional recovery, general health, and quality of life, as well as being a source of significant burden for caregivers. ⋯ These results indicate that early poststroke alterations of sleep/wake circadian rhythms--easily evaluated by actigraphy--are associated with a higher risk of poststroke apathy at three-months. In terms of clinical outcomes, our results provide targets for very early identification of patients at risk to develop apathy after stroke and for assessing when to start specific therapy to optimize rehabilitation efficiency.
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Admitting facility may significantly affect outcome for spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage patients. We assessed outcomes of patients admitted directly to a comprehensive stroke center with those initially admitted to a general hospital and subsequently transferred. The comprehensive stroke center included a neurocritical care ICU, cerebrovascular neurosurgeons and endovascular specialists. ⋯ Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage patients admitted directly to our comprehensive stroke center showed less complications compared to those transferred from general hospitals. This improvement was independent of time to treatment. Additional research in multiple centers using prospective analysis should be conducted to confirm that preferential direct transport to a comprehensive stroke center would likely yield considerable improvements in public health.
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Clinical outcome after large-vessel occlusive strokes depends on admitting clinical condition, successful recanalization, and robust collateral circulation. However, predicting successful recanalization and quantifying collateral status in the acute setting remain elusive. Successful recanalization has many predictive factors. ⋯ Patients with large-vessel occlusive strokes have variable clinical responses to fibrinolysis and thrombectomy. Independent predictive variables that can possibly alter clinical outcome appear to be successful recanalization and robust collateral circulation. Future studies that allow for better prediction of successful recanalization and quantification of collateral status may help clinical decision-making when evaluating large-vessel occlusions.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Worse stroke outcome in atrial fibrillation is explained by more severe hypoperfusion, infarct growth, and hemorrhagic transformation.
Atrial fibrillation is associated with greater baseline neurological impairment and worse outcomes following ischemic stroke. Previous studies suggest that greater volumes of more severe baseline hypoperfusion in patients with history of atrial fibrillation may explain this association. We further investigated this association by comparing patients with and without atrial fibrillation on initial examination following stroke using pooled multimodal magnetic resonance imaging and clinical data from the Echoplanar Imaging Thrombolytic Evaluation Trial and the Diffusion and Perfusion Imaging Evaluation for Understanding Stroke Evolution studies. ⋯ Atrial fibrillation is associated with greater volumes of more severe baseline hypoperfusion, leading to higher infarct growth, more frequent severe hemorrhagic transformation and worse stroke outcomes.
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Multiple potential causes of stroke may coexist in ischemic stroke patients, which may affect long-term outcome. ⋯ Coexisting potential causes of ischemic stroke impact on long-term mortality. Identification of coexisting potential causes may help to predict stroke outcomes and to guide planning secondary prevention strategies.