Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · May 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyComparison of the effects of high- and low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on upper limb hemiparesis in the early phase of stroke.
Recently, high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) and low-frequency rTMS (LF-rTMS) are reported to improve motor function significantly in chronic hemiparetic stroke patients. However, few studies have investigated the safety and efficacy of these rTMS modalities introduced during the early phase of stroke. The purpose of this study was to clarify the rTMS modality that is more beneficial for upper limb hemiparesis in the early phase of stroke using a randomized controlled trial. ⋯ HF-rTMS applied to the lesional hemisphere in the early phase of stroke was more beneficial for motor improvement of the affected upper limb than LF-rTMS.
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · May 2013
Is there a decreased risk of intracerebral hemorrhage and mortality in obese patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke?
The current guidelines do not recommend increasing the dose of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rt-PA) for ischemic stroke patients weighing >100 kg. Obese patients are therefore receiving an IV rt-PA dose <0.9 mg/kg; however, the consequences of such underdosing are unknown. Our goal was to determine the relationship between obesity and clinical outcomes among acute ischemic stroke patients receiving IV rt-PA. ⋯ Obese patients receiving IV rt-PA treatment for acute ischemic stroke appear to have a higher survival rate most likely related to their decreased rates of intracerebral hemorrhage.