Journal of neurology
-
Journal of neurology · Apr 2018
Riluzole and other prognostic factors in ALS: a population-based registry study in Italy.
In this prospective population-based registry study on ALS survival, we investigated the role of riluzole treatment, together with other clinical factors, on the prognosis in incident ALS cases in Emilia Romagna Region (ERR), Italy. ⋯ Independently from other prognostic factors, patients who received riluzole for a longer period of time survived longer, but further population based studies are needed to verify if long-tem use of riluzole prolongs survival.
-
Journal of neurology · Apr 2018
Longitudinal predictors of caregiver burden in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a population-based cohort of patient-caregiver dyads.
Caregiver burden is a recognised consequence of caring for a patient with neurodegeneration. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) differs from other neurodegenerations by its rapid progression and impairment of motor, cognitive, and behavioural function, which contribute to caregiver burden. However, longitudinal factors that determine the extent of caregiver burden, and in particular the impact of psychological distress among caregivers, have not been fully established. ⋯ In a patient cohort with relatively preserved cognitive function (65%), anxiety and depression at Time 1, as measured by the HADS, were the best predictors of caregiver burden at Time 3. This observation provides a mechanism by which caregiver burden can be identified by health-care professionals and a stepped care programme of intervention initiated.
-
Journal of neurology · Apr 2018
Predicting functional outcomes of posterior circulation acute ischemic stroke in first 36 h of stroke onset.
Posterior circulation acute ischemic stroke constitutes one-fourth of all ischemic strokes and can be efficiently quantified using the posterior circulation Alberta stroke program early computed tomography score (PC-ASPECTS) through diffusion-weighted imaging. We investigated whether the PC-ASPECTS and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) facilitate functional outcome prediction among Chinese patients with posterior circulation acute ischemic stroke. Participants were selected from our prospective stroke registry from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2016. ⋯ On ROC curve analysis, the PC-ASPECTS demonstrated more reliability than the baseline NIHSS for predicting functional outcomes of minor posterior circulation stroke. In conclusion, both the PC-ASPECTS and NIHSS help clinicians predict functional outcomes. PC-ASPECTS > 7 is a helpful discriminator for achieving favorable functional outcome prediction in posterior circulation acute ischemic stroke.