No abstract

Background and Purpose— Endovascular treatment for large vessel occlusion in ischemic stroke has proven to be effective in large clinical trials. We aimed to provide real-world estimates of endovascular treatment reperfusion rates and functional outcome on a countrywide scale. Methods— Two thousand seven hundred ninety-four patients with large vessel occlusion were included into an investigator-initiated, industry-independent, prospective registry in 25 sites in Germany between June 2015 and April 2018. The primary outcome was the score on the modified Rankin Scale ranging from zero (no symptoms) to 6 (death) at 3 months. Secondary analyses included the prediction of a good outcome (modified Rankin Scale, 0–2). Dichotomized analyses of predictors were performed using logistic regression adjusted for potential confounders. Results— Median age was 75 years (interquartile range, 64–82); median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 15 (interquartile range, 10–19). Vessel occlusion was in the anterior circulation in 2265 patients (88%) and in the posterior circulation in 303 patients (12%). Intravenous alteplase before endovascular treatment was given in 1457 patients (56%). Successful reperfusion was achieved in 2143 subjects (83%). At 3 months, 854 patients (37%) showed a good outcome; mortality was 29%. There was no difference between anterior and posterior circulation occlusions ( P =0.27). Significant predictors for a good outcome were younger age (odds ratio [OR], 1.06; 95% CI, 1.05–1.07), no interhospital transfer (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.03–1.88), lower stroke severity (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.08–1.13), smaller infarct size (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.15–1.39), alteplase use (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.08–2.06), and reperfusion success (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.45–1.96). Conclusions— High rates of favorable outcome can be achieved on a countrywide scale by endovascular treatment. Mortality appears to be greater in the daily routine than otherwise reported by authors of large randomized trials. There were no outcome differences between the anterior and posterior circulation. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT03356392.

Objective: To study remote effects distant from acute ischemic infarcts by measuring longitudinal changes of cortical thickness in connected brain regions as well as changes in microstructural integrity in connecting fiber tracts.Methods: Thirty-two patients (mean age 71 years) underwent a standardized protocol including multimodal MRI and clinical assessment both at stroke onset and 6 months after the event. Cortex connected to acute infarcts was identified by probabilistic diffusion tensor tractography starting from the acute lesion. Changes of cortical thickness were measured using the longitudinal stream of FreeSurfer. Microstructural damage in white matter tracts was assessed by changes of mean diffusivity. Results:We found focal cortical thinning specifically in areas connected to acute infarcts (p , 0.001). Thinning was more pronounced in regions showing a high probability of connectivity to infarcts. Microstructural damage in white matter tracts connecting acute infarcts with distant cortex significantly correlated with thickness changes in that region (r 5 20.39, p 5 0.028). There was no indication of an influence of cavitation status or infarct etiology on the observed changes in cortex and white matter.Conclusions: These findings identify secondary degeneration of connected white matter tracts and remote cortex as key features of acute ischemic infarcts. Our observations may have implications for the understanding of structural and functional reorganization after stroke. Remote cortical effects of acute infarcts critically contribute to functional reorganization after stroke and influence clinical outcome.1,2 We recently identified focal cortical thinning as a potential structural correlate of remote effects after ischemic lesions. In a small retrospective study on 9 patients with inherited small vessel disease, we showed that incident subcortical lacunes are associated with focal thinning in cortex connected to the infarct. 3,4 We attributed these findings to secondary cortical neurodegeneration following damage to the connecting subcortical fiber tracts. However, the study protocol and small sample size precluded a detailed assessment of these tracts and how changes in these tracts relate to changes in the connected cortex. Also, the results were obtained in a rare hereditary condition and were limited to a single infarct mechanism and to chronic, cavitating infarcts.In the current prospective, longitudinal study, we investigated the processes driving secondary neurodegeneration after acute infarcts. We measured changes of cortical thickness and microstructural integrity of connecting white matter tracts over a 6-month interval starting from stroke onset. We tested the following hypotheses: (1) cortical thinning in connected cortical regions is detectable within a few months after an acute infarct; (2) cortical thinning relates to *These authors contributed equally to this work.

No abstract

Brain imaging is essential for the diagnosis and characterization of cerebral small vessel disease. Several magnetic resonance imaging markers have therefore emerged, providing new information on the diagnosis, progression, and mechanisms of small vessel disease. Yet, the reproducibility of these small vessel disease markers has received little attention despite being widely used in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. This review focuses on the main small vessel disease-related markers on magnetic resonance imaging including: white matter hyperintensities, lacunes, dilated perivascular spaces, microbleeds, and brain volume. The aim is to summarize, for each marker, what is currently known about: (1) its reproducibility in studies with a scan-rescan procedure either in single or multicenter settings; (2) the acquisition-related sources of variability; and, (3) the techniques used to minimize this variability. Based on the results, we discuss technical and other challenges that need to be overcome in order for these markers to be reliably used as outcome measures in future clinical trials. We also highlight the key points that need to be considered when designing multicenter magnetic resonance imaging studies of small vessel disease.

Serum NfL holds promise as a biomarker for monitoring primary and secondary neuroaxonal injury after IS and for predicting functional outcome.

ObjectiveTo examine whether the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) administered within 7 days after stroke predicts long-term cognitive impairment, functional impairment, and mortality.MethodsMoCA was administered to 274 patients from 2 prospective hospital-based cohort studies in Germany (n = 125) and France (n = 149). Cognitive and functional outcomes were assessed at 6, 12, and 36 months after stroke by comprehensive neuropsychological testing, the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale, the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) and analyzed with generalized estimating equations. All-cause mortality was investigated by Cox proportional hazard models. Analyses were adjusted for demographic variables, education, vascular risk factors, premorbid cognitive status, and NIH Stroke Scale scores. The additive predictive value of MoCA was examined with receiver operating characteristic curves.ResultsIn pooled analyses, a baseline MoCA score <26 was associated with cognitive impairment, defined by neuropsychological testing (odds ratio [OR] 5.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.75–10.22) and by CDR score ≥0.5 (OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.53–4.18); functional impairment, defined by mRS score >2 (OR 5.03, 95% CI 2.20–11.51) and by IADL score <8 (OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.40–4.38); and mortality (hazard ratio 7.24, 95% CI 1.99–26.35) across the 3-year follow-up. Patients with MoCA score <26 performed worse across all prespecified cognitive domains (executive function/attention, memory, language, visuospatial ability). MoCA increased the area under the curve for predicting cognitive impairment (neuropsychological testing 0.81 vs 0.72, p = 0.01) and functional impairment (mRS score >2, 0.88 vs 0.84, p = 0.047).ConclusionEarly cognitive testing by MoCA predicts long-term cognitive outcome, functional outcome, and mortality after stroke. Our results support routine use of the MoCA in stroke patients.

Background: Endovascular treatment has become standard of care for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion. However, patients treated in clinical practice differ from the selected populations randomized in clinical trials. Aims: The German Stroke Registry Endovascular Treatment (GSR-ET) aims at a systematic evaluation of outcome, safety, and process parameters of endovascular stroke treatment in standard of care in Germany. Methods: The GSR-ET is an academic, independent, prospective, multicenter, observational registry study. Participating stroke centers from all over of Germany consecutively enroll patients transferred to the angiography suite with an intention to be treated with endovascular stroke treatment. Patients receive regular care. Data are collected as part of clinical routine. Baseline clinical and procedural information and clinical follow-up information after 90 days are recorded. Here, we present an analysis of baseline data of the first 1662 patients included in the GSR-ET. Results: The registry was established in June 2015. By 31 December 2017, 1662 patients were enrolled in 23 active sites. Mean age was 72 AE 13 years, 50% were female, and median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale on admission was 15 (IQR 10-19), 88% had anterior circulation occlusion. Median ASPECT score was 8 (IQR 7-10) prior to intervention. Fifty-nine percent of patients received intravenous thrombolysis prior to thrombectomy. Mean ''onset-to-groin'' time was 224 AE 176 min. Conclusions: Baseline characteristics of stroke patients undergoing thrombectomy in clinical practice differ from those in the randomized trials. The GSR-ET will provide valuable insights into practices of endovascular treatment in routine care of acute ischemic stroke. (GSR-ET ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03356392.