These data support the hypothesis that magnesium exerts a clinically meaningful influence on hemostasis in patients with ICH.

Objective: We investigated health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with TIA and minor ischemic stroke (MIS) using Neuro-QOL, a validated, patient-reported outcome measurement system.Methods: Consecutive patients with TIA or MIS who had (1) modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0 or 1 at baseline, (2) initial NIH Stroke Scale score of #5, (3) no acute reperfusion treatment, and (4) 3-month follow-up, were recruited. Recurrent stroke, disability by mRS and Barthel Index, and Neuro-QOL scores in 5 prespecified domains were prospectively recorded. We assessed the proportion of patients with impaired HRQOL, defined as T scores more than 0.5 SD worse than the general population average, and identified predictors of impaired HRQOL using logistic regression.Results: Among 332 patients who met study criteria (mean age 65.7 years, 52.4% male), 47 (14.2%) had recurrent stroke within 90 days and 41 (12.3%) were disabled (mRS .1 or Barthel Index ,95) at 3 months. Any HRQOL impairment was noted in 119 patients (35.8%). In multivariate analysis, age (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.04), initial NIH Stroke Scale score (adjusted OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.17-1.64), recurrent stroke (adjusted OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.06-4.13), and proxy reporting (adjusted OR 3.94, 95% CI 1.54-10.10) were independent predictors of impaired HRQOL at 3 months.Conclusions: Impairment in HRQOL is common at 3 months after MIS and TIA. Predictors of impaired HRQOL include age, index stroke severity, and recurrent stroke. Future studies should include HRQOL measures in outcome assessment, as these may be more sensitive to mild deficits than traditional disability scales. Neurology ® 2015;85:1957-1963 GLOSSARY BI 5 Barthel Index; CI 5 confidence interval; DWI 5 diffusion-weighted imaging; HRQOL 5 health-related quality of life; MIS 5 minor ischemic stroke; mRS 5 modified Rankin Scale; NIHSS 5 NIH Stroke Scale; OR 5 odds ratio.Patients with TIA and minor ischemic stroke (MIS) account for the majority of stroke patients who present for emergency care in the United States.1 Mild symptoms on presentation is a common reason for exclusion from IV tissue plasminogen activator administration.2 Acute ischemic stroke leads to decreases in health-related quality of life (HRQOL), even among those who have no or minimal poststroke disability.3 Although the outcomes of most patients with minor symptoms, defined by a low NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, are favorable, approximately 25% of such patients become disabled. 2Stroke outcomes traditionally have utilized disability scales of functional status, which often fail to represent the full effect of disease and treatment. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and Barthel Index (BI) are the most frequently used tools to measure disability and handicap after stroke. 4 With National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke funding to address these limitations, Neuro-QOL was developed as a clinically robust and validated patient-reported HRQOL assessment tool for adults and children wit...

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Background and ObjectivesTo review treatments for reducing the risk of recurrent stroke or death in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic arterial stenosis (sICAS).MethodsThe development of this practice advisory followed the process outlined in the American Academy of Neurology Clinical Practice Guideline Process Manual, 2011 Edition, as amended. The systematic review included studies through November 2020. Recommendations were based on evidence, related evidence, principles of care, and inferences.Major RecommendationsClinicians should recommend aspirin 325 mg/d for long-term prevention of stroke and death and should recommend adding clopidogrel 75 mg/d to aspirin for up to 90 days to further reduce stroke risk in patients with severe (70%–99%) sICAS who have low risk of hemorrhagic transformation. Clinicians should recommend high-intensity statin therapy to achieve a goal low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level <70 mg/dL, a long-term blood pressure target of <140/90 mm Hg, at least moderate physical activity, and treatment of other modifiable vascular risk factors for patients with sICAS. Clinicians should not recommend percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting for stroke prevention in patients with moderate (50%–69%) sICAS or as the initial treatment for stroke prevention in patients with severe sICAS. Clinicians should not routinely recommend angioplasty alone or indirect bypass for stroke prevention in patients with sICAS outside clinical trials. Clinicians should not recommend direct bypass for stroke prevention in patients with sICAS. Clinicians should counsel patients about the risks of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting and alternative treatments if one of these procedures is being contemplated.

Background and Purpose Since the SAMMPRIS trial, aggressive medical management (AMM), which includes dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) and high-dose statin (HDS) therapy, is recommended for patients with symptomatic ICAD. However, limited data on the “real-world” application of this regimen exist. We hypothesized that recurrent stroke risk among patients treated with AMM is similar to the medical arm of the SAMMPRIS cohort. Methods Using a prospective registry, we identified all patients admitted between August 2012 and March 2015 with 1) confirmed ischemic stroke (IS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA); 2) independently adjudicated symptomatic ICAD; and 3) follow-up at 30 days. We analyzed 30-day risk of recurrent IS stratified by treatment: 1) AMM: DAPT plus HDS therapy, 2) HDS alone, and 3) DAPT alone. We also assessed 30-day risk among patients who met prespecified SAMMPRIS eligibility criteria. Results Among 99 patients who met study criteria (51.5% male, 54.5% black, mean age 68.2 ± 11.2 years), 49 (48.5%) patients were treated with AMM, 69 (69.7%) with DAPT, and 73 (73.7%) with HDS therapy. At 30 days, 20 (20.2%) patients had recurrent strokes in the territory of stenosis. Compared to the risk in the medical arm of SAMMPRIS (4.4%), the 30-day risk of recurrent stroke was 20.4% in AMM patients, 21.5% in HDS patients, 22.4% in DAPT patients, and 23.2% in SAMMPRIS-eligible patients (all p<0.001). Conclusions Recurrent stroke risk within 30 days in patients with symptomatic ICAD was higher than that observed in the medical arm of SAMMPRIS even in the subgroup receiving aggressive medical management. Replication of the SAMMPRIS findings requires further prospective study.

Acute decline in osmolality was associated with brain swelling and neurologic deterioration in severe hepatic encephalopathy. Minimizing osmolality decline may avoid neurologic deterioration.

Background A carotid web can be defined as an endoluminal shelf-like projection often noted at the origin of the internal carotid artery (ICA) just beyond the bifurcation. Diagnosis of a carotid web as an underlying cause of recurrent ischemic stroke is infrequent and easily misdiagnosed as an atheromatous plaque. Surgery has traditionally been used to resect symptomatic lesions while there is no enough evidence supporting medical therapy as the sole management. To our knowledge there is only one report about carotid artery stenting (CAS) as a definite management of carotid web and no previous reports of acute large-vessel occlusions undergoing mechanical thrombectomy in the setting of carotid web as the etiology. Case report We report two cases: The first presented with recurrent ischemic stroke in the same arterial territory and the other with an emergent left middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion that underwent endovascular mechanical thrombectomy in which initial computed tomographic angiograms (CTA) suggested carotid web etiologies. Following confirmation with digital subtraction angiography (DSA), both patients ultimately underwent endovascular carotid stenting instead of surgical resection for definitive carotid web treatment. Conclusions Carotid webs are a rare cause of ischemic stroke in young and middle-aged adults that can readily be identified by CTA. Endovascular management may include emergent mechanical thrombectomy for large-vessel thromboembolic complications, and for definitive treatment with carotid stenting across the carotid web as an alternative to surgical resection and medical management for secondary stroke prevention.

Background: Prognostic assessments, which are crucial for decision-making in critical illnesses, have shown unsatisfactory reliability. We compared the accuracy of a widely used prognostic score against a model derived from clinical data obtained 5 days after admission for patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), a condition for which prognostication has proven notoriously challenging and prone to bias. Methods: Patients enrolled in a prospective observational cohort study of spontaneous ICH underwent hourly Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) assessment. Outcome was measured at 3 months using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). We analyzed the change in correlation between GCS and 3-month mRS scores from admission through day 5, and compared the performance of a parsimonious set of day 5 clinical variables against the ICH score. Results: Data was collected on 254 subjects. The ICH score and day 5 GCS score were both correlated with 3-month mRS score (p < 0.001), but the correlation was stronger with day 5 GCS score (p < 0.05 by Fisher z-transformation). Premorbid mRS score, intraventricular hemorrhage and day 5 GCS score were independent predictors of outcome (all p < 0.05 in ordinal regression model). While ICH score correctly classified good (mRS 0-3) vs. poor (mRS 4-6) outcome in 73% of cases, the day 5 model correctly classified 83% of cases. Conclusions: A simple reassessment after 5 days of care significantly improves the accuracy of prognosticating outcome in patients with ICH. These data confirm the feasibility and potential utility of early reassessments in refining prognosis for patients who survive early stabilization of a severe neurologic injury.