Chronic brain changes including WMCs, MTLA, and AD pathology are associated with incident dementia after stroke/TIA. Interventions targeting these chronic brain changes may reduce burden of vascular cognitive impairment.

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ImportanceInternational guidelines recommend avoiding intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in patients with ischemic stroke who have a recent intake of a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC).ObjectiveTo determine the risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) associated with use of IVT in patients with recent DOAC ingestion.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis international, multicenter, retrospective cohort study included 64 primary and comprehensive stroke centers across Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Consecutive adult patients with ischemic stroke who received IVT (both with and without thrombectomy) were included. Patients whose last known DOAC ingestion was more than 48 hours before stroke onset were excluded. A total of 832 patients with recent DOAC use were compared with 32 375 controls without recent DOAC use. Data were collected from January 2008 to December 2021.ExposuresPrior DOAC therapy (confirmed last ingestion within 48 hours prior to IVT) compared with no prior oral anticoagulation.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe main outcome was sICH within 36 hours after IVT, defined as worsening of at least 4 points on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and attributed to radiologically evident intracranial hemorrhage. Outcomes were compared according to different selection strategies (DOAC-level measurements, DOAC reversal treatment, IVT with neither DOAC-level measurement nor idarucizumab). The association of sICH with DOAC plasma levels and very recent ingestions was explored in sensitivity analyses.ResultsOf 33 207 included patients, 14 458 (43.5%) were female, and the median (IQR) age was 73 (62-80) years. The median (IQR) National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 9 (5-16). Of the 832 patients taking DOAC, 252 (30.3%) received DOAC reversal before IVT (all idarucizumab), 225 (27.0%) had DOAC-level measurements, and 355 (42.7%) received IVT without measuring DOAC plasma levels or reversal treatment. The unadjusted rate of sICH was 2.5% (95% CI, 1.6-3.8) in patients taking DOACs compared with 4.1% (95% CI, 3.9-4.4) in control patients using no anticoagulants. Recent DOAC ingestion was associated with lower odds of sICH after IVT compared with no anticoagulation (adjusted odds ratio, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.36-0.92). This finding was consistent among the different selection strategies and in sensitivity analyses of patients with detectable plasma levels or very recent ingestion.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this study, there was insufficient evidence of excess harm associated with off-label IVT in selected patients after ischemic stroke with recent DOAC ingestion.

Rationale Endovascular treatment plus standard medical therapy is superior to standard medical therapy alone for acute anterior proximal intracranial large artery occlusion strokes. The benefit of endovascular treatment in acute ischemic stroke caused by basilar artery occlusion remains unproven. Aim This study compares the safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment plus standard medical therapy versus standard medical therapy alone in acute ischemic stroke due to basilar artery occlusion. Design The study is a multicenter randomized control trial with blinded outcome assessment. A projected total 344 subjects with acute basilar arterial occlusion within 8 h of estimated occlusion time will be enrolled over three years in China. Patients will be assigned to endovascular treatment plus standard medical therapy and standard medical therapy alone group in 1:1 ratio for study centers. Study outcomes The primary outcome measure is a favorable functional outcome, defined as a modified Rankin Score of 0-3 at 90 days. The primary safety measure is mortality at 90 days. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT 02441556). Summary The BEST trial will provide valuable insights into the safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke patients with basilar artery occlusion.

We provided 2 methods to convert scores from the MMSE to MoCA and MoCA-5 min based on a large sample of patients with stroke or TIA having a wide range of education and cognitive levels. The converted scores differentiated patients with cognitive impairment after stroke or TIA with high accuracy.