Pub Date : 2024-02-27DOI: 10.3389/fstro.2024.1331085
N. A. Sunmonu, Angela M. Malek, Carolyn Jenkins, H. Hyacinth
Stroke is associated with racial disparities in morbidity and mortality and stroke outcomes. Stroke literacy is a significant predictor of on-time arrival to the emergency room for acute stroke treatment. In this study, we examined sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors that predict key aspects of stroke literacy: knowledge of stroke signs/symptoms and intent to call 911 in the event of a stroke.We analyzed archived data from a survey of African American adults over 18 years residing in the “buckle of the stroke belt.” Participants were ranked into 2 categories: low or no and moderate to adequate stroke knowledge. Then we performed univariate and multivariable analyses to determine the independent predictors of (1) knowledge of stroke signs and symptoms and (1) intent to call 911.Participants aged 18–39 years (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.27– 0.80) were more likely to correctly recognize stroke signs and symptoms compared to those who are 65 years and above. Those age 40–64 years were also more likely to recognize stroke signs and symptoms compared to those who are 65 years and above. On the other hand, those with less than high school (OR = 2.83, 95% CI: 2.03–3.96) or complete high school education (OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.28–2.96) were less likely to recognize stroke signs and symptoms. Males were less likely (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.64–0.66) to report that they would call 911 in the event of a stroke. While respondents aged 40–64 years (OR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.14–3.09) and those with moderate to adequate knowledge of stroke (OR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.18–1.65) were more likely to call 911 in the event of a stroke. Socioeconomic status was generally associated with stroke literacy.Among resident of the “buckle of the stroke belt,” we observed that age, sex, and educational level are among the key predictors of knowledge of stroke signs and symptoms and intent to call 911 in the event of a stroke. Stroke literacy and educational programs needs to incorporate these key sociodemographic aspects as a strategy for improving literacy and reduce stroke-related disability and health disparities.
{"title":"Predictors of stroke literacy among African Americans in the “buckle of the stroke belt”","authors":"N. A. Sunmonu, Angela M. Malek, Carolyn Jenkins, H. Hyacinth","doi":"10.3389/fstro.2024.1331085","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fstro.2024.1331085","url":null,"abstract":"Stroke is associated with racial disparities in morbidity and mortality and stroke outcomes. Stroke literacy is a significant predictor of on-time arrival to the emergency room for acute stroke treatment. In this study, we examined sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors that predict key aspects of stroke literacy: knowledge of stroke signs/symptoms and intent to call 911 in the event of a stroke.We analyzed archived data from a survey of African American adults over 18 years residing in the “buckle of the stroke belt.” Participants were ranked into 2 categories: low or no and moderate to adequate stroke knowledge. Then we performed univariate and multivariable analyses to determine the independent predictors of (1) knowledge of stroke signs and symptoms and (1) intent to call 911.Participants aged 18–39 years (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.27– 0.80) were more likely to correctly recognize stroke signs and symptoms compared to those who are 65 years and above. Those age 40–64 years were also more likely to recognize stroke signs and symptoms compared to those who are 65 years and above. On the other hand, those with less than high school (OR = 2.83, 95% CI: 2.03–3.96) or complete high school education (OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.28–2.96) were less likely to recognize stroke signs and symptoms. Males were less likely (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.64–0.66) to report that they would call 911 in the event of a stroke. While respondents aged 40–64 years (OR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.14–3.09) and those with moderate to adequate knowledge of stroke (OR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.18–1.65) were more likely to call 911 in the event of a stroke. Socioeconomic status was generally associated with stroke literacy.Among resident of the “buckle of the stroke belt,” we observed that age, sex, and educational level are among the key predictors of knowledge of stroke signs and symptoms and intent to call 911 in the event of a stroke. Stroke literacy and educational programs needs to incorporate these key sociodemographic aspects as a strategy for improving literacy and reduce stroke-related disability and health disparities.","PeriodicalId":73108,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in stroke","volume":"32 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140426434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-22DOI: 10.3389/fstro.2024.1338003
Anna Ranta, Heinrich J. Audebert, Luatupu Ioane-Cleverley
Hyper-acute stroke treatments are time sensitive, and decision-making is complex. Telemedicine has been highly effective in breaking down regional access barriers by providing front line rural hospital clinicians with remote telemedicine decision support by remote stroke experts. With the advent of mechanical thrombectomy, hyper-acute stroke care has grown even more complex from both a decision-making and logistical perspective. Mobile Stroke Units (MSU) have been deployed in a few urban settings globally but are unlikely to address all global access issues due to geographical and logistical factors. This paper reviews the feasibility and benefit of extending telestroke into the pre-hospital setting as an adjunct or alternative to MSUs. It will discuss how this service model can fit into existing stroke networks and potential deployment strategies. Finally, the paper also considers potential scalability of pre- and in-hospital telestroke support across regional and international boundaries to further reduce global hyper-acute access inequities.
{"title":"Pre-hospital telestroke and expanded hyper-acute telestroke network solutions to reduce geographic inequities: a brief review from the South Pacific","authors":"Anna Ranta, Heinrich J. Audebert, Luatupu Ioane-Cleverley","doi":"10.3389/fstro.2024.1338003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fstro.2024.1338003","url":null,"abstract":"Hyper-acute stroke treatments are time sensitive, and decision-making is complex. Telemedicine has been highly effective in breaking down regional access barriers by providing front line rural hospital clinicians with remote telemedicine decision support by remote stroke experts. With the advent of mechanical thrombectomy, hyper-acute stroke care has grown even more complex from both a decision-making and logistical perspective. Mobile Stroke Units (MSU) have been deployed in a few urban settings globally but are unlikely to address all global access issues due to geographical and logistical factors. This paper reviews the feasibility and benefit of extending telestroke into the pre-hospital setting as an adjunct or alternative to MSUs. It will discuss how this service model can fit into existing stroke networks and potential deployment strategies. Finally, the paper also considers potential scalability of pre- and in-hospital telestroke support across regional and international boundaries to further reduce global hyper-acute access inequities.","PeriodicalId":73108,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in stroke","volume":"27 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140438453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-21DOI: 10.3389/fstro.2024.1338636
Chad M. Aldridge, N. Armstrong, N. A. Sunmonu, Christopher Becker, Deepak Palakshappa, Arne G Lindgren, A. Pedersen, T. Stanne, C. Jern, J. Maguire, Fang-Chi Hsu, Keith L. Keene, Michèle Sale, M. Irvin, B. Worrall
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Recurrent strokes are seven times more lethal than initial ones, with 54% leading to long-term disability. Substantial recurrent stroke risk disparities exist among ancestral groups. Notably, Africans face double the risk and higher fatality rates compared to Europeans. Although genetic studies, particularly GWAS, hold promise for uncovering biological insights into recurrent stroke, they remain underexplored. Our study addresses this gap through meta-analyses of recurrent stroke GWAS, considering specific ancestral groups and a combined approach.We utilized four independent study cohorts for African, European, and Combined ancestry recurrent stroke GWAS with genotyping, imputation, and strict quality control. We harmonized recurrent stroke phenotype and effect allele estimates across cohorts. The logistic regression GWAS model was adjusted for age, sex, and principal components. We assessed how well genetic risk of stroke informs recurrent stroke risk using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis with the GIGASTROKE Consortium's polygenic risk scores (PRS).Harmonization included 4,420 participants (818 African ancestry and 3,602 European ancestry) with a recurrent stroke rate of 16.8% [median age 66.9 (59.1, 73.6) years; 56.2% male]. We failed to find genome-wide significant variants (p < 5e−8). However, we found 18 distinct suggestive (p < 5e−6) genetic loci with high biological relevance consistent across African and European ancestries, including PPARGC1B, CCDC3, OPRL1, and MYH11 genes. These genes affect vascular stenosis through constriction and dilation. We also observed an association with SDK1 gene, which has been previous linked with hypertension in Nigerian and Japanese populations). ROC analysis showed poor performance of the ischemic stroke PRS in discriminating recurrent stroke status (area under the curve = 0.48).Our study revealed genetic associations with recurrent stroke not previously associated with incident ischemic stroke. We found suggestive associations in genes previously linked with hypertension. We also determined that knowing the genetic risk of incident stroke does currently not inform recurrent stroke risk. We urgently need more studies to understand better the overlap or lack thereof between incident and recurrent stroke biology.
{"title":"Diversity in genetic risk of recurrent stroke: a genome-wide association study meta-analysis","authors":"Chad M. Aldridge, N. Armstrong, N. A. Sunmonu, Christopher Becker, Deepak Palakshappa, Arne G Lindgren, A. Pedersen, T. Stanne, C. Jern, J. Maguire, Fang-Chi Hsu, Keith L. Keene, Michèle Sale, M. Irvin, B. Worrall","doi":"10.3389/fstro.2024.1338636","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fstro.2024.1338636","url":null,"abstract":"Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Recurrent strokes are seven times more lethal than initial ones, with 54% leading to long-term disability. Substantial recurrent stroke risk disparities exist among ancestral groups. Notably, Africans face double the risk and higher fatality rates compared to Europeans. Although genetic studies, particularly GWAS, hold promise for uncovering biological insights into recurrent stroke, they remain underexplored. Our study addresses this gap through meta-analyses of recurrent stroke GWAS, considering specific ancestral groups and a combined approach.We utilized four independent study cohorts for African, European, and Combined ancestry recurrent stroke GWAS with genotyping, imputation, and strict quality control. We harmonized recurrent stroke phenotype and effect allele estimates across cohorts. The logistic regression GWAS model was adjusted for age, sex, and principal components. We assessed how well genetic risk of stroke informs recurrent stroke risk using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis with the GIGASTROKE Consortium's polygenic risk scores (PRS).Harmonization included 4,420 participants (818 African ancestry and 3,602 European ancestry) with a recurrent stroke rate of 16.8% [median age 66.9 (59.1, 73.6) years; 56.2% male]. We failed to find genome-wide significant variants (p < 5e−8). However, we found 18 distinct suggestive (p < 5e−6) genetic loci with high biological relevance consistent across African and European ancestries, including PPARGC1B, CCDC3, OPRL1, and MYH11 genes. These genes affect vascular stenosis through constriction and dilation. We also observed an association with SDK1 gene, which has been previous linked with hypertension in Nigerian and Japanese populations). ROC analysis showed poor performance of the ischemic stroke PRS in discriminating recurrent stroke status (area under the curve = 0.48).Our study revealed genetic associations with recurrent stroke not previously associated with incident ischemic stroke. We found suggestive associations in genes previously linked with hypertension. We also determined that knowing the genetic risk of incident stroke does currently not inform recurrent stroke risk. We urgently need more studies to understand better the overlap or lack thereof between incident and recurrent stroke biology.","PeriodicalId":73108,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in stroke","volume":"56 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140442233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-01Epub Date: 2024-04-15DOI: 10.3389/fstro.2024.1372949
Paul Bangirana, Amelia K Boehme, Annet Birabwa, Robert O Opoka, Deogratias Munube, Ezekiel Mupere, Phillip Kasirye, Grace Muwanguzi, Maxencia Musiimenta, George Ru, Nancy S Green, Richard Idro
Introduction: The neurocognitive functions in Ugandan children aged 1-12 years with sickle cell anemia (SCA) were compared to their non-SCA siblings to identify risk factors for disease-associated impairment.
Methods: This cross-sectional study of the neurocognitive functions in children with SCA (N = 242) and non-SCA siblings (N = 127) used age- and linguistically appropriate standardized tests of cognition, executive function, and attention for children ages 1-4 and 5-12. Test scores were converted to locally derived age-normalized z-scores. The SCA group underwent a standardized stroke examination for prior stroke and transcranial Doppler ultrasound to determine stroke risk by arterial flow velocity.
Results: The SCA group was younger than their siblings (mean ages 5.46 ± 3.0 vs. 7.11 ± 3.51 years, respectively; p < 0.001), with a lower hemoglobin concentration (7.32 ± 1.02 vs. 12.06 ± 1.42, p < 0.001). The overall cognitive SCA z-scores were lower, -0.73 ± 0.98, vs. siblings, -0.25 ± 1.12 (p < 0.001), with comparable findings for executive function of -1.09 ± 0.94 vs. -0.84 ± 1.26 (p = 0.045), respectively. The attention z-scores for ages 5-12 for the SCA group and control group were similar: -0.37 ± 1.4 vs. -0.11 ± 0.17 (p = 0.09). The overall differences in SCA status were largely driven by the older age group, as the z-scores in the younger subsample did not differ from controls. Analyses revealed the strongest predictors of poor neurocognitive outcomes among the SCA sample to be the disease, age, and prior stroke (each p < 0.001). The impacts of anemia and SCA were indistinguishable.
Discussion: Neurocognitive testing in children with SCA compared to non-SCA siblings revealed poorer SCA-associated functioning in children older than age 4. The results indicate the need for trials assessing the impact of disease modification on children with SCA.
简介:研究人员比较了患有镰状细胞性贫血(SCA)的乌干达 1-12 岁儿童与非镰状细胞性贫血儿童的神经认知功能:研究人员将患有镰状细胞性贫血(SCA)的乌干达 1-12 岁儿童的神经认知功能与非镰状细胞性贫血儿童的兄弟姐妹的神经认知功能进行了比较,以确定疾病相关损伤的风险因素:这项针对镰状细胞性贫血患儿(242 人)和非镰状细胞性贫血患儿兄弟姐妹(127 人)神经认知功能的横断面研究采用了与年龄和语言相适应的认知、执行功能和注意力标准化测试,测试对象为 1-4 岁和 5-12 岁的儿童。测试分数被转换为当地得出的年龄归一化 z 分数。SCA组接受了标准中风检查,以确定是否有中风前兆,并接受经颅多普勒超声检查,通过动脉血流速度确定中风风险:结果:SCA 组比同龄人更年轻(平均年龄分别为 5.46±3.0 岁 vs. 7.11±3.51 岁;P <0.001),血红蛋白浓度更低(7.32±1.02 vs. 12.06±1.42,P <0.001)。SCA患者的整体认知能力z分数较低,为-0.73±0.98,而同龄人为-0.25±1.12(p<0.001),执行功能的结果与之相当,分别为-1.09±0.94,而同龄人为-0.84±1.26(p=0.045)。SCA组和对照组5-12岁的注意力z分数相似:-0.37 ± 1.4 vs. -0.11 ± 0.17 (p = 0.09)。SCA状态的总体差异主要由年龄较大的组别造成,因为年龄较小的子样本的z-分数与对照组没有差异。分析表明,在 SCA 样本中,预测神经认知不良后果的最强因素是疾病、年龄和既往中风(各 p < 0.001)。贫血和SCA的影响没有区别:讨论:与非SCA兄弟姐妹相比,SCA患儿的神经认知测试显示,4岁以上患儿的SCA相关功能较差。结果表明,有必要进行试验,评估疾病调整对 SCA 儿童的影响。
{"title":"Neurocognitive impairment in Ugandan children with sickle cell anemia compared to sibling controls: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Paul Bangirana, Amelia K Boehme, Annet Birabwa, Robert O Opoka, Deogratias Munube, Ezekiel Mupere, Phillip Kasirye, Grace Muwanguzi, Maxencia Musiimenta, George Ru, Nancy S Green, Richard Idro","doi":"10.3389/fstro.2024.1372949","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fstro.2024.1372949","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The neurocognitive functions in Ugandan children aged 1-12 years with sickle cell anemia (SCA) were compared to their non-SCA siblings to identify risk factors for disease-associated impairment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study of the neurocognitive functions in children with SCA (<i>N</i> = 242) and non-SCA siblings (<i>N</i> = 127) used age- and linguistically appropriate standardized tests of cognition, executive function, and attention for children ages 1-4 and 5-12. Test scores were converted to locally derived age-normalized <i>z</i>-scores. The SCA group underwent a standardized stroke examination for prior stroke and transcranial Doppler ultrasound to determine stroke risk by arterial flow velocity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The SCA group was younger than their siblings (mean ages 5.46 ± 3.0 vs. 7.11 ± 3.51 years, respectively; <i>p</i> < 0.001), with a lower hemoglobin concentration (7.32 ± 1.02 vs. 12.06 ± 1.42, <i>p</i> < 0.001). The overall cognitive SCA <i>z</i>-scores were lower, -0.73 ± 0.98, vs. siblings, -0.25 ± 1.12 (<i>p</i> < 0.001), with comparable findings for executive function of -1.09 ± 0.94 vs. -0.84 ± 1.26 (<i>p</i> = 0.045), respectively. The attention <i>z</i>-scores for ages 5-12 for the SCA group and control group were similar: -0.37 ± 1.4 vs. -0.11 ± 0.17 (<i>p</i> = 0.09). The overall differences in SCA status were largely driven by the older age group, as the <i>z</i>-scores in the younger subsample did not differ from controls. Analyses revealed the strongest predictors of poor neurocognitive outcomes among the SCA sample to be the disease, age, and prior stroke (each <i>p</i> < 0.001). The impacts of anemia and SCA were indistinguishable.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Neurocognitive testing in children with SCA compared to non-SCA siblings revealed poorer SCA-associated functioning in children older than age 4. The results indicate the need for trials assessing the impact of disease modification on children with SCA.</p>","PeriodicalId":73108,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in stroke","volume":"3 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11188974/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141433564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-13DOI: 10.3389/fstro.2023.1274555
L.M. Broersen, S. Guida, Aysun Cetinyurek-Yavuz, N. van Wijk, A. van Helvoort, A.T. Michael-Titus, M. Lansink
Malnutrition is common after stroke. Stroke patients often have a suboptimal energy intake, body weight and inadequate blood nutrient levels. Nutrient insufficiencies may not be detected, but their recognition is essential to provide adequate nutritional support after a stroke. This comprehensive summary of the literature is a collection of data on blood levels of a broad selection of nutrients involved in restoring cerebral blood flow and functional brain connectivity in stroke patients compared to controls.Embase and MEDLINE were searched for studies published in English in the period 1980–2022. Studies including adult stroke subjects and controls whose blood samples were analyzed for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), uridine, choline, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), carnitine, arginine, or taurine were selected. If there were >3 reports (k) per nutrient, results were generated with an unadjusted and age-adjusted random-effects meta-analysis model. Risk of bias was evaluated for relevant domains from the ROBINS-I tool and with Egger's test.One hundred five reports on blood nutrient levels were extracted from 56 eligible studies. Overall, meta-analyses showed lower blood levels of most nutrients in stroke patients compared to controls. The number of reports and the statistical significance for the unadjusted data were: folate (k = 27; p = 0.005), vitamin B12 (k = 23; p = 0.002), vitamin E (k = 11; p = 0.013), DHA (k = 7, p = 0.015), EPA (k = 7; p = 0.004), vitamin C (k = 6; p = 0.020), and selenium (k = 6; p = 0.018). No significant decreases were observed for vitamin B6 (k = 6; p = 0.52) and arginine (k = 4; p = 0.93). For other selected nutrients, there were insufficient reports to perform a meta-analysis. Available reports pointed toward lower (CoQ10, choline; k = 2), higher (taurine; k = 2), or unchanged (carnitine, uridine; k = 1) blood levels after stroke. In general, risk of bias was low.Our findings indicate that nutrient insufficiencies occur for many nutrients that are involved in repair processes after stroke. The low blood levels of folate, vitamin B12, EPA, DHA, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and possibly CoQ10 and choline, highlight the presence of a suboptimal nutritional status after stroke. The inclusion of targeted nutritional interventions to further support recovery should receive consideration in the multidisciplinary context of stroke rehabilitation.
{"title":"Stroke patients have lower blood levels of nutrients that are relevant for recovery: a systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"L.M. Broersen, S. Guida, Aysun Cetinyurek-Yavuz, N. van Wijk, A. van Helvoort, A.T. Michael-Titus, M. Lansink","doi":"10.3389/fstro.2023.1274555","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fstro.2023.1274555","url":null,"abstract":"Malnutrition is common after stroke. Stroke patients often have a suboptimal energy intake, body weight and inadequate blood nutrient levels. Nutrient insufficiencies may not be detected, but their recognition is essential to provide adequate nutritional support after a stroke. This comprehensive summary of the literature is a collection of data on blood levels of a broad selection of nutrients involved in restoring cerebral blood flow and functional brain connectivity in stroke patients compared to controls.Embase and MEDLINE were searched for studies published in English in the period 1980–2022. Studies including adult stroke subjects and controls whose blood samples were analyzed for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), uridine, choline, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), carnitine, arginine, or taurine were selected. If there were >3 reports (k) per nutrient, results were generated with an unadjusted and age-adjusted random-effects meta-analysis model. Risk of bias was evaluated for relevant domains from the ROBINS-I tool and with Egger's test.One hundred five reports on blood nutrient levels were extracted from 56 eligible studies. Overall, meta-analyses showed lower blood levels of most nutrients in stroke patients compared to controls. The number of reports and the statistical significance for the unadjusted data were: folate (k = 27; p = 0.005), vitamin B12 (k = 23; p = 0.002), vitamin E (k = 11; p = 0.013), DHA (k = 7, p = 0.015), EPA (k = 7; p = 0.004), vitamin C (k = 6; p = 0.020), and selenium (k = 6; p = 0.018). No significant decreases were observed for vitamin B6 (k = 6; p = 0.52) and arginine (k = 4; p = 0.93). For other selected nutrients, there were insufficient reports to perform a meta-analysis. Available reports pointed toward lower (CoQ10, choline; k = 2), higher (taurine; k = 2), or unchanged (carnitine, uridine; k = 1) blood levels after stroke. In general, risk of bias was low.Our findings indicate that nutrient insufficiencies occur for many nutrients that are involved in repair processes after stroke. The low blood levels of folate, vitamin B12, EPA, DHA, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and possibly CoQ10 and choline, highlight the presence of a suboptimal nutritional status after stroke. The inclusion of targeted nutritional interventions to further support recovery should receive consideration in the multidisciplinary context of stroke rehabilitation.","PeriodicalId":73108,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in stroke","volume":"5 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139005851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-11DOI: 10.3389/fstro.2023.1272796
N. Koohi, Salman Haider, N. Kharytaniuk, D. Werring, D. Bamiou, Diego Kaski
Posterior circulation stroke is an uncommon cause of sudden-onset sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Anterior inferior cerebellar artery occlusion results in ipsilateral peripheral audiovestibular dysfunction. Few reports describe posterior circulation stroke presenting with contralateral SSNHL and acute vestibular and focal neurological signs. We present a case of contralateral SSNHL and isolated acute central vestibular dysfunction in the absence of other central focal neurological deficits. To the best of our knowledge, this has not been described to date. The patient was identified to have asymmetrical SSNHL, subtle skew deviation with left head tilt, and significant refixation saccades on video head impulse test despite bilaterally normal vestibulo-ocular reflex gains. Left pontine infarct was suspected and confirmed on magnetic resonance imaging. The patient was treated with an appropriate antiplatelet regimen. We highlight the importance of a thorough clinical diagnostic work-up as posterior circulation strokes with isolated audiovestibular deficits can be easily missed if other significant neurological deficits are absent.
{"title":"Case report: Acute audiovestibular presentation following hemi-pontine infarction","authors":"N. Koohi, Salman Haider, N. Kharytaniuk, D. Werring, D. Bamiou, Diego Kaski","doi":"10.3389/fstro.2023.1272796","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fstro.2023.1272796","url":null,"abstract":"Posterior circulation stroke is an uncommon cause of sudden-onset sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Anterior inferior cerebellar artery occlusion results in ipsilateral peripheral audiovestibular dysfunction. Few reports describe posterior circulation stroke presenting with contralateral SSNHL and acute vestibular and focal neurological signs. We present a case of contralateral SSNHL and isolated acute central vestibular dysfunction in the absence of other central focal neurological deficits. To the best of our knowledge, this has not been described to date. The patient was identified to have asymmetrical SSNHL, subtle skew deviation with left head tilt, and significant refixation saccades on video head impulse test despite bilaterally normal vestibulo-ocular reflex gains. Left pontine infarct was suspected and confirmed on magnetic resonance imaging. The patient was treated with an appropriate antiplatelet regimen. We highlight the importance of a thorough clinical diagnostic work-up as posterior circulation strokes with isolated audiovestibular deficits can be easily missed if other significant neurological deficits are absent.","PeriodicalId":73108,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in stroke","volume":"36 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139010239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Stroke is a significant health problem in both industrialized and developing nations. It is the world's second-leading cause of death worldwide. Stroke incidence, prevalence, and death rates have grown internationally, with low- and middle-income nations suffering the greatest proportion of the burden. Stroke is a leading cause of long-term physical impairment, affecting a person's quality of life, societal engagement, independence, emotions, and productivity.To determine the magnitude and factors associated with poor treatment outcomes in hospitalized adult patients with stroke.A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2019 to June 2021 in stroke patients admitted to the Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. This study included 290 patient charts. Data were collected by reviewing the medical charts using a well-developed data abstraction form. Data were entered into Epi-Data version 3.2 and exported to SPSS version 25.0. Descriptive statistics were used to describe study variables. Additionally, bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with poor stroke treatment outcomes. All statistical tests were set at 5% of significant threshold.Among 290 enrolled patients, 172 (59.3%) had poor stroke treatment outcomes. The mean age of the patients was 54.7(SD: ±16.1) years, and more than half 182 (62.8%) of the participants were males. The overall average length of hospital stays for stroke patients was 8 ± 3.3 days. Age of 45–64 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.17, 95% CI [1.06, 4.41]), aspiration pneumonia (AOR: 2.13, 95% CI [1.06, 4.26]), systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mm Hg/dl (AOR: 2.35, 95% CI [1.24, 4.47]), Glasgow Coma Scale score of <8 (AOR: 7.26, 95% CI [3.82, 13.8]), and serum creatinine level of ≥1 mg/dl (AOR: 2.73, 95% CI [1.46, 5.10]) were significantly associated with poor treatment outcome in adult stroke patients.Six out of ten stroke patients had poor treatment outcomes. Age between 45 and 65 years, uncontrolled hypertension, aspiration pneumonia, low Glasgow Coma Scale score at admission, and renal injury were identified as significantly associated with poor treatment outcomes in stroke patients.
{"title":"Poor treatment outcomes and associated factors among hospitalized patients with stroke at Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, eastern Ethiopia","authors":"Zerihun Abera Ayele, Sisay Molla, Aliyi Ahmed, Teshager Worku, Addisu Seneshaw Bezabih, Biniyam Tedla Mamo","doi":"10.3389/fstro.2023.1304664","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fstro.2023.1304664","url":null,"abstract":"Stroke is a significant health problem in both industrialized and developing nations. It is the world's second-leading cause of death worldwide. Stroke incidence, prevalence, and death rates have grown internationally, with low- and middle-income nations suffering the greatest proportion of the burden. Stroke is a leading cause of long-term physical impairment, affecting a person's quality of life, societal engagement, independence, emotions, and productivity.To determine the magnitude and factors associated with poor treatment outcomes in hospitalized adult patients with stroke.A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2019 to June 2021 in stroke patients admitted to the Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. This study included 290 patient charts. Data were collected by reviewing the medical charts using a well-developed data abstraction form. Data were entered into Epi-Data version 3.2 and exported to SPSS version 25.0. Descriptive statistics were used to describe study variables. Additionally, bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with poor stroke treatment outcomes. All statistical tests were set at 5% of significant threshold.Among 290 enrolled patients, 172 (59.3%) had poor stroke treatment outcomes. The mean age of the patients was 54.7(SD: ±16.1) years, and more than half 182 (62.8%) of the participants were males. The overall average length of hospital stays for stroke patients was 8 ± 3.3 days. Age of 45–64 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.17, 95% CI [1.06, 4.41]), aspiration pneumonia (AOR: 2.13, 95% CI [1.06, 4.26]), systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mm Hg/dl (AOR: 2.35, 95% CI [1.24, 4.47]), Glasgow Coma Scale score of <8 (AOR: 7.26, 95% CI [3.82, 13.8]), and serum creatinine level of ≥1 mg/dl (AOR: 2.73, 95% CI [1.46, 5.10]) were significantly associated with poor treatment outcome in adult stroke patients.Six out of ten stroke patients had poor treatment outcomes. Age between 45 and 65 years, uncontrolled hypertension, aspiration pneumonia, low Glasgow Coma Scale score at admission, and renal injury were identified as significantly associated with poor treatment outcomes in stroke patients.","PeriodicalId":73108,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in stroke","volume":"53 38","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138587949","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-07DOI: 10.3389/fstro.2023.1218682
Raffaella Valenti, Alba Caruso, Anita E. Scotto Di Luzio, Donatella Accavone, Maria G. Cagliarelli, Guido Chiti, Enrico Grassi, Maria Briccoli Bati, Pasquale Palumbo
Acute neurological diseases are leading causes of disability and death. The need for specialist neurocritical care skills for managing neurological emergencies has increased. Promising opportunities exist to improve outcomes in acute phases of neurological diseases, such as, for example, the concept of a stroke unit for stroke patients. A similar concept was introduced for a neurocritical care unit, which is associated with improved clinical outcomes compared with more traditional management. However, neurocritical care is often not recognized as a separate specialty. Significant progress in neurology has enabled better approaches for the critically ill neurologic patient, in particular those with stroke and hemorrhage, but also with epileptic seizures and epileptic status, traumatic brain injury (TBI), subdural/epidural hematoma, acute inflammatory polyradiculoneuritis, encephalitis, myasthenia gravis, acute myelitis, etc.Except for cerebrovascular diseases, for other acute neurological diseases, there is no standardized model care service recognized. A good patient outcome can be obtained by the choice of neurology setting for acute patients including nursing and medical staff with specific training in neurocritical care. As we believe neurocritical care practices should be implemented, we suggest a pilot model on the basis of our experience. In this report, we show a model of the 2A setting of the Santo Stefano Hospital (Prato, USL Toscana Centro), where, as well as stroke units for cerebrovascular events, we have neurocritical care unit and acute-neurology experts for all acute neurological diseases.The 2A setting of Stroke Unit/Neurocritical Care of the Santo Stefano Hospital includes 15 beds; 8 ± 2 beds are monitored by portable multi-parameter monitoring devices. Following acute treatment, diagnostic/etiologic work-up and automated monitoring of vital functions are performed in addition to adapted secondary prevention, early rehabilitation, and prevention of complications in all acute patients. We retrospectively assessed the diagnoses in the hospital discharge forms (HDF) of Stroke Unit/Neurocritical Care (2A) of 249 patients consecutively analyzed between 1 January 2022 and 30 June 2022. Out of the 249 patients affected by acute neurological diseases, 155 had cerebrovascular diseases (62.2%). In particular, 100 (64.5%) were diagnosed with ischemic stroke and 44 (28.4%) with hemorrhagic stroke. Thirty-two patients (12.8%) were hospitalized following a TBI. Sixteen patients (6.4%) had a new diagnosis of epilepsy and three (1.2%) of epileptic status. In our setting, the 3-month modified Rankin Scale (mRS) in the 36 stroke patients treated with recombinant-tissue plasminogen activator (r-TPA) was 0–2 (low disability) in 60% of cases. Additionally, 31% of 44 intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) patients reported a moderate-severe degree of disability. Regarding TBI patients, the mRS ranged from 1 to 5, with significate difference between patients
{"title":"Stroke unit and Neurocritical Care Unit for acute neurological diseases in the USL Toscana Centro: a pilot model of Santo Stefano Hospital in Prato","authors":"Raffaella Valenti, Alba Caruso, Anita E. Scotto Di Luzio, Donatella Accavone, Maria G. Cagliarelli, Guido Chiti, Enrico Grassi, Maria Briccoli Bati, Pasquale Palumbo","doi":"10.3389/fstro.2023.1218682","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fstro.2023.1218682","url":null,"abstract":"Acute neurological diseases are leading causes of disability and death. The need for specialist neurocritical care skills for managing neurological emergencies has increased. Promising opportunities exist to improve outcomes in acute phases of neurological diseases, such as, for example, the concept of a stroke unit for stroke patients. A similar concept was introduced for a neurocritical care unit, which is associated with improved clinical outcomes compared with more traditional management. However, neurocritical care is often not recognized as a separate specialty. Significant progress in neurology has enabled better approaches for the critically ill neurologic patient, in particular those with stroke and hemorrhage, but also with epileptic seizures and epileptic status, traumatic brain injury (TBI), subdural/epidural hematoma, acute inflammatory polyradiculoneuritis, encephalitis, myasthenia gravis, acute myelitis, etc.Except for cerebrovascular diseases, for other acute neurological diseases, there is no standardized model care service recognized. A good patient outcome can be obtained by the choice of neurology setting for acute patients including nursing and medical staff with specific training in neurocritical care. As we believe neurocritical care practices should be implemented, we suggest a pilot model on the basis of our experience. In this report, we show a model of the 2A setting of the Santo Stefano Hospital (Prato, USL Toscana Centro), where, as well as stroke units for cerebrovascular events, we have neurocritical care unit and acute-neurology experts for all acute neurological diseases.The 2A setting of Stroke Unit/Neurocritical Care of the Santo Stefano Hospital includes 15 beds; 8 ± 2 beds are monitored by portable multi-parameter monitoring devices. Following acute treatment, diagnostic/etiologic work-up and automated monitoring of vital functions are performed in addition to adapted secondary prevention, early rehabilitation, and prevention of complications in all acute patients. We retrospectively assessed the diagnoses in the hospital discharge forms (HDF) of Stroke Unit/Neurocritical Care (2A) of 249 patients consecutively analyzed between 1 January 2022 and 30 June 2022. Out of the 249 patients affected by acute neurological diseases, 155 had cerebrovascular diseases (62.2%). In particular, 100 (64.5%) were diagnosed with ischemic stroke and 44 (28.4%) with hemorrhagic stroke. Thirty-two patients (12.8%) were hospitalized following a TBI. Sixteen patients (6.4%) had a new diagnosis of epilepsy and three (1.2%) of epileptic status. In our setting, the 3-month modified Rankin Scale (mRS) in the 36 stroke patients treated with recombinant-tissue plasminogen activator (r-TPA) was 0–2 (low disability) in 60% of cases. Additionally, 31% of 44 intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) patients reported a moderate-severe degree of disability. Regarding TBI patients, the mRS ranged from 1 to 5, with significate difference between patients ","PeriodicalId":73108,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in stroke","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138591958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-07DOI: 10.3389/fstro.2023.1293942
Venesha Rethnam, Kathryn S. Hayward, Hannah Johns, Lilian B. Carvalho, Leonid Churilov, Julie Bernhardt
Many stroke guidelines recommend against starting intensive out-of-bed activity (mobilization) within 24 h post-stroke. Few guidelines address care after the first 24–48 h, and little information is provided about how early mobilization decisions should be tailored to patients. We aimed to identify clinical and systems of care factors contributing to individual patient decision-making for early mobilization post-stroke.Expert stroke clinicians were recruited to participate in an interactive one-on-one session that included an introductory semi-structured interview followed by an assisted data exploration session using an early mobilization data visualization tool.Thirty expert stroke clinicians with a median (interquartile range) 14 (10–25) years of experience were included. Stroke type and severity, and medical stability were identified as important clinical decision-making factors by the majority of expert stroke clinicians. Inadequate staffing and equipment were frequently indicated as barriers to early mobilization. The perceived characteristics of early mobilization responders were mild or moderate stroke severity, ischemic stroke, partial anterior circulation stroke, younger age, and one or fewer comorbidities. Perceived characteristics of early mobilization non-responders included severe stroke severity, hemorrhagic stroke, total anterior circulation stroke, older age, those with persistent vessel occlusion or high-grade stenosis, hemodynamic instability, multimorbidity and an altered state of consciousness. Some characteristics led to uncertainty amongst interviewees e.g., early mobilization decision-making were moderate stroke severity, older patients, and those with lacunar circulation infarcts.We gained unique, in-depth insights into patient and systems of care factors that contribute to individual patient decision-making related to early mobilization post-stroke. The identified areas would benefit from further empirical research to develop structured decision support for clinicians.
{"title":"Clinical and systems of care factors contributing to individual patient decision-making for early mobilization post-stroke","authors":"Venesha Rethnam, Kathryn S. Hayward, Hannah Johns, Lilian B. Carvalho, Leonid Churilov, Julie Bernhardt","doi":"10.3389/fstro.2023.1293942","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fstro.2023.1293942","url":null,"abstract":"Many stroke guidelines recommend against starting intensive out-of-bed activity (mobilization) within 24 h post-stroke. Few guidelines address care after the first 24–48 h, and little information is provided about how early mobilization decisions should be tailored to patients. We aimed to identify clinical and systems of care factors contributing to individual patient decision-making for early mobilization post-stroke.Expert stroke clinicians were recruited to participate in an interactive one-on-one session that included an introductory semi-structured interview followed by an assisted data exploration session using an early mobilization data visualization tool.Thirty expert stroke clinicians with a median (interquartile range) 14 (10–25) years of experience were included. Stroke type and severity, and medical stability were identified as important clinical decision-making factors by the majority of expert stroke clinicians. Inadequate staffing and equipment were frequently indicated as barriers to early mobilization. The perceived characteristics of early mobilization responders were mild or moderate stroke severity, ischemic stroke, partial anterior circulation stroke, younger age, and one or fewer comorbidities. Perceived characteristics of early mobilization non-responders included severe stroke severity, hemorrhagic stroke, total anterior circulation stroke, older age, those with persistent vessel occlusion or high-grade stenosis, hemodynamic instability, multimorbidity and an altered state of consciousness. Some characteristics led to uncertainty amongst interviewees e.g., early mobilization decision-making were moderate stroke severity, older patients, and those with lacunar circulation infarcts.We gained unique, in-depth insights into patient and systems of care factors that contribute to individual patient decision-making related to early mobilization post-stroke. The identified areas would benefit from further empirical research to develop structured decision support for clinicians.","PeriodicalId":73108,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in stroke","volume":"52 16","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138593985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-28DOI: 10.3389/fstro.2023.1315298
Narayanaswamy Venketasubramanian, Tatjana Rundek, Robert N. Gan
{"title":"Editorial: Stroke in minority groups and populations","authors":"Narayanaswamy Venketasubramanian, Tatjana Rundek, Robert N. Gan","doi":"10.3389/fstro.2023.1315298","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fstro.2023.1315298","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":73108,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in stroke","volume":"91 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139216237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}