A Comparison of Depressive Symptoms in Stroke and Primary Care: Applying Rasch Models to Evaluate the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale

OBJECTIVES: Clinical trials and community-based studies often include the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D) as a measure of depression outcome. We compared responses to symptom-related items on the CES-D by depressed stroke and primary-care patients for several purposes: 1) to illustrate the use of Item Response Theory (IRT)-based (Rasch) models for comparing scale functioning across different patient subgroups; and 2) to inform clinicians and outcome researchers about scale functioning and depressive symptomatology in stroke- compared with primary care-based depression. METHODS: Two data sources were analyzed, including 32 depressed patients who were 3 months poststroke, and 366 depressed primary-care patients. Presence of depression was based on a CES-D score 16 or higher. Rasch models were used to assess item fit and compare item hierarchies between depressed primary-care and stroke patients. RESULTS: Item hierarchies were similar for poststroke depression and primary care-based depression. Interpersonal disruption items were the most difficult to endorse for both groups. No items misfit the scale in primary-care depression. Items relating to restless sleep, unfriendliness, and crying slightly misfit the scale in stroke patients, that is, may measure a different trait. Differential item functioning (DIF) between the groups was identified for items relating to appetite, restless sleep, crying, and feeling disliked. CONCLUSIONS: Results generally supported the use of the CES-D as measure of depression outcome, particularly in primary care-based depression. DIF may imply that slightly different clusters of depressive symptoms are reported by depressed stroke patients compared with primary care, but this is conjectural given the small stroke sample size and the same items have been previously associated with bias in studies of large nonstroke samples. This study found Rasch models to be useful tools to investigate scale performance for different clinical applications.     

进展性缺血性脑卒中30例临床分析

目的:探讨进展性缺血性脑卒中:30例患者的危险因素。方法:分析了30例进展性缺血性脑卒中患者的血压、血糖、血脂及纤维蛋白原指标与30例非进展性缺血脑卒中患者指标对照,并进行统计学处理。结果:进展性缺血性脑卒中患者合并高血压例数明显高于对照组(P<0.01),血糖,血脂和纤维蛋白原指标也高于对照组(P<0.01,0.05)。结论:高血压,糖尿病,高血脂和高纤维蛋白原血症是进展性缺血性脑卒中的危险因素。     

Carotid Stent-Supported Angioplasty via Radiobrachial Route

Endovascular stent-supported angioplasty is a treatment option for atherosclerotic disease of the cervical internal carotid artery in high-risk patients. The traditional transfemoral approach is not suitable for patients who suffer from common femoral artery or abdominal aorta atheropathy. We report a case of carotid stent deployment using the radial route in a 68-year-old man with type B aortic dissection, having severe right internal carotid artery origin stenosis, presenting with ipsilateral retinal ischemic events. Technical aspects of carotid stenting via the radial approach are described and the related literature is discussed.     

进展性缺血性脑卒中的形成因素

目的了解进展性缺血性脑卒中的形成因素。方法136例缺血性脑卒中患者筛选出进展性脑卒中38例，与98例卒中及60例健康者作对照，比较血液中血管性血友病因子抗原（vWF：Ag）、a颗粒膜蛋白-140（GMP-140）、凝血酶抗凝血酶Ⅲ复合物（TAT）、抗凝血酶Ⅲ（ATⅢ）、组织型纤溶酶原激活物（t—PA）、D二聚体（D—D）、纤溶酶原激活物抑制物-1（PA11）、同型半胱氨酸（HCY）、空腹血糖（FBG）的浓度及收缩压（SBP）、舒张压（DBP）。结果缺血性脑卒中的发生者vWF、GMP-140、TAT、PAI、DD、HCY、FBG明显增加，ATⅢ、t—PA减少（P〈0．05）；而进展性缺血性卒中vWF、TAT、PAI、DD、HCY、FBG进一步增加，ATⅢ、t-PA进一步减少，SBP、DBP明显下降（（P〈0．05），GMP-140上升无显著差异（P〉0．05）。结论进展性缺血性卒中与vWF：Ag、TAT、DD、PAI、HCY、FBG进一步增加，ATⅢ、t—PA进一步减少，SBP、DBP下降（P〈0．05）有关。     

老年人颅脑外伤后缺血性脑卒中发作特点及治疗

目的探讨老年人颅脑外伤后缺血性脑卒中发作特点及个性化治疗方案。方法针对7例颅脑外伤后急性期出现缺血性脑血管病症状的老年患者，通过脑血管造影检查分析其发病原因并根据不同的脑血管特点决定治疗方案。结果大多数患者（6／7）受伤前已存在不同程度的颅内外血管狭窄、血管壁溃疡以及附壁血栓形成等改变，提示脑缺血发作主要与这些病变为基础的脑血流下降、血栓脱落等因素密切相关。而外伤后脑灌注降低、脑血管痉挛是脑缺血发作的诱发因素。结论老年人外伤后的缺血性脑卒中发作主要与原有的脑血管基础疾病有关，预防和治疗老年人外伤后缺血性脑卒中发作，应基于这些病变特征并选择个体化治疗方案。     

A national stroke quality register: 12 years experience from a participating hospital

Registration of all hospitalized stroke patients is practiced in Sweden in order to assess care quality. Data in this register, Riks-Stroke (RS), may be biased due to incomplete registration. The purpose of this paper was to report changes in stroke outcome in relation to fluctuations in registration. Patients registered in RS at a hospital during the period 1994–2005 were analyzed. Case fatality at 28 days, living conditions, and activities of daily living (ADL) performance at 3 months were correlated to the number of patients registered and follow-up frequency. A total of 4994 stroke cases were registered during the period. A high annual registration rate was significantly correlated to a high case fatality ratio. A low annual follow-up rate was associated with a low proportion of patients living in their own home without any need of help. Quality parameters are sensible for selection bias, which make them difficult to compare over time and between hospitals. We suggest that by weighing outcome data against stroke severity, safer conclusions may be drawn. Additionally, hospitals considering setting up quality registers should make every effort to attain complete case ascertainment at all times, including patients managed outside the hospital, in order to avoid selection bias.     

脑卒中后抑郁患者血清促肾上腺皮质激素研究

目的：研究脑卒中后抑郁（poststroke depression，PSD）患者血清促肾上腺皮质激素（ACTH）水平变化，探讨PSD患者的内分泌指标变化。方法：采用放射免疫法对59例PSD患者（PSD组）、36例无PSD患者（无PSD组）及43名正常人（对照组）的血清ACTH水平进行检测；并观察29例PSD患者抗抑郁治疗后血清ACTH水平变化。结果：治疗前PSD组血清ACTH水平显著高于无PSD组（P〈0．01）和对照组（P〈0．01）；治疗后，PSD抗抑郁治疗组与PSD无抗抑郁治疗组相比，汉密尔顿抑郁量表（HAMD）评分（P〈0．01）和ACTH水平（P〈0．01）均显著降低。在治疗前PSD组及在治疗后的PSD抗抑郁治疗组和PSD无抗抑郁治疗组中，HAMD评分与血清ACTH水平呈显著性正相关。结论：PSD患者血清ACTH水平明显升高并且与抑郁程度相关，提示PSD患者可能有内分泌功能的变化。     

依达拉奉防治缺血性脑损伤研究的新进展

近年来,依达拉奉脑保护作用的研究取得了很大进展,尤以对缺血性脑卒中和新生儿缺血缺氧性脑病的防治研究最为深入,而联合治疗策略也得到了广泛的重视.本文就近5年这些热点研究的新进展进行综述.     

急性缺血性卒中大血管闭塞性质的判断与取栓方式和材料的选择

血管内机械取栓是治疗大血管闭塞性急性缺血性卒中的有效治疗方法。应结合病史、发
病形式及影像学检查等综合判断病变性质；依据病变性质并参考手术路径，个性化选择支架取栓、
抽吸取栓、球囊/支架血管成形术、动脉溶栓任一种或多种方法联合取栓；并依据手术方式选择手
术材料，以快速高效地完成手术。