Acute subcortical stroke and early serotonergic modification: a IDAP study

The intensity dependence of the auditory-evoked potentials (IDAP) is inversely related to serotonergic tone. Depression is frequently observed after stroke, associated with cognitive impairment and increased mortality. Aim of this study was to investigate the serotonergic tone in acute stroke patients by IDAP. Consecutive patients with an acute stroke admitted in our stroke unit were evaluated using clinical and instrumental examinations and compared with healthy controls. The IDAP was calculated as the linear amplitude/stimulus intensity function (ASF) slope, by measuring the peak-to-peak amplitude of Nl-P2 on four blocks of different stimulus intensities. Twenty patients were enrolled; 11 had a right brain infarction; nine had depressive symptoms (DS). The ASF slope of the auditory-evoked potentials was markedly increased in stroke patients compared with controls ( P  = 0.021). Stroke patients with DS had a significant steeper ASF slope than controls ( P  = 0.017). There was no statistical difference in ASF slope between stroke patients without DS and controls. Post-stroke depression pathophysiology is still debated. Our study suggests that in acute stroke patients with DS, there is a direct involvement of the serotonergic system, regardless the degree of disability and the site of the lesion.     

Early Stroke Recognition: Developing an Out-of-hospital NIH Stroke Scale

Objective : To develop an abbreviated and practical neurologic scale that could assist emergency medical services or triage personnel in identifying patients with stroke.
Methods : A prospective, observational, cohort study was performed at university-based EDs. Participants were 74 patients treated in a thrombolytic stroke trial and 225 consecutive non-stroke patients evaluated during 4 random 12-hour shifts in the ED. Scores on the NIH Stroke Scale were obtained for all patients by physicians. Items of this scale were modified and recoded to a binomial (normal or abnormal) scale. Serial univariate analyses using χ² were performed to rank items. Recursive partitioning was then performed to develop the decision rule for predicting the presence of stroke.
Results : Three items identified 100% of patients with stroke: facial palsy, motor arm, and dysarthria. An Abbreviated NIH Stroke Scale based on these items had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 92%. A proposed Out-of-hospital NIH Stroke Scale consisting of facial palsy, motor arm, and a combination of dysarthria and best language items (abnormal speech) had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 88%.
Conclusion : Using the derivation data set, a proposed Out-of-hospital NIH Stroke Scale had a high sensitivity and specificity for identifying patients with stroke when performed by physicians in this group of 299 ED patients. Prospective studies of other health care professionals using the scale in the out-of-hospital arena are needed.     

Treatment approaches for clients with a stroke‐affected upper limb: Are we following evidence‐based practice?

Stroke rehabilitation is an area of practice that many occupational therapists encounter during their career. The literature promotes a wide range of management techniques and support devices for people who have a stroke-affected upper limb, but little is known about the validity of those that occupational therapists actually use in practice. A questionnaire was sent to occupational therapists working in Queensland and northern New South Wales facilities (n = 35), in which adults with a stroke were likely to be treated. Eighteen respondents answered questions about the management techniques and support devices used in their facility, and their perception of the benefit of these devices in the reduction of hemiplegic shoulder pain. Results are discussed with reference to evidence-based practice and indicate an urgent need for the collation and dissemination of the best current evidence available for the management techniques and support devices used in this area, as well as further research to extend this evidence.     

Predicting spontaneous early neurological recovery after acute ischemic stroke

We assessed predictors of spontaneous early neurological recovery after acute ischemic stroke by means of multivariate analysis in a cohort of 1,473 consecutive patients treated at one academic center. At hospital discharge, spontaneous neurological improvement or good outcome was defined as grades 0-2 of the Rankin scale, and poor outcome (no improvement or in-hospital death) as grades 3-5. Spontaneous recovery of neurological deficit at the time of discharge from the hospital was observed in 16% of patients with cerebral infarction (n = 238). Dysarthria-clumsy hand syndrome improved in 44% of patients and was the only variable significantly associated with in-hospital functional recovery in three logistic regression models that in addition to lacunar syndromes, included demographic variables, cardiovascular risk factors, and clinical variables [odds ratio (OR) 2.56], neuroimaging findings (OR 2.48), and outcome data (OR 2.39), respectively. Clinical factors related to severity of infarction available at stroke onset have a predominant influence upon in-hospital outcome and may help clinicians to assess prognosis more accurately. Our work gives a contribution into prognostic factors after acute ischemic stroke. With regard to patterns of stroke, dysarthria-clumsy hand syndrome was a significant predictor of spontaneous in-hospital recovery in ischemic stroke patients.     

卒中临床路径实施概述

文章介绍和总结了国外目前卒中临床路径实施的概况，包括临床路径的简介、卒中临床路径的模式、实施效果（优点及存在的问题）以及卒中临床路径的制订。     

急性缺血性卒中抗凝治疗研究进展

急性缺血十牛卒中的抗凝治疗存在着很大的争议。本文综述了常用抗凝药物如肝素、低分子肝素的作川机制，并从循证医学角度对近年来发表的一些关于急性缺血性卒中抗凝治疗的大型临床试验进行了总结。     

老年非瓣膜性房颤脑卒中危险分层及抗凝现状分析

目的　对非瓣膜性房颤 (NVAF)脑卒中危险分层及基层医院抗凝现状分析。方法　选择NVAF住院患者 1 2 0例并分成ABC三组 ,分别统计脑卒中发生率 (五年 )。将治疗分a组 (未抗凝 ) ,b、c组 (阿司匹林抗血小板聚集 ) ,d组 (华法林抗凝 )。结果　 1 2 0例中A组脑卒中人数 1 3人 (59.1 % )。B组脑卒中人数 2 2人 (2 9.3 % )。C组 1人 (4.3 % )。A组与B组 ,B组与C组比较有明显差异 (P <0 .0 5)。d组脑卒中发生率为 0 ,明显优于a组。阿斯匹林≥ 1 50mg d(c组 ) ,脑卒中发生人数 3人 (1 2 .5 % ) ,与a组比有明显差异 (P <0 .0 5)。结论　A、B组脑卒中发生率明显高于C组 ,口服华法令及阿斯匹林可降低脑卒中发生率。基层医院对NVAF患者抗凝治疗不充分 ,脑卒中发生率高。