Psychological Outcome after Hemorrhagic Stroke is Related to Functional Status

BackgroundTo identify opportunities to improve morbidity after hemorrhagic stroke, it is imperative to understand factors that are related to psychological outcome.Design/MethodsWe prospectively identified patients with non-traumatic hemorrhagic stroke (intracerebral or subarachnoid hemorrhage) between January 2015 and February 2021 who were alive 3-months after discharge and telephonically assessed 1) psychological outcome using the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders anxiety, depression, emotional and behavioral dyscontrol, fatigue and sleep disturbance inventories and 2) functional outcome using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and Barthel Index. We also identified discharge destination for all patients. We then evaluated the relationship between abnormal psychological outcomes (T-score >50) and discharge destination other than home, poor 3-month mRS score defined as 3-5 and poor 3-month Barthel Index defined as <100.Results73 patients were included; 41 (56%) had an abnormal psychological outcome on at least one inventory. There were 41 (56%) patients discharged to a destination other than home, 44 (63%) with poor mRS score and 28 (39%) with poor Barthel Index. Anxiety, depression, emotional and behavioral dyscontrol and sleep disturbance were all associated with a destination other than home, poor mRS score, and poor Barthel Index (all p<0.05). Fatigue was related to poor mRS score and poor Barthel Index (p=0.005 and p=0.006, respectively).ConclusionMultiple psychological outcomes 3-months after hemorrhagic stroke are related to functional status. Interventions to improve psychological outcome and reduce morbidity in patients with poor functional status should be explored by the interdisciplinary team.     

特征选择技术在江西地区缺血性脑卒中合并肺部感染风险预测模型中的应用

目的 采用不同特征选择技术构建基于机器学习的预测模型，探讨江西地区缺血性脑卒中患者发生肺部感染的风险因素，为江西地区缺血性脑卒中合并肺部感染的控制和预防提供参考。方法 分别采用互信息、Lasso回归、决策树对特征进行筛选，比较XGboost、SVM、随机森林、MLP、logistic回归在缺血性脑卒中合并肺部感染模型中的效果。结果 Lasso回归优于其他两种特征选择方法，筛选的侵入性操作、NIHSS评分、中性粒细胞计数等15个特征纳入最终模型，与其他分类算法相比，MLP分类性能最好，AUC与约登指数分别是0.8740（95%CI:0.8694～0.8804）和0.6267。结论 Lasso回归可以限制多重共线性带来的影响，并输出高风险因素，结合MLP分类算法，能够较好的预测缺血性脑卒中患者是否会发生肺部感染，为其精准防控提供借鉴，具有一定的临床实践意义。     

Idarucizumab for Intravenous Thrombolysis and Endovascular Thrombectomy in Acute Stroke: A Case Report

BackgroundNon–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs), such as dabigatran, are widely used to prevent ischemic stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Nonetheless, stroke occurs in 1–2% of patients, and the use of NOACs may increase the bleeding risk for patients who are receiving acute treatment of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) or endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). Idarucizumab, a monoclonal antibody developed to bind dabigatran, has been proven safe and effective for patients with uncontrolled bleeding or for patients planning to receive emergent procedures. It is now accepted that patients taking dabigatran with recurrent stroke may benefit from IVT after idarucizumab. However, there are limited data regarding idarucizumab use in patients planning to have EVT.Case ReportWe present the case of a male patient taking dabigatran who had a stroke and who was treated with idarucizumab followed by combined IVT and EVT. The patient had immediate recanalization of the occluded vessel and near total recovery of function after 3 months.Why Should an Emergency Physician be Aware of This?Our case report supports the evidence that patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) despite being under dabigatran therapy should be evaluated for reversal by idarucizumab which can contribute to the eligibility for IVT as well as EVT. It has also been proved to provide better outcomes for patients with AIS. The availabilities of specific reversal agents for NOACs will probably alter the current management of patients with AIS.     

平之胶囊联合西医常规疗法治疗急性缺血性中风病风痰瘀阻证临床研究

目的观察平之胶囊联合西医常规疗法治疗急性缺血性中风病风痰瘀阻证临床疗效。方法采用随机数字表法将200例缺血性中风病风痰瘀阻证患者分为治疗组和对照组各100例。2组均予西医常规疗法,治疗组并予平之胶囊,每日3粒,每日3次,口服。2组均连续治疗2个月。观察2组临床疗效,比较2组治疗前后中医症状积分、美国国立卫生研究院卒中量表(NIHSS)评分、日常生活能力量表(ADL)评分,血脂、超敏C反应蛋白(hs-CRP)、基质金属蛋白酶-9(MMP-9)、同型半胱氨酸(Hcy)、血液流变学指标,观察2组不良反应。结果治疗组、对照组分别脱落1、2例。治疗组总有效率为88.9%(88/99),对照组为69.4%(68/98),2组比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。与本组治疗前比较,2组治疗后中医症状积分、NIHSS评分明显下降,ADL评分明显升高(P<0.05);2组治疗后比较,治疗组上述评分明显优于对照组(P<0.05)。与本组治疗前比较,治疗组总胆固醇(TC)、三酰甘油(TG)、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(LDL-C)水平明显降低(P<0.05),对照组TC水平明显降低(P<0.05);2组治疗后比较,治疗组TC、LDL-C水平明显低于对照组(P<0.05)。与本组治疗前比较,2组治疗后MMP-9、hs-CRP、Hcy水平明显降低(P<0.05);2组治疗后比较,治疗组MMP-9、hs-CRP、Hcy水平明显低于对照组(P<0.05,P<0.01)。与本组治疗前比较,治疗组血浆黏度、纤维蛋白原(FIB)、全血黏度(高切、低切)、红细胞聚集指数明显下降(P<0.05,P<0.01),对照组FIB、红细胞聚集指数明显下降(P<0.05);2组治疗后比较,治疗组FIB、全血黏度低切、红细胞聚集指数明显低于对照组(P<0.05)。2组均未见明显不良反应。结论平之胶囊联合西医常规疗法治疗急性缺血性中风病风痰瘀阻证疗效显著,可改善患者中医症状,降低血脂,保护血管内皮细胞,延缓病情进展。     

加味黄芪桂枝五物汤联合醒脑开窍针刺法治疗脑卒中后肩手综合征的临床观察

目的:观察加味黄芪桂枝五物汤联合醒脑开窍针刺法治疗脑卒中后肩手综合征(SHS)的临床疗效及对神经源性炎症介质和血液流变学指标的影响。方法:将148例患者随机按数字表法分为对照组和观察组各74例。两组口服双氯芬酸钠缓释片,75 min/次,1次/d,连续2～4周;肿胀明显,口服醋酸泼尼松片,10 min/次,1次/d,连续1～2周。并采用醒脑开窍针刺法,1次/d,6次/周;对照组口服脑心通胶囊,4粒/次,3次/d,观察组内服加味黄芪桂枝五物汤,1剂/d。两组疗程均为连续治疗4周。进行对治疗前后肩手综合征评估量表(SHSS)评分,记录疼痛、肿胀消失时间;进行治疗前后Fugl-Meyer功能量表上肢部分评分(U-FMA),日常生活活动能力(ADL)评分和气虚血瘀证评分;检测治疗前后降钙素基因相关肽(CGRP),P物质(SP),缓激肽(BK)水平和血液流变学指标。结果:观察组患者的临床疗效优于对照组(Z=2. 106,P0. 05);观察组SHSS量表的感觉、自主神经、运动3个维度评分和SHSS总分均低于对照组(P0. 01);观察组疼痛、肿胀消失时间均短于对照组(P0. 01);观察组患者U-FMA,ADL评分均高于对照组(P0. 01),气虚血瘀证评分低于对照组(P0. 01);观察组CGRP水平高于对照组(P0. 01),SP和BK水平均低于对照组(P0. 01);观察组的全血黏度(高切、低切)、血浆黏度、纤维蛋白原和血小板聚集率等均低于对照组(P0. 05)。结论:在西医常规治疗的基础上,内服加味黄芪桂枝五物汤配合醒脑开窍针刺疗法可减轻SHS严重程度和中医临床证候,缩短病程,改善上肢运动功能,并可抑制神经源性炎症反应,改善血液流性,提高患者的日常生活活动能力和临床疗效。     

Vagal stimulation and laryngeal electromyography for recurrent laryngeal reinnervation in children

Ansa-to-recurrent laryngeal nerve (ANSA-RLN) reinnervation procedures are now often first-line treatments for some children with unilateral vocal fold immobility. Although many describe that children with prolonged denervation and true vocal fold atrophy should not undergo this procedure, there has been no gold-standard means of identifying true denervation. Here, we describe a novel technique using evoked vagal electromyography to predict degree of chronic nerve injury prior to recurrent laryngeal nerve reinnervation in children. This is a simple, readily available technique that may play an important role in predicting likelihood of success with pediatric ANSA-RLN reinnervation. Laryngoscope, 130:747–751, 2020     

Game theoretical mapping of white matter contributions to visuospatial attention in stroke patients with hemineglect

White matter bundles linking gray matter nodes are key anatomical players to fully characterize associations between brain systems and cognitive functions. Here we used a multivariate lesion inference approach grounded in coalitional game theory (multiperturbation Shapley value analysis, MSA) to infer causal contributions of white matter bundles to visuospatial orienting of attention. Our work is based on the characterization of the lesion patterns of 25 right hemisphere stroke patients and the causal analysis of their impact on three neuropsychological tasks: line bisection, letter cancellation, and bells cancellation. We report that, out of the 11 white matter bundles included in our MSA coalitions, the optic radiations, the inferior fronto‐occipital fasciculus and the anterior cingulum were the only tracts to display task‐invariant contributions (positive, positive, and negative, respectively) to the tasks. We also report task‐dependent influences for the branches of the superior longitudinal fasciculus and the posterior cingulum. By extending prior findings to white matter tracts linking key gray matter nodes, we further characterize from a network perspective the anatomical basis of visual and attentional orienting processes. The knowledge about interactions patterns mediated by white matter tracts linking cortical nodes of attention orienting networks, consolidated by further studies, may help develop and customize brain stimulation approaches for the rehabilitation of visuospatial neglect.