Improving door-to-reperfusion time in acute ischemic stroke during the COVID-19 pandemic: experience from a public comprehensive stroke center in Brazil.

Background: The global COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on global health, resulting in a strain on healthcare services worldwide. The faster a patient with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) receives reperfusion treatment, the greater the odds of a good functional outcome. To maintain the time-dependent processes in acute stroke care, strategies to reorganize infrastructure and optimize human and medical resources were needed.

Disparities in Stroke Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Between Healthcare Systems in Brazil.

Introduction: Acute stroke interventions, such as stroke units and reperfusion therapy, have the potential to improve outcomes. However, there are many disparities in patient characteristics and access to the best stroke care. Thus, we aim to compare patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) after stroke in two stroke centers representing the public and private healthcare systems in Brazil.

Risk Factors for Epilepsy After Thrombolysis for Ischemic Stroke: A Cohort Study.

The effects of thrombolysis in seizure and epilepsy after acute ischemic stroke have been poorly explored. In this study, we examine risk factors and consequences of intravenous rt-PA for treatment of acute ischemic stroke. In a retrospective cohort study we evaluate risk factors for seizure and epilepsy after stroke thrombolysis, as well as the impact of seizures and epilepsy in outcome of stroke patients.

Early Manipulation of Arterial Blood Pressure in Acute Ischemic Stroke (MAPAS): Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: There is uncertainty over the optimal level of systolic blood pressure (SBP) in the setting of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of the early manipulation of SBP in non-thrombolised patients. The key hypothesis under investigation was that clinical outcomes vary across ranges of SBP in AIS.

What neuropsychological functions best discriminate performance in adults post-stroke?

This study aimed to develop a short version of an instrument to detect cognitive impairment in stroke patients, investigate which cognitive dimensions best discriminate between stroke patients and healthy adults and to graphically analyze the relationships among the neuropsychological variables and groups. This pilot study included 94 adults (49 post-stroke and 45 neurologically healthy) who answered the Brief Neuropsychological Assessment Battery NEUPSILIN for patients with expressive aphasia (NEUPSILIN-Af) to assess orientation, perception, memory, praxis, executive functions, oral language, and academic achievement (written language and arithmetic). The IRT Rasch model for dichotomous data indicated the exclusion of items that could not be used to discriminate performances.

Early mobilization in ischemic stroke: a pilot randomized trial of safety and feasibility in a public hospital in Brazil.

Background: The effect of early mobilization after acute stroke is still unclear, although some studies have suggested improvement in outcomes. We conducted a randomized, single-blind, controlled trial seeking to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and benefit of early mobilization for patients with acute ischemic stroke treated in a public teaching hospital in Southern Brazil. This report presents the feasibility and safety findings for the pilot phase of this trial.

Risk factors among stroke subtypes in Brazil.

Stroke is a leading cause of mortality and disability in Brazil. Among the risk factors for cerebrovascular disease, some have more influence than others in certain stroke subtypes. Little data are available in the literature on the prevalence of stroke subtypes in Latin America.

Thrombolytic therapy for acute stroke in the elderly: an emergent condition in developing countries.

Elderly patients may represent an important group when considering new stroke treatments, particularly in developing countries. The aim of this study was to analyze the use of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) in elderly Brazilian patients with acute ischemic stroke. Clinical and neuroimaging parameters at admission, frequency of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and outcome were compared between elderly (≥80 years) and nonelderly (<80 years) stroke patients treated with rtPA in the Porto Alegre Stroke Network.

[Reliability of neurological assessment scales in patients with stroke].

Scales for the assessment of neurological impairment are employed in clinical trials, outcome evaluation and in therapeutic decisions. We evaluated the reliability of the Portuguese version of the Rankin Scale (RS), Barthel Index (BI) and the NIHSS (National Institute of Health Stroke Scale) in 51 stroke patients, estimating the agreement of the results for examiners. The interrater reliability was measured using the Kappa Coefficient and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient.

[Progressive bulbar palsy (Fazio-Londe disease): case report].

Progressive bulbar palsy, also called Fazio -Londe disease, is characterized by progressive impairment of cranial nerves in children. It was first reported by Fazio in 1892 and until now only 30 cases have been published in the literature. Both sexes can be affected and clinical course can be divided on early (< 6 years age, predominance of respiratory symptoms) and late course (6-20 years of age, predominance of motor symptoms on superior limbs).