Predictors of noticing stroke educational campaign.

Background: Long-term campaigns to improve stroke awareness, such as the campaign conducted in the Czech Republic since 2006, have not been effective. However, the small subpopulation that noticed the campaign had better stroke awareness than the population that did not. To better understand this awareness campaign responsiveness and to design more successful future campaigns, predictors of noticing campaigns were identified.

Impairment of brain vessels may contribute to mortality in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Background: The effect of brain-vessel pathology on mortality in 57 consecutive PD patients was studied.

Methods: Baseline clinical, neuropsychological, ultrasonographic (US), and MR data obtained from patients who died (n = 18) during a 4-year follow-up period were compared with the data of patients who survived.

Results: US/MRI data displayed a more-severe vascular impairment in deceased patients.

Calling 911 in response to stroke: no change following a four-year educational campaign.

Background: Public awareness campaigns are conducted to increase stroke awareness, yet evidence of their long-term effectiveness is limited. Since 2006, the Czech Stroke Society has conducted an educational campaign throughout the Czech Republic (CR) to increase awareness about stroke. This report evaluates the effectiveness of this campaign by comparing the results of a nationwide survey on stroke awareness in 2009 with the results from 2005.

Reperfusion therapies for acute ischemic stroke.

Ischemic stroke is most often caused by an acute extracranial or intracranial thromboembolic lesion obstructing an artery. It has been demonstrated that recanalization is the most important modifiable predictor of a good clinical outcome. Reperfusion strategies focus on early reopening of the vessel to reestablish antegrade flow within the penumbra.

Safety of performing CT angiography in stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis.

Objective: Exposure to contrast agents may cause nephrotoxicity. The safety of performing CT angiography without having knowledge of the baseline creatinine level in stroke patients treated with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) has not been established.

Methods: This is an observational cohort study, with a historical control group to evaluate the safety of CT angiography performed before tPA treatment given within 3 h of symptom onset.