White matter integrity and functional connectivity of the default mode network in acute stroke are associated with cognitive outcome three months post-stroke.

Background: Knowledge about factors that are associated with post-stroke cognitive outcome is important to identify patients with high risk for impairment. We therefore investigated the associations of white matter integrity and functional connectivity (FC) within the brain's default-mode network (DMN) in acute stroke patients with cognitive outcome three months post-stroke.

Methods: Patients aged between 18 and 85 years with an acute symptomatic MRI-proven unilateral ischemic middle cerebral artery infarction, who had received reperfusion therapy, were invited to participate in this longitudinal study.

Type B Aortic Dissection CTA Collection with True and False Lumen Expert Annotations for the Development of AI-based Algorithms.

Aortic dissections (ADs) are serious conditions of the main artery of the human body, where a tear in the inner layer of the aortic wall leads to the formation of a new blood flow channel, named false lumen. ADs affecting the aorta distally to the left subclavian artery are classified as a Stanford type B aortic dissection (type B AD). This is linked to substantial morbidity and mortality, however, the course of the disease for the individual case is often unpredictable.

Wall Enhancement of Coiled Intracranial Aneurysms Is Associated with Aneurysm Recanalization: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background And Purpose: Wall enhancement of untreated intracranial aneurysms on MR imaging is thought to predict aneurysm instability. Wall enhancement or enhancement of the aneurysm cavity in coiled intracranial aneurysms is discussed controversially in the literature regarding potential healing mechanisms or adverse inflammatory reactions. Our aim was to compare the occurrence of aneurysm wall enhancement and cavity enhancement between completely occluded intracranial aneurysms and recanalized aneurysms after initially complete coil embolization.

Endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischaemic stroke with established large infarct: multicentre, open-label, randomised trial.

Background: Recent evidence suggests a beneficial effect of endovascular thrombectomy in acute ischaemic stroke with large infarct; however, previous trials have relied on multimodal brain imaging, whereas non-contrast CT is mostly used in clinical practice.

Methods: In a prospective multicentre, open-label, randomised trial, patients with acute ischaemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation and a large established infarct indicated by an Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomographic Score (ASPECTS) of 3-5 were randomly assigned using a central, web-based system (using a 1:1 ratio) to receive either endovascular thrombectomy with medical treatment or medical treatment (ie, standard of care) alone up to 12 h from stroke onset. The study was conducted in 40 hospitals in Europe and one site in Canada.

A sex-specific association of leukocyte telomere length with thigh muscle mass.

Objectives: Telomeres are DNA-protein complexes at the ends of linear chromosomes that protect against DNA degradation. Telomeres shorten during normal cell divisions and therefore, telomere length is an indicator of mitotic-cell age. In humans, telomere shortening is a potential biomarker for disease risk, progression and premature death.

Frequency and predictors of poststroke epilepsy after mechanical thrombectomy for large vessel occlusion stroke: results from a multicenter cohort study.

Background: Poststroke epilepsy (PSE) represents an important complication of stroke. Data regarding the frequency and predictors of PSE in patients with large-vessel occlusion stroke receiving mechanical thrombectomy (MT) are scarce. Furthermore, information on acute and preexisting lesion characteristics on brain MRI has not yet been systematically considered in risk prediction of PSE.

Endovascular stroke therapy outside core working hours in a nationwide stroke system.

Background: Endovascular therapy (EVT) has been established as a major component in the acute treatment of large vessel occlusion stroke. However, it is unclear whether outcome and other treatment-related factors differ if patients are treated within or outside core working hours.

Methods: We analyzed data from the prospective nationwide Austrian Stroke Unit Registry capturing all consecutive stroke patients treated with EVT between 2016 and 2020.

Mechanical Thrombectomy in Acute Stroke Patients with Moderate to Severe Pre-Stroke Disability.

Background And Purpose: Studies on mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with preexisting disability are limited. We aimed to compare the outcomes of MT versus best medical treatment (BMT) in these patients.

Methods: In the nationwide Austrian registry and Swiss monocentric registry, we identified 462 AIS patients with pre-stroke disability (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score ≥3) and acute large vessel occlusion.

Post-reperfusion hyperperfusion after endovascular stroke treatment: a prospective comparative study of TCD versus MRI.

Background: Increased middle cerebral artery (MCA) blood flow velocities on transcranial duplex sonography (TCD) were recently reported in individual patients after successful mechanical thrombectomy (MT) and were related to intracranial hemorrhage and poor outcome. However, the retrospective study design of prior studies precluded elucidation of the underlying pathomechanisms, and the relationship between TCD and brain parenchymal perfusion still remains to be determined.

Methods: We prospectively investigated consecutive patients with stroke successfully recanalized by MT with TCD and MRI including contrast-enhanced perfusion sequences within 48 hours post-intervention.

The Use of a Commercially Available Endovascular Filter Catheter (Capturex) for Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair (TEVAR) in a Patient with a Coral Reef Aorta.

Due to the risk of mobilizing plaque fragments, transfemoral TEVAR is a potentially dangerous procedure in patients with a coral reef aorta. We describe a practical method for transfemoral TEVAR in a patient with a degenerative thoracic aneurysm and a coral reef aorta. After placing a filter catheter in the abdominal aorta via a contralateral percutaneous femoral access, a working channel through the distal thoracic aorta was created with a balloon-expandable stent graft in the coral reef segment.

Incidence of Developmental Venous Anomalies in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: A 3 Tesla MRI Study.

Objectives: There is evidence of involvement of the venous system in multiple sclerosis (MS). If this bears also an association with the frequency and extent of developmental venous anomalies (DVA) still has to be determined. We therefore investigated this in patients with different phenotypes of MS and in comparison, to a control population.

Results of the pToWin Study: Using the pCONUS Device for the Treatment of Wide-Neck Intracranial Aneurysms.

Coil embolization has become a well-established option for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. Yet, wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms (WNBAs) remain a challenge. The pCONUS is the first generation of a stent-like implant for the bridging of WNBAs to enable coiling.

Short-Term Treatment with Alirocumab, Flow-Dependent Dilatation of the Brachial Artery and Use of Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging to Evaluate Vascular Structure: An Exploratory Pilot Study.

Background: Short-term effects of alirocumab on vascular function have hardly been investigated. Moreover, there is a scarce of reliable non-invasive methods to evaluate atherosclerotic changes of the vasculature. The ALIROCKS trial was performed to address these issues using standard ultrasound-based procedures and a completely novel magnetic resonance-based imaging technique.

Investigation of the Relationship between the Mid_Thigh Adipose Tissue Distribution Measured by MRI and Serum Osteocalcin-A Sex-Based Approach.

Osteocalcin, in its non-carboxylated form, has a positive effect on glucose metabolism. Additionally, osteocalcin levels are related to body composition, especially muscle mass. The relation to the distribution of different adipose tissue types, such as subcutaneous, intermuscular, and visceral adipose tissue, is unclear.

FDA-approved deep learning software application versus radiologists with different levels of expertise: detection of intracranial hemorrhage in a retrospective single-center study.

Purpose: To assess an FDA-approved and CE-certified deep learning (DL) software application compared to the performance of human radiologists in detecting intracranial hemorrhages (ICH).

Methods: Within a 20-week trial from January to May 2020, 2210 adult non-contrast head CT scans were performed in a single center and automatically analyzed by an artificial intelligence (AI) solution with workflow integration. After excluding 22 scans due to severe motion artifacts, images were retrospectively assessed for the presence of ICHs by a second-year resident and a certified radiologist under simulated time pressure.

: Database of 500 high-resolution healthy human skulls and 29 craniotomy skulls and implants.

In this article, we present a skull database containing 500 healthy skulls segmented from high-resolution head computed-tomography (CT) scans and 29 defective skulls segmented from craniotomy head CTs. Each healthy skull contains the complete anatomical structures of human skulls, including the cranial bones, facial bones and other subtle structures. For each craniotomy skull, a part of the cranial bone is missing, leaving a defect on the skull.

Distribution of subcutaneous and intermuscular fatty tissue of the mid-thigh measured by MRI-A putative indicator of serum adiponectin level and individual factors of cardio-metabolic risk.

Obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are associated with hypoadiponectinemia. On the contrary, studies revealed correlations between the amount of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and higher serum adiponectin levels. Furthermore, independent association of intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) deposit in the thigh with cardiometabolic risk factors (including total blood cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides), and decreased insulin sensitivity, as MetS components, are sufficiently described.

Case Report: Four Early Recurrent Basilar Artery Occlusions Successfully Treated With Mechanical Thrombectomy and Subsequent Vertebral Artery Coil Occlusion.

We present the case of a middle-aged patient who had four recurrent acute basilar artery occlusions over a period of 3 months, each time successfully treated with mechanical thrombectomy. Extensive stroke work-up showed no obvious stroke etiology aside from a dysplastic right vertebral artery with multifocal stenoses. Treatment with different antiplatelet and anticoagulant regimes did not prevent basilar artery occlusion recurrence.

Influence of safety glasses, body height and magnification on the occupational eye lens dose during pelvic vascular interventions: a phantom study.

Objective: By simulating a fluoroscopic-guided vascular intervention, two differently designed radiation safety glasses were compared. The impacts of changing viewing directions and body heights on the eye lens dose were evaluated. Additionally, the effect of variable magnification levels on the arising scattered radiation was determined.

Non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis and outcome in large vessel occlusion stroke.

Background: Liver fibrosis has been identified as an outcome predictor in cardiovascular disease and has been associated with hematoma expansion and mortality in patients with primary intracerebral hemorrhage. We aimed to explore whether clinically inapparent liver fibrosis is related to neurological outcome, mortality, and intracranial hemorrhage risk in ischemic stroke patients after mechanical thrombectomy.

Methods: We included consecutive patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke treated at our center with mechanical thrombectomy between January 2011 and April 2019.

Comparing the Impact of Multi-Session Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal and Primary Motor Cortex Neuronavigated Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (nrTMS) on Chronic Pain Patients.

Repetitive transcranial stimulation (rTMS) has been shown to produce an analgesic effect and therefore has a potential for treating chronic refractory pain. However, previous studies used various stimulation parameters (including cortical targets), and the best stimulation protocol is not yet identified. The present study investigated the effects of multi-session 20 Hz (2000 pulses) and 5 Hz (1800 pulses) rTMS stimulation of left motor cortex (M1-group) and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC-group), respectively.