Changes in sleep-disordered breathing severity and post-stroke outcomes in the first year after stroke.

Background: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is common among stroke survivors and is associated with worse functional, cognitive, and neurologic outcomes after stroke. Little is known about the association between changes in SDB and changes in these outcomes over time.

Methods: Ischemic stroke (IS) patients identified through the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi project were offered SDB testing with a portable respiratory monitor (ApneaLink Plus) shortly after stroke, and at 3-, 6-, and 12-months post-stroke.

Changes Over Time in Short-Term Stroke Outcomes by Race-Ethnicity.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to quantify trends (2008-2019) in stroke outcomes by race-ethnicity.

Methods: Patients with ischemic stroke from a population-based study were interviewed at 90 days to assess outcomes. Linear regression with multiple imputation and inverse probability weighting was used to model trends.

Outcomes Among Mexican American and Non-Hispanic White Informal Stroke Caregivers.

Background: Informal home care is prevalent among Mexican American stroke survivors, but data on the impact on caregivers are not available. The aim was to assess ethnic differences in informal stroke caregiving and caregiver outcomes at 90 days poststroke.

Methods: Informal caregivers were recruited from the population-based Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi Project (2019-2023), conducted in a bi-ethnic community in Texas.

Caring for Stroke Survivors: Ethnic Differences in Informal Caregiver Needs Among Mexican American and Non-Hispanic White Communities.

Background: After stroke, Mexican American (MA) individuals have worse 90-day neurological, functional, cognitive, and quality of life outcomes and a higher prevalence of poststroke depression compared with non-Hispanic White (NHW) individuals. MA individuals receive more help through informal, unpaid caregiving than NHW individuals. We examined ethnic differences in needs identified by MA and NHW stroke caregivers.

Association between sleep-disordered breathing and post-stroke fatigue in patients with ischemic stroke.

Objectives: Post-stroke fatigue (PSF) is common and often disabling. Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is highly prevalent among stroke survivors and can cause fatigue. We explored the relationship between SDB and PSF over time.

QTL mapping of human retina DNA methylation identifies 87 gene-epigenome interactions in age-related macular degeneration.

DNA methylation provides a crucial epigenetic mark linking genetic variations to environmental influence. We have analyzed array-based DNA methylation profiles of 160 human retinas with co-measured RNA-seq and >8 million genetic variants, uncovering sites of genetic regulation in cis (37,453 methylation quantitative trait loci and 12,505 expression quantitative trait loci) and 13,747 DNA methylation loci affecting gene expression, with over one-third specific to the retina. Methylation and expression quantitative trait loci show non-random distribution and enrichment of biological processes related to synapse, mitochondria, and catabolism.

Heterogeneity of obstructive sleep apnea phenotypes after ischemic stroke: Outcome variation by cluster analysis.

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common but under-recognized after stroke. The aim of this study was to determine whether post-stroke phenotypic OSA subtypes are associated with stroke outcome in a population-based observational cohort.

Methods: Ischemic stroke patients (n = 804) diagnosed with OSA (respiratory event index ≥10) soon after ischemic stroke were identified from the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project.

Novel metrics of sleep-disordered breathing are associated with outcome after ischemic stroke.

Objective/background: Standard measures of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) that rely on count data may not sufficiently capture SDB severity or reflect downstream consequences of SDB. We hypothesized that novel metrics derived from pulse rate, oxygen saturation, and nasal pressure would be associated with stroke outcomes.

Patients/methods: Shortly after ischemic stroke, participants in a population-based study were offered ApneaLink Plus testing.

Mexican Americans agree to participate in longitudinal clinical research more than non-Hispanic whites.

Background: The National Institutes of Health has advocated for improved minority participation in clinical research, including clinical trials and observational epidemiologic studies since 1993. An understanding of Mexican Americans (MAs) participation in clinical research is important for tailoring recruitment strategies and enrollment techniques for MAs. However, contemporary data on MA participation in observational clinical stroke studies are rare.

Black Americans have worse stroke outcome compared with non-Hispanic whites.

Introduction: We studied racial differences in post-stroke outcomes using a prospective, population-based cohort of stroke survivors as part of the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project.

Methods: Neurologic (NIHSS, range of 0-42, higher scores are worse), functional (ADLs/IADLs, range 1-4, higher scores are worse), and cognitive (3MSE, range 0-100, higher scores are better) outcomes were measured 90 days after stroke. Cox proportional hazards and negative binomial linear regression models were used to examine the associations between race and 90-day all-cause mortality and NIHSS, respectively, whereas linear regression was used for ADLs/IADLs and 3MSE scores.

QTL mapping of human retina DNA methylation identifies 87 gene-epigenome interactions in age-related macular degeneration.

DNA methylation (DNAm) provides a crucial epigenetic mark linking genetic variations to environmental influence. We analyzed array-based DNAm profiles of 160 human retinas with co-measured RNA-seq and > 8 million genetic variants, uncovering sites of genetic regulation in (37,453 mQTLs and 12,505 eQTLs) and 13,747 eQTMs (DNAm loci affecting gene expression), with over one-third specific to the retina. mQTLs and eQTMs show non-random distribution and enrichment of biological processes related to synapse, mitochondria, and catabolism.

Machine Learning-Based Prediction of Mental Well-Being Using Health Behavior Data from University Students.

Background: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the importance of timely and effective assessment of mental well-being has increased dramatically. Machine learning (ML) algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques can be harnessed for early detection, prognostication and prediction of negative psychological well-being states.

Methods: We used data from a large, multi-site cross-sectional survey consisting of 17 universities in Southeast Asia.

Positive airway pressure treatment for sleep-disordered breathing is rare during the first year after stroke: The BASIC project.

Objective/background: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is very common after ischemic stroke, and its treatment may have a positive impact on recovery from stroke and on secondary stroke prevention. This study sought to determine the prevalence of positive airway pressure (PAP) use after stroke.

Patients/methods: Participants in the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project underwent a home sleep apnea test shortly after ischemic stroke.

Recurrent stroke arrival time.

Background: Stroke patients and family members should receive stroke education including recognition of stroke symptoms and prompt activation of emergency medical services (EMS). The impact of this education is unclear. We aimed to measure the associations between EMS use and timing of hospital arrival and first-ever and recurrent strokes as a proxy for stroke education.

Cognitive recovery trajectories 3 months following stroke in Mexican American and non-Hispanic white adults.

Objectives: We examined whether cognitive trajectories from 0-3 months after stroke differ between Mexican Americans (MAs) and non-Hispanic white (NHW) adults.

Materials And Methods: The sample included 701 participants with ischemic stroke (62% MA; 38% NHW) from the population-based stroke surveillance study, the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) Project, between 2008-2013. The outcome was the modified Mini Mental State Examination (3MSE, range 0-100 lower scores worse).

Methods and early recruitment of the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi-Post-acute Care (BASIC-PAC) Project.

Objectives: Compared with non-Hispanic whites (NHWs), Mexican Americans (MAs) have worse stroke outcomes. We report here the methods, background literature, and initial recruitment of the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi-Post Acute Care (BASIC-PAC) Project which aims to explore PAC in MAs and NHWs from multiple perspectives: patients, caregivers, and community.

Materials And Methods: Rigorous active and passive stroke surveillance captures all strokes in Nueces County, Texas.

Outcomes in the Year After First-Ever Ischemic Stroke in a Bi-Ethnic Population.

Objective: To investigate stroke outcomes at 3, 6, and 12 months post-stroke overall and by ethnicity in a population-based, longitudinal study.

Methods: First-ever ischemic strokes (2014-2019, n = 1,332) among Mexican American persons (n = 807) and non-Hispanic white persons (n = 525) were identified from the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi Project. Data were collected from patient or proxy interviews (baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months post-stroke) and medical records, including functional (activities of daily living/instrumental activities of daily living score), neurological (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale), cognitive (Modified Mini-Mental State Examination), and quality of life (QOL) outcomes (12-domain Stroke-specific Quality of Life scale).

Ten-Year Trends in Sleep-Disordered Breathing After Ischemic Stroke: 2010 to 2019 Data From the BASIC Project.

Background Despite good evidence that the prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is increasing in the general population, no data are available about trends in poststroke SDB. We therefore sought to assess changes in poststroke SDB over a 10-year period (2010-2019). Methods and Results Participants in the BASIC (Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi) project were offered a home sleep apnea test to assess for SDB after stroke.

Prediction Modeling of Mental Well-Being Using Health Behavior Data of College Students.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the importance of timely and effective assessment of mental well-being has increased dramatically. Due to heightened risks for developing mental illness, this trend is likely to continue during the post-pandemic period. Machine learning (ML) algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques can be harnessed for early detection, prognostication and prediction of negative psychological well-being states.

A mega-analysis of expression quantitative trait loci in retinal tissue.

Significant association signals from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) point to genomic regions of interest. However, for most loci the causative genetic variant remains undefined. Determining expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) in a disease relevant tissue is an excellent approach to zoom in on disease- or trait-associated association signals and hitherto on relevant disease mechanisms.

Family-based exome sequencing identifies rare coding variants in age-related macular degeneration.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 52 independent variants at 34 genetic loci that are associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of incurable vision loss in the elderly worldwide. However, causal genes at the majority of these loci remain unknown. In this study, we performed whole exome sequencing of 264 individuals from 63 multiplex families with AMD and analyzed the data for rare protein-altering variants in candidate target genes at AMD-associated loci.

Author Correction: Retinal transcriptome and eQTL analyses identify genes associated with age-related macular degeneration.

In the version of this article initially published, in Supplementary Data 5, the logFC, FC, P value and adjusted P value for advanced AMD versus control (DE 4/1) without age correction did not correspond to the correct gene IDs. The errors have been corrected in the HTML version of the article.

Retinal transcriptome and eQTL analyses identify genes associated with age-related macular degeneration.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic variants at 34 loci contributing to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). We generated transcriptional profiles of postmortem retinas from 453 controls and cases at distinct stages of AMD and integrated retinal transcriptomes, covering 13,662 protein-coding and 1,462 noncoding genes, with genotypes at more than 9 million common SNPs for expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis of a tissue not included in Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) and other large datasets. Cis-eQTL analysis identified 10,474 genes under genetic regulation, including 4,541 eQTLs detected only in the retina.