Decline in subarachnoid haemorrhage volumes associated with the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, decreased volumes of stroke admissions and mechanical thrombectomy were reported. The study's objective was to examine whether subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) hospitalisations and ruptured aneurysm coiling interventions demonstrated similar declines.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective, observational study across 6 continents, 37 countries and 140 comprehensive stroke centres.

Global impact of COVID-19 on stroke care.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic led to profound changes in the organization of health care systems worldwide.

Aims: We sought to measure the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the volumes for mechanical thrombectomy, stroke, and intracranial hemorrhage hospitalizations over a three-month period at the height of the pandemic (1 March-31 May 2020) compared with two control three-month periods (immediately preceding and one year prior).

Methods: Retrospective, observational, international study, across 6 continents, 40 countries, and 187 comprehensive stroke centers.

Declining use of neurological eponyms in cases where a non-eponymous alternative exists.

Eponyms are common in neurology, but their use is controversial. Recent studies have demonstrated increasing eponym use over time in the scientific literature, but it is unclear whether this is a result of authors choosing to use eponyms more frequently, or is merely a product of increasing rates of scientific publication. Our goal was to explore trends in decision-making pertaining to eponym usage.

Preeclampsia, eclampsia, and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome.

Preeclampsia is a disorder of pregnancy associated with gestational hypertension and end-organ dysfunction. Patients with eclampsia, by definition, have seizures as part of the clinical syndrome. However, patients with preeclampsia can also have other neurologic symptoms and deficits.

Sleep apnea and stroke.

Purpose Of Review: Stroke and sleep apnea are highly prevalent conditions with a physiologically plausible bidirectional relationship. This review addresses prestroke sleep apnea, wake-up stroke and sleep apnea, and poststroke sleep apnea, with an attempt to highlight research published in the last 18 months.

Recent Findings: Sleep apnea is highly prevalent poststroke.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions to increase stroke thrombolysis.

Background: Although the efficacy of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for acute ischemic stroke is well established, rates of tPA use remain low. For clinicians, advocates, and policy-makers seeking to increase tPA treatment rates, it is important to understand what interventions exist and their relative effectiveness.

Methods: We searched PubMed and EMBASE to identify all studies published between 1995 and January 8, 2015 documenting interventions to increase the use of tPA with broadly inclusive criteria.

Acute Blood Pressure Management in Acute Ischemic Stroke and Spontaneous Cerebral Hemorrhage.

Purpose Of Review: We discuss the evidence and guidelines for acute blood pressure (BP) management for patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke or spontaneous cerebral hemorrhage.

Recent Findings: Observational data suggest that the extremes of BP should be avoided in patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke. There is no convincing evidence that active BP reduction results in improved outcomes for ischemic stroke patients.

Sex differences in stroke: Challenges and opportunities.

Biologic sex influences many variables that are important to brain health in general, and to stroke or cerebral ischemia in particular, such as general health status, cerebrovascular anatomy and function, unique risk factors such as pregnancy and preeclampsia, symptomatology, and therapeutic response. A more complete understanding of the scale and depth of sexual dimorphism in the brain and the role of more general sex-based factors is crucial to reducing the burden of stroke in women and men. This focused review highlights recent findings in stroke, including sex differences in epidemiology, risk factor reduction, comparative use of stroke therapeutics in both sexes, the importance of frailty in women, and the biologic basis for sex differences in stroke.

Sleep disorders and the risk of stroke.

Stroke is a major cause of disability and death in the United States and across the world, and the incidence and prevalence of stroke are expected to rise significantly due to an aging population. Obstructive sleep apnea, an established independent risk factor for stroke, is a highly prevalent disease that is estimated to double the risk of stroke. It remains uncertain whether non-apnea sleep disorders increase the risk of stroke.

Sex Differences in Academic Rank and Publication Rate at Top-Ranked US Neurology Programs.

Importance: Women are underrepresented in academic neurology, and the reasons for the underrepresentation are unclear.

Objective: To explore potential sex differences in top-ranked academic neurology programs by comparing the number of men and women at each academic faculty rank and how many articles each group has published.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Twenty-nine top-ranked neurology programs were identified by combining the top 20 programs listed on either the 2016 or 2017 Doximity Residency Navigator tool with the top 20 programs listed in the US News and World Report ranking of Best Graduate Schools.

Sex differences in sleep-disordered breathing after stroke: results from the BASIC project.

Objective/background: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), an independent risk factor for stroke, is associated with worse post-stroke outcomes. Differences in the relationship between SDB and stroke may exist for women versus men. In this population-based study, we compared the prevalence of both pre- and post-stroke SDB by sex.

Reach Out Churches: A Community-Based Participatory Research Pilot Trial to Assess the Feasibility of a Mobile Health Technology Intervention to Reduce Blood Pressure Among African Americans.

Innovative strategies are needed to reduce the hypertension epidemic among African Americans. Reach Out was a faith-collaborative, mobile health, randomized, pilot intervention trial of four mobile health components to reduce high blood pressure (BP) compared to usual care. It was designed and tested within a community-based participatory research framework among African Americans recruited and randomized from churches in Flint, Michigan.

Sex Disparity in Stroke Quality of Care in a Community-Based Study.

Background: Studies have suggested that women may receive lower stroke quality of care (QOC) than men, although population-based studies at nonacademic centers are limited. We investigated sex disparities in stroke QOC in the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi Project.

Methods: All ischemic stroke patients admitted to 1 of 6 Nueces County nonacademic hospitals between February 2009 and June 2012 were prospectively identified.

Ischemic stroke subtype and presence of sleep-disordered breathing: the BASIC sleep apnea study.

Background: Little is known about the prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) across ischemic stroke subtypes. Given the important implications for SDB screening, we tested the association between SDB and ischemic stroke subtype in a population-based study.

Methods: Within the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi Project, ischemic stroke patients were offered SDB screening with the ApneaLink Plus (n = 355).

Brainstem infarction and sleep-disordered breathing in the BASIC sleep apnea study.

Background: Association between cerebral infarction site and poststroke sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) has important implications for SDB screening and the pathophysiology of poststroke SDB. Within a large, population-based study, we assessed whether brainstem infarction location is associated with SDB presence and severity.

Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted on ischemic stroke patients in the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project.