Publications by authors named "Shashvat Desai"

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of global mortality and disability, with a disproportionately high burden in low- and middle-income countries. Access to intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and endovascular treatment (EVT) remains extremely limited.

Aims: We evaluated the spatial distribution and geographic accessibility of stroke centers in India.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: We aimed to investigate whether rescue stenting (RS) following failed mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO) results in superior functional outcomes and enhanced safety compared to the natural history of failed mechanical thrombectomy (MT).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized data from the PC-SEARCH registry, encompassing eight high-volume centers in the United States and covering the period from 2015 to 2021. Patients with BAO who experienced failed MT (mTICI score of 0-2a after at least one attempt of clot retrieval) were categorized based on whether they received additional intervention with RS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) access for acute ischemic stroke varies greatly across countries, prompting the need for a scoring system to evaluate and improve treatment accessibility worldwide.
  • A systematic review and a modified Delphi method were used to identify key attributes affecting MT access, culminating in a final score of 0-36 based on 12 consensus attributes selected by international experts.
  • The MT access score serves as a pioneering tool to identify barriers to MT access, aiming to enhance stroke care and outcomes globally by guiding public health interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Age is often a factor in predicting outcomes for patients with large vessel occlusions treated with mechanical thrombectomy, but there’s limited research on outcomes for octo/nonagenarians compared to younger patients, specifically for acute basilar artery occlusions.
  • A study using data from the PC-SEARCH Thrombectomy Registry analyzed 444 cases, dividing patients into two age groups: those over 80 and those 80 or younger.
  • Results showed that while fewer older patients achieved favorable outcomes at 90 days post-treatment, the differences were not statistically significant after adjusting for other health factors, suggesting that octo/nonagenarians can have comparable functional recovery to younger patients when treated with thrombectomy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) heterogeneity remains a critical barrier to translating therapies. Identifying final common pathways/molecular signatures that integrate this heterogeneity informs biomarker and therapeutic-target development. We present the first large-scale murine single-cell atlas of the transcriptomic response to TBI (334,376 cells) across clinically relevant models, sex, brain region, and time as a foundational step in molecularly deconstructing TBI heterogeneity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Objectives: Intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) large vessel occlusion (LVO) is responsible for up to 30% of LVO. In this study, we aimed to determine the likelihood of favorable functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale 0-3) in acute ICAD-LVO basilar occlusion compared with embolic basilar occlusion.

Methods: This is an analysis of the Posterior Circulation Ischemic Stroke Evaluation: Analyzing Radiographic and Intraprocedural Predictors for Mechanical Thrombectomy Registry in which patients with acute basilar artery occlusions from 8 comprehensive stroke centers were included from 2015 to 2021.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the effectiveness of two anesthesia methods—general anesthesia (GA) and conscious sedation (non-GA)—for patients undergoing endovascular treatment for isolated posterior cerebral artery (PCA) occlusion stroke.
  • Researchers analyzed data from the PLATO study focusing on patient outcomes such as the modified Rankin Scale scores after 90 days, as well as successful reperfusion rates and safety measures like intracranial hemorrhage.
  • Results show that while both anesthesia methods had similar functional outcomes and safety profiles, GA was associated with significantly higher rates of successful reperfusion during treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Posterior cerebral artery occlusion (PCAo) can lead to long-term disabilities, and this study compares the effectiveness of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), both with and without intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), against IVT alone for treating PCAo.
  • The study analyzed data from 724 patients treated within 24 hours of PCAo onset, measuring outcomes like functional independence and early neurological improvement over a three-month period.
  • Results indicated that EVT did not improve overall functional outcomes compared to IVT alone; however, it increased the likelihood of early improvement, but also raised risks of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and mortality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the effectiveness of endovascular treatment (EVT) versus medical management (MM) in patients with isolated posterior cerebral artery occlusion (iPCAO) during acute ischemic strokes, lacking prior randomized trial evidence.
  • Results show that EVT leads to better functional outcomes for patients with more severe stroke symptoms (NIHSS >6), but not for those with milder symptoms (NIHSS ≤6).
  • Additionally, while EVT improves outcomes, it is also linked to a higher occurrence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhages, regardless of initial stroke severity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Recent randomized controlled trials demonstrated superiority of mechanical thrombectomy compared to medical therapy in acute basilar artery occlusions, however, little data is available to guide clinicians in functional prognosis and risk stratification.

Patients And Methods: Data from the retrospectively established PC-SEARCH Thrombectomy registry, which included patients with basilar artery occlusion from eight sites from January 2015 to December 2021, was interrogated. Outcomes were dichotomized into 90-day favorable (mRS ⩽ 3) and unfavorable (mRS > 3).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Importance: Stroke-to-recanalization time is a strong predictor of outcomes in anterior circulation large-vessel occlusion (LVO). The authors aimed to evaluate functional outcomes in early (<6 h) vs. late (6-24 h) time windows for thrombectomy-treated basilar artery occlusions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Aspiration catheters (ASPs) and stentriever thrombectomy devices have comparable safety and efficacy in anterior circulation ischemic strokes. However, there is lack of high-quality comparative data in acute basilar artery occlusions. Our objective is to compare the outcomes and safety of ASPs and stentriever devices in acute basilar artery occlusions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: An understanding of global, regional, and national macroeconomic losses caused by stroke is important for allocation of clinical and research resources. The authors investigated the macroeconomic consequences of stroke disease burden in the year 2019 in 173 countries.

Methods: Disability-adjusted life year data for overall stroke and its subtypes (ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage) were collected from the GBD study (Global Burden of Disease) 2019 database.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Despite the high incidence and burden of stroke, biological biomarkers are not used routinely in clinical practice to diagnose, determine progression, or prognosticate outcomes of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Because of its direct interface with neural tissue, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a potentially valuable source for biomarker development. This systematic review was conducted using three databases.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • A study comparing endovascular therapy (EVT) and medical management (MM) for patients with isolated posterior cerebral artery occlusion found no significant difference in disability outcomes at 90 days.
  • EVT showed a greater likelihood of achieving a substantial improvement on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and better overall recovery, despite higher risks of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH) and mortality.
  • The findings suggest that while EVT may lead to better recovery, it comes with increased risks, indicating the need for careful patient selection in treatment decisions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The therapeutic focus in acute ischemic stroke over the last 2.5 decades has been to balance the benefits of rapid reperfusion therapy with the risks of treatment-related complications. Both intravenous thrombolytics and endovascular thrombectomy are proven to substantially improve outcomes in a time-dependent manner.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To evaluate clinical outcomes of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO) using population-level data from the United States.

Methods: Weighted discharge data from the National Inpatient Sample were queried to identify adult patients with acute BAO during the period of 2015 to 2019 treated with EVT or medical management only. Complex samples statistical methods and propensity-score adjustment using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) were performed to assess clinical endpoints.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify factors that lead to a prolonged hospital stay or 30-day readmission after minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) at a single institution.

Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent MIS TLIF from January 1, 2016, to March 31, 2018, were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic data, including age, sex, ethnicity, smoking status, and body mass index, were collected along with operative details, indications, affected spinal levels, estimated blood loss, and operative duration.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Despite the well-established potent benefit of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke, access to MT has not been studied globally. We conducted a worldwide survey of countries on 6 continents to define MT access (MTA), the disparities in MTA, and its determinants on a global scale.

Methods: Our survey was conducted in 75 countries through the Mission Thrombectomy 2020+ global network between November 22, 2020, and February 28, 2021.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Addressing traumatic brain injury (TBI) heterogeneity is increasingly recognized as essential for therapy translation given the long history of failed clinical trials. We evaluated differential effects of a promising treatment (glibenclamide) based on dose, TBI type (patient selection), and imaging endophenotype (outcome selection). Our goal to inform TBI precision medicine is contextually timely given ongoing phase 2/planned phase 3 trials of glibenclamide in brain contusion.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV-tPA) remains part of the guidelines for acute ischemic stroke treatment, yet internal carotid artery occlusions (ICAO) are known to be poorly responsive to IV-tPA. It is unknown whether bridging thrombolysis (BT) is beneficial in such cases.

Purpose: We sought to evaluate whether the use of IV-tPA improved overall clinical outcomes in patients undergoing endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for ICA occlusions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Randomized clinical trials have proven the effectiveness of endovascular therapy (EVT) for acute strokes caused by large vessel occlusions, but its efficacy for strokes with distal, medium vessel occlusions (DMVO) is still uncertain.
  • This study aimed to compare the outcomes of EVT against medical management (MM) in patients with primary DMVO strokes, using data from January 2015 to December 2019.
  • Findings revealed no significant difference in 3-month functional independence rates between the EVT and MM groups, despite analyzing a total of 286 DMVO patients, with various demographics and treatment characteristics considered.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Chronological heterogeneity in neurological improvement after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke is commonly observed in clinical practice. Understanding the temporal progression of functional independence after EVT, especially delayed functional independence in patients who do not improve early, is essential for prognostication and rehabilitation. We aim to determine the incidence of early functional independence (EFI) and delayed functional independence (DFI), identify associated predictors after EVT, and develop the Delayed Functional Independence After Neurothrombectomy (DEFIANT) score.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: For patients undergoing endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), those who are recanalized with a successful single pass (first pass effect, FPE) have better functional outcomes than those who do not. There is a scarcity of data regarding predictors of FPE in basilar artery occlusion (BAO). We aim to determine what characteristics may predict FPE for posterior circulation thrombectomies in a cohort of patients undergoing EVT for BAO.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Transient ischemic attack (TIA) serves a precursor for an acute ischemic stroke (AIS); however, not all TIA patients harbor the same risk for subsequent AIS. We aimed to investigate expediting outpatient management of low-risk TIA patients (ABCD: Giles and Rothwell, 2007 score ≤ 3) via our "Fast-Track" TIA Protocol (FTTP).

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who presented to our academic network 04/2020 - 2/2021.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF