Longitudinal outcomes of ischemic versus hemorrhagic stroke: Differences may impact future trial design.

Objectives: Patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) are more likely to present with severe symptoms than those with ischemic stroke (IS); however, the way in which long-term outcomes differ between groups is less clear. Given that the tissue surrounding ICH is not always irreversibly infarcted, it may have the potential to recover more fully over time. Understanding the differences in expected outcome severity is critical in order to prognosticate and to determine appropriate outcome measures when designing clinical trials.

Altered directional functional connectivity underlies post-stroke cognitive recovery.

Cortical ischaemic strokes result in cognitive deficits depending on the area of the affected brain. However, we have demonstrated that difficulties with attention and processing speed can occur even with small subcortical infarcts. Symptoms appear independent of lesion location, suggesting they arise from generalized disruption of cognitive networks.

Outcomes in Patients with Minor Stroke: Diagnosis and Management in the Post-thrombectomy Era.

In the era of mechanical thrombectomy and better preventative strategies, a higher number of patients are being discharged home from the hospital with the so-called minor strokes. This has significantly changed the landscape of stroke recovery. Unfortunately, while symptoms may be categorized as mild compared to individuals with higher NIH Stroke Scale scores, the physical, cognitive, and emotional sequelae can be disabling and result in failure to return to work and poor quality of life in a population with significant potential to recover fully.

Baseline Function and Rehabilitation Are as Important as Stroke Severity as Long-term Predictors of Cognitive Performance Post-stroke.

Objective: Although individuals with low stroke severity tend to recover well, cognitive impairment is common independent of stroke size or location. In this study, the patterns of recovery for individual cognitive domains and factors associated with outcome were examined.

Design: A prospectively enrolled cohort of patients with minor stroke was administered cognitive testing at 1, 6, and 12 mos postinfarct.

When less is more: Non-contrast head CT alone to work-up hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage.

Hypertension is a common cause of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The work up typically involves neuroimaging of the brain and blood vessels to determine etiology. However, extensive testing may be unnecessary for presumed hypertensive hemorrhages, and instead prolong hospital stay and increase costs.