Clinical and neuroimaging factors associated with 30-day fatality among indigenous West Africans with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage.

Background: Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is associated with a high case fatality rate in resource-limited settings. The independent predictors of poor outcome after ICH in sub-Saharan Africa remains to be characterized in large epidemiological studies. We aimed to determine factors associated with 30-day fatality among West African patients with ICH.

Global Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Stroke Volumes and Cerebrovascular Events: A 1-Year Follow-up.

Background And Objectives: Declines in stroke admission, IV thrombolysis (IVT), and mechanical thrombectomy volumes were reported during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a paucity of data on the longer-term effect of the pandemic on stroke volumes over the course of a year and through the second wave of the pandemic. We sought to measure the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the volumes of stroke admissions, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), IVT, and mechanical thrombectomy over a 1-year period at the onset of the pandemic (March 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021) compared with the immediately preceding year (March 1, 2019, to February 29, 2020).

Global Impact of COVID-19 on Stroke Care and IV Thrombolysis.

Objective: To measure the global impact of COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of IV thrombolysis (IVT), IVT transfers, and stroke hospitalizations over 4 months at the height of the pandemic (March 1 to June 30, 2020) compared with 2 control 4-month periods.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, observational, retrospective study across 6 continents, 70 countries, and 457 stroke centers. Diagnoses were identified by their ICD-10 codes or classifications in stroke databases.

Addressing antimicrobial resistance in Nigerian hospitals: exploring physicians prescribing behavior, knowledge, and perception of antimicrobial resistance and stewardship programs.

Introduction: We assessed the knowledge of, attitude toward antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and practice of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) among physicians in Nigeria to provide future guidance to the Nigerian National Action Plan for AMR.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire-based study explored the physicians' self-reported practice of antibiotic prescribing, knowledge, attitude, and practice of AMR and components of ASPs.

Results: The majority (217; 67.

Unraveling the risk factors for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage among West Africans.

Objective: To characterize risk factors for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) occurrence and severity among West Africans.

Methods: The Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Network (SIREN) study is a multicenter case-control study involving 15 sites in Ghana and Nigeria. Patients were adults ≥18 years old with CT-confirmed sICH with age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched stroke-free community controls.

Targeted next-generation sequencing identifies novel variants in candidate genes for Parkinson's disease in Black South African and Nigerian patients.

Background: The prevalence of Parkinson's disease (PD) is increasing in sub-Saharan Africa, but little is known about the genetics of PD in these populations. Due to their unique ancestry and diversity, sub-Saharan African populations have the potential to reveal novel insights into the pathobiology of PD. In this study, we aimed to characterise the genetic variation in known and novel PD genes in a group of Black South African and Nigerian patients.

Differential Impact of Risk Factors on Stroke Occurrence Among Men Versus Women in West Africa.

Background and Purpose- The interplay between sex and the dominant risk factors for stroke occurrence in sub-Saharan Africa has not been clearly delineated. We compared the effect sizes of risk factors of stroke by sex among West Africans. Methods- SIREN study (Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Networks) is a case-control study conducted at 15 sites in Ghana and Nigeria.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of West Africans on genetic studies of stroke: Evidence from the SIREN Study.

Background: It is crucial to assess genomic literacy related to stroke among Africans in preparation for the ethical, legal and societal implications of the genetic revolution which has begun in Africa.

Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of West Africans about stroke genetic studies.

Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among stroke patients and stroke-free controls recruited across 15 sites in Ghana and Nigeria.

Biobanking in a Challenging African Environment: Unique Experience from the SIREN Project.

Africa was previously insufficiently represented in the emerging discipline of biobanking despite commendable early efforts. However, with the Human, Heredity, and Health in Africa (H3Africa) initiative, biorepository science has been bolstered, regional biobanks are springing up, and awareness about biobanks is growing on the continent. The Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Network (SIREN) project is a transnational, multicenter, hospital and community-based study involving over 3000 cases and 3000 controls recruited from 16 sites in Ghana and Nigeria.

Drug promotional activities in Nigeria: impact on the prescribing patterns and practices of medical practitioners and the implications.

Objective: Pharmaceutical companies spend significant amount of resources on promotion influencing the prescribing behavior of physicians. Drug promotion can negatively impact on rational prescribing, which may adversely affect the quality of patient care. However, little is known about these activities in Nigeria as the most populous country in Africa.

Medication adherence and adverse effect profile of antiepileptic drugs in Nigerian patients with epilepsy.

Aim: Medication adherence remains a major challenge among patients with epilepsy (PWE) with the adverse effect profile of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) as one of its main drivers.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study among PWE in selected Nigerian tertiary healthcare facilities using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and the Liverpool Adverse Effect Profile (LAEP).

Results: 126 PWE from four tertiary healthcare facilities were included in this study comprising of 59 (46.

Development and Reliability of a User-Friendly Multicenter Phenotyping Application for Hemorrhagic and Ischemic Stroke.

Background: Annotation and Image Markup on ClearCanvas Enriched Stroke-phenotyping Software (ACCESS) is a novel stand-alone computer software application that allows the creation of simple standardized annotations for reporting brain images of all stroke types. We developed the ACCESS application and determined its inter-rater and intra-rater reliability in the Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Network (SIREN) study to assess its suitability for multicenter studies.

Methods: One hundred randomly selected stroke imaging reports from 5 SIREN sites were re-evaluated by 4 trained independent raters to determine the inter-rater reliability of the ACCESS (version 12.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) rs1800796 and cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor (CDKN2A/CDKN2B) rs2383207 are associated with ischemic stroke in indigenous West African Men.

Background: Inherited genetic variations offer a possible explanation for the observed peculiarities of stroke in sub - Saharan African populations. Interleukin-6 polymorphisms have been previously associated with ischemic stroke in some non-African populations.

Aim: Herein we investigated, for the first time, the association of genetic polymorphisms of IL-6, CDKN2A- CDKN2B and other genes with ischemic stroke among indigenous West African participants in the Stroke Investigative Research and Education Network (SIREN) Study.

Prevalence and Prognostic Features of ECG Abnormalities in Acute Stroke: Findings From the SIREN Study Among Africans.

Background: Africa has a growing burden of stroke with associated high morbidity and a 3-year fatality rate of 84%. Cardiac disease contributes to stroke occurrence and outcomes, but the precise relationship of abnormalities as noted on a cheap and widely available test, the electrocardiogram (ECG), and acute stroke outcomes have not been previously characterized in Africans.

Objectives: The study assessed the prevalence and prognoses of various ECG abnormalities among African acute stroke patients encountered in a multisite, cross-national epidemiologic study.

Cognitive function in patients with newly diagnosed HIV infection in a tertiary health facility in south - west Nigeria: Assessment using computer-assisted neuropsychological test battery.

Introduction: Cognitive dysfunction is common among patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection however there are few reports from sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: We studied fifty seropositive patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection along with fifty matched seronegative control. Medical history taking and general physical and neurological examinations were done for all study participants.

The prescribing of generic medicines in Nigeria: knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of physicians.

Generic medicines have the same efficacy and safety as originators at lower prices; however, there are concerns with their utilization in Nigeria. Objective was to evaluate physicians' understanding and perception of generics. A questionnaire was administered among physicians working in tertiary healthcare facilities in four geo-political regions of Nigeria.

Intellectual Impairment in Patients with Newly Diagnosed HIV Infection in Southwestern Nigeria.

Neurocognitive impairment is a detrimental complication of HIV infection. Here, we characterized the intellectual performance of patients with newly diagnosed HIV infection in southwestern Nigeria. We conducted a prospective study at Owo Federal Medical Center by using the adapted Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS).

Sleep disturbances among patients with epilepsy in Nigeria.

Background: There is a complex inter-relationship between sleep disorders and epilepsy, and there are few studies in Nigeria on sleep disorders in epilepsy. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence, pattern and predictors of sleep disturbances among persons with epilepsy (PWE).

Materials And Methods: This was a multi-center, cross-sectional study of 124 PWE in Nigeria.

Cognitive functions in patients with liver cirrhosis: assessment using community screening interview for dementia.

Introduction: Neurocognitive dysfunction is common in patients with liver cirrhosis who have no evidence of overt hepatic encephalopathy and is usually associated with impairment of activities of daily living in the patients.

Materials And Methods: Forty patients with liver cirrhosis without overt hepatic encephalopathy were studied along with forty-one healthy controls. Blood samples were taken from the patients for liver function tests and Hepatitis B and C screening.

Cognitive function in patients with liver cirrhosis without overt hepatic encephalopathy: assessment using an automated neuropsychological test battery.

Background And Study Aims: A wide range of neuropsychiatric disorders occur in patients with liver cirrhosis without overt hepatic encephalopathy. Cognitive dysfunctions do occur and these tend to impair patients' vocational and social life as well as activities of daily living. The aim of this study is to evaluate cognitive functions in patients with liver cirrhosis without overt HE in Nigeria.

The social and economic impacts of epilepsy on women in Nigeria.

Background: Persons with epilepsy in sub-Saharan Africa experience stigma and social marginalization. There is paucity of data on the social and economic impacts of epilepsy in these patients and in particular, groups like women. We sought to determine the social and economic impacts of epilepsy on Nigerian women and especially how it affects their treatment and outcomes.