Atherosclerosis in patients with cervical artery dissection.

Introduction: Cervical artery dissection (CeAD) is considered a non-atherosclerotic arteriopathy, but atherosclerosis of the cervical arteries may co-exist. We explored the frequency and clinical importance of co-existent atherosclerosis in patients with CeAD.

Patients And Methods: Single-center exploratory study from the Stroke Center Basel, Switzerland.

The effect of assessor expertise on reliability of analysis of video signs associated with concussion in Australian football.

Objectives: To determine whether spotters with medical training and experience in managing concussion have higher inter-rater reliability and accuracy than non-medical personnel when identifying video signs associated with concussion in Australian football.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: Video clips were collected of all impacts potentially resulting in concussion during 2012 and 2013 Australian Football League (AFL) seasons.

Two thirds of patients may not need routine 12-month specialist review in an epilepsy clinic: A cross-sectional study of clinic appointments.

Objectives: Timely access to specialist outpatient clinics can be difficult to achieve as outpatient services are often oversubscribed leading to unacceptable wait times. New patients, or those with emergent issues may wait for appointments whilst existing patients are booked in for routine reviews "just in case" there is a problem, using considerable clinic resources. We investigated routine 12-month review appointments to assess whether these appointments changed patient management.

Characterization and individual-level prediction of cognitive state in the first year after 'mild' stroke.

Background: Mild stroke affects more than half the stroke population, yet there is limited evidence characterizing cognition over time in this population, especially with predictive approaches applicable at the individual-level. We aimed to identify patterns of recovery and the best combination of demographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors predicting individual-level cognitive state at 3- and 12-months after mild stroke.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was administered at 3-7 days, 3- and 12-months post-stroke.

Real-time fMRI-based neurofeedback to restore brain function in substance use disorders: A systematic review of the literature.

Introduction: Real-time functional magnetic resonance based-neurofeedback (fMRI-neurofeedback) is a neuromodulation tool where individuals self-modulate brain function based on real-time feedback of their brain activity. fMRI-neurofeedback has been used to target brain dysfunction in substance use disorders (SUDs) and to reduce craving, but a systematic synthesis of up-to-date literature is lacking.

Method: Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review of all the literature that examined the effects of fMRI-neurofeedback on individuals with regular psychoactive substance use (PROSPERO pre-registration = CRD42023401137).

Basilar artery occlusion management: An international survey of gender influence on management.

Background: The superiority of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) over medical management was not established in two early basilar artery occlusion (BAO) randomized controlled trials. Despite this, many clinicians recommended EVT for acute BAO under certain circumstances. This paper aims to compare physicians' diagnostic and management strategies of BAO according to gender.

Using computer vision of facial expressions to assess symptom domains and treatment response in antipsychotic-naïve patients with first-episode psychosis.

Background: Facial expressions are a core aspect of non-verbal communication. Reduced emotional expressiveness of the face is a common negative symptom of schizophrenia, however, quantifying negative symptoms can be clinically challenging and involves a considerable element of rater subjectivity. We used computer vision to investigate if (i) automated assessment of facial expressions captures negative as well as positive and general symptom domains, and (ii) if automated assessments are associated with treatment response in initially antipsychotic-naïve patients with first-episode psychosis.

Ischemic core volume is associated with hemorrhagic transformation post endovascular thrombectomy.

Introduction: Symtomatic hemorrhagic transformation(sHT) was defined as any intracerebral hemorrhage that combined with clinical deterioration. While recent studies showed low rates of sHT in large core ischemic strokes treated with endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), the specific impact of core size on overall hemorrhagic transformation (HT) remains unclear. We aim to investigate the relationship between ischemic core size and development of HT post thrombectomy.

Adjunctive rescue therapy in acute large vessel occlusion secondary to underlying intracranial atherosclerotic disease.

Background: The optimal treatment for patients with acute large vessel occlusion (LVO) secondary to intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) is unclear. Adjunctive rescue therapy with balloon angioplasty or stenting may be necessary to ensure vessel patency. We aimed to compare the safety and clinical outcomes of adjunctive rescue therapy vs lone thrombectomy for ICAD-related-LVO.

Emerging Adjuvant Thrombolytic Therapies for Acute Ischemic Stroke Reperfusion.

Thrombolytic therapies for acute ischemic stroke are widely available but only result in recanalization early enough, to be therapeutically useful, in 10% to 30% of cases. This large gap in treatment effectiveness could be filled by novel therapies that can increase the effectiveness of thrombus clearance without significantly increasing the risk of harm. This focused update will describe the current state of emerging adjuvant treatments for acute ischemic stroke reperfusion.

Fluoxetine accelerates epileptogenesis and magnifies disease severity in a rat model of acquired epilepsy.

Objective: Many people with epilepsy experience comorbid anxiety and depression, and antidepressants remain a primary treatment for this. Emerging evidence suggests that these agents may modulate epileptogenesis to influence disease severity. Here, we assessed how treatment with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant fluoxetine impacts epileptogenic, behavioral, and pathological sequelae following status epilepticus.

Hyperacute ischemic stroke care-Current treatment and future directions.

A decade on from the first positive thrombectomy trials, hyperacute therapies for ischemic stroke continue to rapidly advance. Effective treatments remain limited to reperfusion, although several cytoprotective approaches continue to be investigated. Intravenous fibrinolytics are now demonstrated to be beneficial up to 24 h in patients selected using perfusion imaging, but their role in patients with non-disabling symptoms appears very limited.

Exploring ischemic core growth rate and endovascular therapy benefit in large core patients.

After stroke onset, ischemic brain tissue will progress to infarction unless blood flow is restored. Core growth rate measures the infarction speed from stroke onset. This multicenter cohort study aimed to explore whether core growth rate influences benefit from the reperfusion treatment of endovascular thrombectomy in large ischemic core stroke patients.

Anticoagulation Use and Endovascular Thrombectomy in Patients with Large Core Stroke: A Secondary Analysis of the SELECT2 Trial.

Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) safety and efficacy in patients with large core infarcts receiving oral anticoagulants (OAC) are unknown. In the SELECT2 trial (NCT03876457), 29 of 180 (16%; vitamin K antagonists 15, direct OACs 14) EVT, and 18 of 172 (10%; vitamin K antagonists 3, direct OACs 15) medical management (MM) patients reported OAC use at baseline. EVT was not associated with better clinical outcomes in the OAC group (EVT 6 [4-6] vs MM 5 [4-6], adjusted generalized odds ratio 0.

HERMES-24 Score Derivation and Validation for Simple and Robust Outcome Prediction After Large Vessel Occlusion Treatment.

Background: Clinicians need simple and highly predictive prognostic scores to assist practical decision-making. We aimed to develop a simple outcome prediction score applied 24 hours after anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke treatment with endovascular thrombectomy and validate it in patients treated both with and without endovascular thrombectomy.

Methods: Using the HERMES (Highly Effective Reperfusion Evaluated in Multiple Endovascular Stroke Trials) collaboration data set (n=1764), patients in the endovascular thrombectomy arm were divided randomly into a derivation cohort (n=430) and a validation cohort (n=441).