Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Burden Is Increased in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Background And Purpose: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) increases stroke risk, but the mechanism is uncertain. This study aimed to determine the association between SLE and features on neuroimaging of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), a risk factor for stroke.

Methods: Consecutive patients attending a clinic for SLE were recruited.

Association between diabetes mellitus and the occurrence and outcome of intracerebral hemorrhage.

Objective: Whether diabetes mellitus (DM) is a risk factor for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and influences outcome after ICH remains unclear.

Methods: One reviewer searched Ovid MEDLINE and Embase 1980-2014 inclusive for studies investigating the associations between DM and ICH occurrence or DM and ICH case fatality. Two reviewers independently confirmed each study's eligibility, assessed risk of bias, and extracted data.

Cerebrovascular Disease in Rheumatic Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background And Purpose: Some rheumatic diseases are associated with stroke. Less is known about associations with stroke subtypes or stroke risk by age. We quantified the association between stroke, its subtypes, and rheumatic diseases and identified when stroke risk is greatest.

Hypothermia for Intracranial Hypertension after Traumatic Brain Injury.

Background: In patients with traumatic brain injury, hypothermia can reduce intracranial hypertension. The benefit of hypothermia on functional outcome is unclear.

Methods: We randomly assigned adults with an intracranial pressure of more than 20 mm Hg despite stage 1 treatments (including mechanical ventilation and sedation management) to standard care (control group) or hypothermia (32 to 35°C) plus standard care.

Clinically Confirmed Stroke With Negative Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Longitudinal Study of Clinical Outcomes, Stroke Recurrence, and Systematic Review.

Background And Purpose: We sought to establish whether the presence (versus absence) of a lesion on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with diffusion weighting (DWI-MRI) at presentation with acute stroke is associated with worse clinical outcomes at 1 year.

Methods: We recruited consecutive patients with a nondisabling ischemic stroke and performed DWI-MRI. Patients were followed up at 1 year to establish stroke recurrence (clinical or on MRI), cognitive impairment (Addenbrooke Cognitive Assessment Revised,<88) and modified Rankin Scale.

ABCD2 score and secondary stroke prevention: meta-analysis and effect per 1,000 patients triaged.

Objective: Patients with TIA have high risk of recurrent stroke and require rapid assessment and treatment. The ABCD2 clinical risk prediction score is recommended for patient triage by stroke risk, but its ability to stratify by known risk factors and effect on clinic workload are unknown.

Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of all studies published between January 2005 and September 2014 that reported proportions of true TIA/minor stroke or mimics, risk factors, and recurrent stroke rates, dichotomized to ABCD2 score View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nanoparticle enhanced MRI scanning to detect cellular inflammation in experimental chronic renal allograft rejection.

Objectives. We investigated whether ultrasmall paramagnetic particles of iron oxide- (USPIO-) enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can detect experimental chronic allograft damage in a murine renal allograft model. Materials and Methods.

Magnetic resonance imaging in experimental stroke and comparison with histology: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Purpose: Because the new era of preclinical stroke research demands improvements in validity and generalizability of findings, moving from single site to multicenter studies could be pivotal. However, the conduct of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in stroke remains ill-defined. We sought to assess the variability in the use of MRI for evaluating lesions post stroke and to examine the possibility as an alternative to gold standard histology for measuring the infarct size.

Effect of alteplase within 6 hours of acute ischemic stroke on all-cause mortality (third International Stroke Trial).

Background And Purpose: Prompt thrombolytic therapy with intravenous alteplase reduces disability after acute ischemic stroke. In an exploratory analysis, we examined whether long-term survival varied by baseline characteristics after alteplase.

Methods: In this open-treatment, international, randomized, controlled trial, ischemic stroke patients were randomly allocated <6 hours of onset to intravenous alteplase (0.

Stroke subtype, vascular risk factors, and total MRI brain small-vessel disease burden.

Objectives: In this cross-sectional study, we tested the construct validity of a "total SVD score," which combines individual MRI features of small-vessel disease (SVD) in one measure, by testing associations with vascular risk factors and stroke subtype.

Methods: We analyzed data from patients with lacunar or nondisabling cortical stroke from 2 prospective stroke studies. Brain MRI was rated for the presence of lacunes, white matter hyperintensities, cerebral microbleeds, and perivascular spaces independently.

Psychological associations of poststroke fatigue: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Purpose: Fatigue is common after stroke but has no effective treatments. Psychological interventions improve fatigue in other conditions by targeting psychological factors such as mood. If psychological factors correlate with fatigue in stroke, this would justify the development of similar interventions for poststroke fatigue (PSF).

Vascular risk factors, large-artery atheroma, and brain white matter hyperintensities.

Objective: To determine the magnitude of potentially causal relationships among vascular risk factors (VRFs), large-artery atheromatous disease (LAD), and cerebral white matter hyperintensities (WMH) in 2 prospective cohorts.

Methods: We assessed VRFs (history and measured variables), LAD (in carotid, coronary, and leg arteries), and WMH (on structural MRI, visual scores and volume) in: (a) community-dwelling older subjects of the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936, and (b) patients with recent nondisabling stroke. We analyzed correlations, developed structural equation models, and performed mediation analysis to test interrelationships among VRFs, LAD, and WMH.