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Background: There is a paucity of nationally representative data regarding the impact of COVID-19 on acute ischemic stroke (AIS) outcome. Methods: We created a cross-sectional cohort of nationally weighted National Inpatient Sample nonelective hospital discharges aged ≥18 years with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke from 2016 to 2020. The outcome was in-hospital mortality and exposure was COVID-19 status. To understand the effect of COVID-19 on AIS severity, we report National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale by exposure status. In a final analysis, we used a nationally weighted logistic regression and marginal effects to compare April to December 2020 to the same period in 2019 to understand how the pandemic modified the effect of race and ethnicity and median household income on in-hospital AIS mortality. Results: We observed significantly higher AIS mortality in 2020 than prior years (2020 versus 2016-19, 7.3% versus 6.3%, P P P =0.001). Comparing April to December 2020 to 2019, the adjusted risk of in-hospital AIS mortality was most notably increased in Hispanics (2020 versus 2019: 9.2% versus 5.8%, P P Conclusions: In-hospital stroke mortality increased in 2020 in the United States because of comorbid AIS and COVID-19, which had higher stroke severity. The increase in AIS mortality during April-December 2020 was significantly more pronounced in Hispanics and those in the lowest quartile of household income.

Background Delayed-onset of headache seems a specific feature of cerebrovascular events after COVID-19 vaccines. Methods All consecutive events reported to the United States Vaccine Adverse Reporting System following COVID-19 vaccines (1 January to 24 June 2021), were assessed. The timing of headache onset post-vaccination in subjects with and without concomitant cerebrovascular events, including cerebral venous thrombosis, ischemic stroke, and intracranial haemorrhage was analysed. The diagnostic accuracy in predicting concurrent cerebrovascular events of the guideline- proposed threshold of three-days from vaccination to headache onset was evaluated. Results There were 314,610 events following 306,907,697 COVID-19 vaccine doses, including 41,700 headaches, and 178/41,700 (0.4%) cerebrovascular events. The median time between the vaccination and the headache onset was shorter in isolated headache (1 day vs. 4 (in cerebral venous thrombosis), 3 (in ischemic stroke), or 10 (in intracranial hemorrhage) days, all P < 0.001). Delayed onset of headache had an area under the curve of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.75–0.97) for cerebral venous thrombosis, 0.70 (95% CI: 0.63–76) for ischemic stroke and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.67–84) for intracranial hemorrhage, and >99% negative predictive value. Conclusion Headache following COVID-19 vaccination occurs within 1 day and is rarely associated with cerebrovascular events. Delayed onset of headache 3 days post-vaccination was an accurate diagnostic biomarker for the occurrence of a concomitant cerebrovascular events.

Neurological complications among hospitalized COVID-19 patients may be associated with elevated neurodegenerative biomarkers.Among hospitalized COVID-19 patients without a history of dementia (N = 251), we compared serum total tau (t-tau), phosphorylated tau-181 (p-tau181), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light chain (NfL), ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1), and amyloid beta (Aβ40,42) between patients with or without encephalopathy, in-hospital death versus survival, and discharge home versus other dispositions. COVID-19 patient biomarker levels were also compared to non-COVID cognitively normal, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia controls (N = 161).Admission t-tau, p-tau181, GFAP, and NfL were significantly elevated in patients with encephalopathy and in those who died in-hospital, while t-tau, GFAP, and NfL were significantly lower in those discharged home. These markers correlated with severity of COVID illness. NfL, GFAP, and UCHL1 were higher in COVID patients than in non-COVID controls with MCI or AD.Neurodegenerative biomarkers were elevated to levels observed in AD dementia and associated with encephalopathy and worse outcomes among hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Background Early neurorehabilitation improves outcomes in patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) after brain injury, but its applicability in COVID-19 is unknown. We describe our experience implementing an early neurorehabilitation protocol for patients with COVID-19-associated DoC in the intensive care unit (ICU) and evaluate factors associated with recovery. Methods During the initial COVID-19 surge in New York City between March 10 and May 20, 2020, faced with a disproportionately high number of ICU patients with prolonged unresponsiveness, we developed and implemented an early neurorehabilitation protocol, applying standard practices from brain injury rehabilitation care to the ICU setting. Twenty-one patients with delayed recovery of consciousness after severe COVID-19 participated in a pilot early neurorehabilitation program that included serial Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) assessments, multimodal treatment, and access to clinicians specializing in brain injury medicine. We retrospectively compared clinical features of patients who did and did not recover to the minimally conscious state (MCS) or better, defined as a CRS-R total score (TS) ≥ 8, before discharge. We additionally examined factors associated with best CRS-R TS, last CRS-R TS, hospital length of stay, and time on mechanical ventilation. Results Patients underwent CRS-R assessments a median of six (interquartile range [IQR] 3–10) times before discharge, beginning a median of 48 days (IQR 40–55) from admission. Twelve (57%) patients recovered to MCS after a median of 8 days (IQR 2–14) off continuous sedation; they had lower body mass index (p = 0.009), lower peak serum C-reactive protein levels (p = 0.023), higher minimum arterial partial pressure of oxygen (p = 0.028), and earlier fentanyl discontinuation (p = 0.018). CRS-R scores fluctuated over time, and the best CRS-R TS was significantly higher than the last CRS-R TS (median 8 [IQR 5–23] vs. 5 [IQR 3–18], p = 0.002). Earlier fentanyl (p = 0.001) and neuromuscular blockade (p = 0.015) discontinuation correlated with a higher last CRS-R TS. Conclusions More than half of our cohort of patients with prolonged unresponsiveness following severe COVID-19 recovered to MCS or better before hospital discharge, achieving a clinical benchmark known to have relatively favorable long-term prognostic implications in DoC of other etiologies. Hypoxia, systemic inflammation, sedation, and neuromuscular blockade may impact diagnostic assessment and prognosis, and fluctuations in level of consciousness make serial assessments essential. Early neurorehabilitation of these patients in the ICU can be accomplished but is associated with unique challenges. Further research should evaluate factors associated with longer-term neurologic recovery and benefits of early rehabilitation in patients with severe COVID-19.

The utility of head computed tomography (CT) in predicting elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) is known to be limited in traumatic brain injury; however, few data exist in patients with spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage.We conducted a retrospective review of prospectively collected data in patients with nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage (subarachnoid hemorrhage [SAH] or intraparenchymal hemorrhage [IPH]) who underwent external ventricular drain (EVD) placement. Head CT scans performed immediately prior to EVD placement were quantitatively reviewed for features suggestive of elevated ICP, including temporal horn diameter, bicaudate index, basal cistern effacement, midline shift, and global cerebral edema. The modified Fisher score (mFS), intraventricular hemorrhage score, and IPH volume were also measured, as applicable. We calculated the accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of these radiographic features for the coprimary outcomes of elevated ICP ( 20 mm Hg) at the time of EVD placement and at any time during the hospital stay. Multivariable backward stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to identify significant radiographic factors associated with elevated ICP.Of 608 patients with intracranial hemorrhages enrolled during the study time frame, 243 (40%) received an EVD and 165 (n = 107 SAH, n = 58 IPH) had a preplacement head CT scan available for rating. Elevated opening pressure and elevated ICP during hospitalization were recorded in 48 of 152 (29%) and 103 of 165 (62%), respectively. The presence of ≥ 1 radiographic feature had only 32% accuracy for identifying elevated opening pressure (PPV 30%, NPV 58%, area under the curve [AUC] 0.537, 95% asymptotic confidence interval [CI] 0.436-0.637, P = 0.466) and 59% accuracy for predicting elevated ICP during hospitalization (PPV 63%, NPV 40%, AUC 0.514, 95% asymptotic CI 0.391-0.638, P = 0.820). There was no significant association between the number of radiographic features and ICP elevation. Head CT scans without any features suggestive of elevated ICP occurred in 25 of 165 (15%) patients. However, 10 of 25 (40%) of these patients had elevated opening pressure, and 15 of 25 (60%) had elevated ICP during their hospital stay. In multivariable models, mFS (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.36, 95% CI 1.10-1.68) and global cerebral edema (aOR 2.93, 95% CI 1.27-6.75) were significantly associated with elevated ICP; however, their accuracies were only 69% and 60%, respectively. All other individual radiographic features had accuracies between 38 and 58% for identifying intracranial hypertension.More than 50% of patients with spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage without radiographic features suggestive of elevated ICP actually had ICP 20 mm Hg during EVD placement or their hospital stay. Morphological head CT findings were only 32% and 59% accurate in identifying elevated opening pressure and ICP elevation during hospitalization, respectively.

Background and Purpose We reviewed the literature to evaluate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) results from patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) who had neurological symptoms and had an MRI that showed (1) central nervous system (CNS) hyperintense lesions not attributed to ischemia and/or (2) leptomeningeal enhancement. We sought to determine if these findings were associated with a positive CSF severe acute respiratory syndrome associated coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Methods We performed a systematic review of Medline and Embase from December 1, 2019 to November 18, 2020. CSF results were evaluated based on the presence/absence of (1) ≥ 1 CNS hyperintense lesion and (2) leptomeningeal enhancement. Results In 117 publications, we identified 193 patients with COVID‐19 who had an MRI of the CNS and CSF testing. There were 125 (65%) patients with CNS hyperintense lesions. Patients with CNS hyperintense lesions were significantly more likely to have a positive CSF SARS‐CoV‐2 PCR (10% [9/87] vs. 0% [0/43], p = 0.029). Of 75 patients who had a contrast MRI, there were 20 (27%) patients who had leptomeningeal enhancement. Patients with leptomeningeal enhancement were significantly more likely to have a positive CSF SARS‐CoV‐2 PCR (25% [4/16] vs. 5% [2/42], p = 0.024). Conclusion The presence of CNS hyperintense lesions or leptomeningeal enhancement on neuroimaging from patients with COVID‐19 is associated with increased likelihood of a positive CSF SARS‐CoV‐2 PCR. However, a positive CSF SARS‐CoV‐2 PCR is uncommon in patients with these neuroimaging findings, suggesting they are often related to other etiologies, such as inflammation, hypoxia, or ischemia.

Limited data exists evaluating predictors of long-term outcomes after hospitalization for COVID-19.We conducted a prospective, longitudinal cohort study of patients hospitalized for COVID-19. The following outcomes were collected at 6 and 12-months post-diagnosis: disability using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), activities of daily living assessed with the Barthel Index, cognition assessed with the telephone Montreal Cognitive Assessment (t-MoCA), Neuro-QoL batteries for anxiety, depression, fatigue and sleep, and post-acute symptoms of COVID-19. Predictors of these outcomes, including demographics, pre-COVID-19 comorbidities, index COVID-19 hospitalization metrics, and life stressors, were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression.Of 790 COVID-19 patients who survived hospitalization, 451(57%) completed 6-month (N = 383) and/or 12-month (N = 242) follow-up, and 77/451 (17%) died between discharge and 12-month follow-up. Significant life stressors were reported in 121/239 (51%) at 12-months. In multivariable analyses, life stressors including financial insecurity, food insecurity, death of a close contact and new disability were the strongest independent predictors of worse mRS, Barthel Index, depression, fatigue, and sleep scores, and prolonged symptoms, with adjusted odds ratios ranging from 2.5 to 20.8. Other predictors of poor outcome included older age (associated with worse mRS, Barthel, t-MoCA, depression scores), baseline disability (associated with worse mRS, fatigue, Barthel scores), female sex (associated with worse Barthel, anxiety scores) and index COVID-19 severity (associated with worse Barthel index, prolonged symptoms).Life stressors contribute substantially to worse functional, cognitive and neuropsychiatric outcomes 12-months after COVID-19 hospitalization. Other predictors of poor outcome include older age, female sex, baseline disability and severity of index COVID-19.

Background and ObjectiveLittle is known about trajectories of recovery 12 months after hospitalization for severe COVID-19.MethodsWe conducted a prospective, longitudinal cohort study of patients with and without neurologic complications during index hospitalization for COVID-19 from March 10, 2020, to May 20, 2020. Phone follow-up batteries were performed at 6 and 12 months after COVID-19 onset. The primary 12-month outcome was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score comparing patients with or without neurologic complications using multivariable ordinal analysis. Secondary outcomes included activities of daily living (Barthel Index), telephone Montreal Cognitive Assessment (t-MoCA), and Quality of Life in Neurologic Disorders (Neuro-QoL) batteries for anxiety, depression, fatigue, and sleep. Changes in outcome scores from 6 to 12 months were compared using nonparametric paired-samples sign test.ResultsTwelve-month follow-up was completed in 242 patients (median age 65 years, 64% male, 34% intubated during hospitalization) and 174 completed both 6- and 12-month follow-up. At 12 months, 197/227 (87%) had ≥1 abnormal metric: mRS >0 (75%), Barthel Index p = 0.037). Significant improvements in outcome trajectories from 6 to 12 months were observed in t-MoCA scores (56% improved, median difference 1 point; p = 0.002) and Neuro-QoL anxiety scores (45% improved; p = 0.003). Nonsignificant improvements occurred in fatigue, sleep, and depression scores in 48%, 48%, and 38% of patients, respectively. Barthel Index and mRS scores remained unchanged between 6 and 12 months in >50% of patients.DiscussionAt 12 months after hospitalization for severe COVID-19, 87% of patients had ongoing abnormalities in functional, cognitive, or Neuro-QoL metrics and abnormal cognition persisted in 50% of patients without a history of dementia/cognitive abnormality. Only fatigue severity differed significantly between patients with or without neurologic complications during index hospitalization. However, significant improvements in cognitive (t-MoCA) and anxiety (Neuro-QoL) scores occurred in 56% and 45% of patients, respectively, between 6 and 12 months. These results may not be generalizable to those with mild or moderate COVID-19.

Neuropsychiatric symptoms have been reported as a prominent feature of postacute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), with common symptoms that include cognitive impairment, sleep difficulties, depression, posttraumatic stress, and substance use disorders. A primary challenge of parsing PASC epidemiology and pathophysiology is the lack of a standard definition of the syndrome, and little is known regarding mechanisms of neuropsychiatric PASC.Rates of symptom prevalence vary, but at least 1 PASC neuropsychiatric symptom has been reported in as many as 90% of patients 6 months after COVID-19 hospitalization and in approximately 25% of nonhospitalized adults with COVID-19. Mechanisms of neuropsychiatric sequelae of COVID-19 are still being elucidated. They may include static brain injury accrued during acute COVID-19, neurodegeneration triggered by secondary effects of acute COVID-19, autoimmune mechanisms with chronic inflammation, viral persistence in tissue reservoirs, or reactivation of other latent viruses. Despite rapidly emerging data, many gaps in knowledge persist related to the variable definitions of PASC, lack of standardized phenotyping or biomarkers, variability in virus genotypes, ascertainment biases, and limited accounting for social determinants of health and pandemic-related stressors.Growing data support a high prevalence of PASC neuropsychiatric symptoms, but the current literature is heterogeneous with variable assessments of critical epidemiological factors. By enrolling large patient samples and conducting state-of-the-art assessments, the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER), a multicenter research initiative funded by the National Institutes of Health, will help clarify PASC epidemiology, pathophysiology, and mechanisms of injury, as well as identify targets for therapeutic intervention.

Health consequences that persist beyond the acute infection phase of COVID-19, termed post-COVID-19 condition (also commonly known as long COVID), vary widely and represent a growing global health challenge. Research on post-COVID-19 condition is expanding but, at present, no agreement exists on the health outcomes that should be measured in people living with the condition. To address this gap, we conducted an international consensus study, which included a comprehensive literature review and classification of outcomes for post-COVID-19 condition that informed a two-round online modified Delphi process followed by an online consensus meeting to finalise the core outcome set (COS). 1535 participants from 71 countries were involved, with 1148 individuals participating in both Delphi rounds. Eleven outcomes achieved consensus for inclusion in the final COS: fatigue; pain; post-exertion symptoms; work or occupational and study changes; survival; and functioning, symptoms, and conditions for each of cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous system, cognitive, mental health, and physical outcomes. Recovery was included a priori because it was a relevant outcome that was part of a previously published COS on COVID-19. The next step in this COS development exercise will be to establish the instruments that are most appropriate to measure these core outcomes. This international consensus-based COS should provide a framework for standardised assessment of adults with post-COVID-19 condition, aimed at facilitating clinical care and research worldwide.

We reviewed the literature on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies in patients who had a seizure in the setting of COVID-19 infection to evaluate for evidence of viral neuroinvasion. We performed a systematic review of Medline and Embase to identify publications that reported one or more patients with COVID-19 who had a seizure and had CSF testing preformed. The search ranged from December 1st 2019 to November 18th 2020. We identified 56 publications which described 69 unique patients who met our inclusion criteria. Of the 54 patients whose past medical history was provided, 2 (4%) had epilepsy and 1 (2%) had a prior seizure in the setting of hyperglycemia, but the remaining 51 (94%) had no history of seizures. Seizure was the initial symptom of COVID-19 for 15 (22%) patients. There were 26 (40%) patients who developed status epilepticus. SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing was performed in the CSF for 45 patients; 6 (13%) had a positive CSF SARS-CoV-2 PCR, only 1 (17%) of whom had status epilepticus. The cycle thresholds were not reported. Evaluation for CSF SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (directly or indirectly, via testing for CSF oligoclonal bands or immunoglobulins) was performed in 26 patients, only 2 (8%) of whom had evidence of intrathecal antibody synthesis. Of the 11 patients who had CSF autoimmune antibody panels tested, 1 had NMDA antibodies and 1 had Caspr-2 antibodies. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the CSF of patients with seizures who have COVID-19 is uncommon. Our review suggests that seizures in this patient population are not likely due to direct viral invasion of the brain.

Large hemispheric infarcts occur in up to 10% of all ischemic strokes and can cause devastating disability. Significant research and clinical efforts have been made in hopes of mitigating the morbidity and mortality of this disease. Areas of interest include identifying predictors of malignant edema, optimizing medical and surgical techniques, selecting the patient population that would benefit most from decompressive hemicraniectomy, and studying the impact on quality of life of those who survive. Decompressive surgery can be a life-saving measure, and here we discuss the most up-to-date literature and provide a review on the surgical management of large hemispheric ischemic strokes.

Background and Purpose: Clinical trials on stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation have consistently shown clinical benefit from either warfarin or non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs). NOAC-treated patients have consistently reported to be at lower risk for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) than warfarin-treated patients. The aims of this prospective, multicenter, multinational, unmatched, case-control study were (1) to investigate for risk factors that could predict ICH occurring in patients with atrial fibrillation during NOAC treatment and (2) to evaluate the role of CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc and HAS-BLED scores in the same setting. Methods: Cases were consecutive patients with atrial fibrillation who had ICH during NOAC treatment. Controls were consecutive patients with atrial fibrillation who did not have ICH during NOAC treatment. As within the CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc and HAS-BLED scores there are some risk factors in common, several multivariable logistic regression models were performed to identify independent prespecified predictors for ICH events. Results: Four hundred nineteen cases (mean age, 78.8±8.1 years) and 1526 controls (mean age, 76.0±10.3 years) were included in the study. From the different models performed, independent predictors of ICH were increasing age, concomitant use of antiplatelet agents, active malignancy, high risk of fall, hyperlipidemia, low clearance of creatinine, peripheral artery disease, and white matter changes. Low doses of NOACs (given according to label or not) and congestive heart failure were inversely associated with the risk of ICH. HAS-BLED and CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc scores performed poorly in predicting ICH with areas under the curves of 0.496 (95% CI, 0.468–0.525) and 0.530 (95% CI, 0.500–0.560), respectively. Conclusions: Several risk factors were associated to ICH in patients treated with NOACs for stroke prevention but not HAS-BLED and CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc scores.

Background Toxic metabolic encephalopathy (TME) has been reported in 7–31% of hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, some reports include sedation-related delirium and few data exist on the etiology of TME. We aimed to identify the prevalence, etiologies, and mortality rates associated with TME in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-positive patients. Methods We conducted a retrospective, multicenter, observational cohort study among patients with reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection hospitalized at four New York City hospitals in the same health network between March 1, 2020, and May 20, 2020. TME was diagnosed in patients with altered mental status off sedation or after an adequate sedation washout. Patients with structural brain disease, seizures, or primary neurological diagnoses were excluded. The coprimary outcomes were the prevalence of TME stratified by etiology and in-hospital mortality (excluding comfort care only patients) assessed by using a multivariable time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models with adjustment for age, race, sex, intubation, intensive care unit requirement, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores, hospital location, and date of admission. Results Among 4491 patients with COVID-19, 559 (12%) were diagnosed with TME, of whom 435 of 559 (78%) developed encephalopathy immediately prior to hospital admission. The most common etiologies were septic encephalopathy (n = 247 of 559 [62%]), hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) (n = 331 of 559 [59%]), and uremia (n = 156 of 559 [28%]). Multiple etiologies were present in 435 (78%) patients. Compared with those without TME (n = 3932), patients with TME were older (76 vs. 62 years), had dementia (27% vs. 3%) or psychiatric history (20% vs. 10%), were more often intubated (37% vs. 20%), had a longer hospital length of stay (7.9 vs. 6.0 days), and were less often discharged home (25% vs. 66% [all P

Background Despite innovations in left ventricular assist device (LVAD) technology, stroke remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in this population. Major clinical trials of LVAD have used various definitions and approaches to measuring stroke outcomes, which may limit comparison of stroke risk between different devices. Methods Data from the five major LVAD randomized, controlled, trials were abstracted to compare definitions of stroke (composite, ischemic, hemorrhagic, and disabling) and stroke event rates across trials. Methodologic limitations and suggestions to improve research and clinical practices for stroke and LVAD were identified. Results Comparison of stroke events across LVAD clinical trials is confounded by methodologic variability, including heterogeneity in stroke definitions, nonstandardized evaluation of stroke etiology, oversimplification of stroke severity classification, and inconsistent event rate reporting due to data censoring at the time of death or transplant. Variability in the study of stroke in LVAD patients limits the ability to compare devices and design prevention strategies to mitigate stroke risk. Conclusions Based on this review, we propose that future clinical trials (1) utilize standardized stroke definitions and define stroke subtypes; (2) ensure that neurologists are integrated in study design and event adjudication; (3) include more thorough evaluations of stroke etiology using multimodality techniques; and (4) adopt the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale to define stroke severity.

ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence and associated mortality of well-defined neurologic diagnoses among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we prospectively followed hospitalized severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)–positive patients and recorded new neurologic disorders and hospital outcomes.MethodsWe conducted a prospective, multicenter, observational study of consecutive hospitalized adults in the New York City metropolitan area with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. The prevalence of new neurologic disorders (as diagnosed by a neurologist) was recorded and in-hospital mortality and discharge disposition were compared between patients with COVID-19 with and without neurologic disorders.ResultsOf 4,491 patients with COVID-19 hospitalized during the study timeframe, 606 (13.5%) developed a new neurologic disorder in a median of 2 days from COVID-19 symptom onset. The most common diagnoses were toxic/metabolic encephalopathy (6.8%), seizure (1.6%), stroke (1.9%), and hypoxic/ischemic injury (1.4%). No patient had meningitis/encephalitis or myelopathy/myelitis referable to SARS-CoV-2 infection and 18/18 CSF specimens were reverse transcriptase PCR negative for SARS-CoV-2. Patients with neurologic disorders were more often older, male, white, hypertensive, diabetic, intubated, and had higher sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores (all p < 0.05). After adjusting for age, sex, SOFA scores, intubation, history, medical complications, medications, and comfort care status, patients with COVID-19 with neurologic disorders had increased risk of in-hospital mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17–1.62, p < 0.001) and decreased likelihood of discharge home (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.63–0.85, p < 0.001).ConclusionsNeurologic disorders were detected in 13.5% of patients with COVID-19 and were associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality and decreased likelihood of discharge home. Many observed neurologic disorders may be sequelae of severe systemic illness.

ObjectiveTo determine whether race is associated with the development of epilepsy after subdural hematoma (SDH), we identified adult survivors of SDH in a statewide administrative dataset and followed them up for at least 1 year for revisits associated with epilepsy.MethodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study using claims data on all discharges from emergency departments (EDs) and hospitals in California. We identified adults (age ≥18 years) admitted from 2005 to 2011 with first-time traumatic and nontraumatic SDH. We used validated diagnosis codes to identify a primary outcome of ED or inpatient revisit for epilepsy. We used multivariable Cox regression for survival analysis to identify demographic and medical risk factors for epilepsy.ResultsWe identified 29,342 survivors of SDH (mean age 71.2 [SD 16.4] years, female sex 11,954 [41.1%]). Three thousand two hundred thirty (11.0%) patients had revisits to EDs or hospitals with a diagnosis of epilepsy during the study period. Black patients (n = 1,684 [5.7%]) had significantly increased risk compared to White patients (n = 16,945 [57.7%]; hazard ratio [HR] 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28–1.64, p < 0.001). Status epilepticus during the index SDH admission, although infrequent (n = 94 [0.3%]), was associated with a nearly 4-fold risk of epilepsy (HR 3.75, 95% CI 2.80–5.03, p < 0.001). Alcohol use, drug use, smoking, renal disease, and markers of injury severity (i.e., intubation, surgical intervention, length of stay, disposition other than home) were also associated with epilepsy (all p < 0.05).ConclusionsWe found an association between Black race and ED and hospital revisits for epilepsy after SDH, establishing the presence of a racial subgroup that is particularly vulnerable to post-SDH epileptogenesis.

This paper presents 4 male, adult cases of leukoencephalopathy following COVID-19 infection at New York University Langone Health-associated hospitals between 2 and 29 April 2020 Their clinical data, laboratory values, treatment and outcome are described, and the possible mechanisms that could lead to leukoencephalopathy are discussed

Background Standard urine sampling and testing techniques do not mitigate against detection of colonization, resulting in false positive catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). We aimed to evaluate whether a novel protocol for urine sampling and testing reduces rates of CAUTI. Methods A preintervention and postintervention study with a contemporaneous control group was conducted at 2 campuses (test and control) of the same academic medical center. The test campus implemented a protocol requiring urinary catheter removal prior to urine sampling from a new catheter or sterile straight catheterization, along with urine bacteria and pyuria screening prior to culture. Primary outcomes were test campus CAUTI rates, compared between each 9-month pre- and postintervention epoch. Secondary outcomes included the percent reductions in CAUTI rates, compared between the test campus and a propensity score–matched cohort at the control campus. Results A total of 7991 patients from the test campus were included in the primary analysis, and 4264 were included in the propensity score–matched secondary analysis. In the primary analysis, the number of CAUTI cases per 1000 patients was reduced by 77% (6.6 to 1.5), the number of CAUTI cases per 1000 catheter days was reduced by 63% (5.9 to 2.2), and the number of urinary catheter days per patient was reduced by 37% (1.1 to 0.69; all P values ≤ .001). In the propensity score–matched analysis, the number of CAUTI cases per 1000 patients was reduced by 82% at the test campus, versus 57% at the control campus; the number of CAUTI cases per 1000 catheter days declined by 68% versus 57%, respectively; and the number of urinary catheter days per patient decreased by 44% versus 1%, respectively (all P values Conclusions Protocolized urine sampling and testing aimed at minimizing contamination by colonization was associated with significantly reduced CAUTI infection rates and urinary catheter days.

Background and Purpose— The first of the 2 NINDS (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Study trials did not show a significant increase in early neurological improvement, defined as National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) improvement by ≥4, with alteplase treatment. We hypothesized that early neurological improvement defined as a percentage change in NIHSS (percent change NIHSS) at 24 hours is superior to other definitions in predicting 3-month functional outcomes and using this definition there would be treatment benefit of alteplase over placebo at 24 hours. Methods— We analyzed the NINDS rt-PA Stroke Study (Parts 1 and 2) trial data. Percent change NIHSS was defined as ([admission NIHSS score−24-hour NIHSS score]×100/admission NIHSS score] and delta NIHSS as (admission NIHSS score−24-hour NIHSS score). We compared early neurological improvement using these definitions between alteplase versus placebo patients. We also used receiver operating characteristic curve to determine the predictive association of early neurological improvement with excellent 3-month functional outcomes (Barthel Index score of 95–100 and modified Rankin Scale score of 0–1), good 3-month functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale score of 0–2), and 3-month infarct volume. Results— There was a significantly greater improvement in the 24-hour median percent change NIHSS among patients treated with alteplase compared with the placebo group (28% versus 15%; P =0.045) but not median delta NIHSS (3 versus 2; P =0.471). Receiver operating characteristic curve comparison showed that percent change NIHSS (ROC percent ) was better than delta NIHSS (ROC delta ) and admission NIHSS (ROC admission ) with regards to excellent 3-month Barthel Index (ROC percent , 0.83; ROC delta , 0.76; ROC admission , 0.75), excellent 3-month modified Rankin Scale (ROC percent , 0.83; ROC delta , 0.74; ROC admission , 0.78), and good 3-month modified Rankin Scale (ROC percent , 0.83; ROC delta , 0.76; ROC admission , 0.78). Conclusions— In the NINDS rt-PA trial, alteplase was associated with a significant percent change improvement in NIHSS at 24 hours. Percent change in NIHSS may be a better surrogate marker of thrombolytic activity and 3-month outcomes.

Desmopressin (DDAVP) has been suggested for antiplatelet medication reversal in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) but there are limited data describing its effect on clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of DDAVP on hematoma expansion and thrombosis in patients with TBI who were prescribed pre-injury antiplatelet medications. Consecutive adult patients who were admitted to our level I trauma center and prescribed pre-injury antiplatelet medications between July, 2012, and May, 2018, were retrospectively identified. Patients were excluded if their hospital length of stay was 81 mg), ADP-receptor inhibitors, oral anticoagulants, prothrombin complex concentrates or platelets in a multivariate analysis, the association between DDAVP and hematoma expansion remained significant (adjusted OR 0.259 [95% CI 0.103–0.646], p = 0.004). Thrombotic events were similar between the two groups (DDAVP, 2.5%, no DDAVP, 4.5%; p = 0.613). DDAVP was associated with a lower incidence of hematoma expansion in patients with mild TBI who were prescribed pre-injury antiplatelet medications. These results justify a randomized controlled trial to further evaluate the role of DDAVP for this indication.

To identify the rates of neurological events following administration of mRNA (Pfizer, Moderna) or adenovirus vector (Janssen) vaccines in the U.S..We utilized publicly available data from the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) collected between January 1, 2021-June 14, 2021. All free text symptoms that were reported within 42 days of vaccine administration were manually reviewed and grouped into 36 individual neurological diagnostic categories. Post-vaccination neurological event rates were compared between vaccine types and to age-matched baseline incidence rates in the U.S. and rates of neurological events following COVID.Of 306,907,697 COVID vaccine doses administered during the study timeframe, 314,610 (0.1%) people reported any adverse event and 105,214 (0.03%) reported neurological adverse events in a median of 1 day (IQR0-3) from inoculation. Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), and cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) occurred in fewer than 1 per 1,000,000 doses. Significantly more neurological adverse events were reported following Janssen (Ad26.COV2.S) vaccination compared to either Pfizer-BioNtech (BNT162b2) or Moderna (mRNA-1273; 0.15% versus 0.03% versus 0.03% of doses, respectively,P0.0001). The observed-to-expected ratios for GBS, CVT and seizure following Janssen vaccination were ≥1.5-fold higher than background rates. However, the rate of neurological events after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection was up to 617-fold higher than after COVID vaccination.Reports of serious neurological events following COVID vaccination are rare. GBS, CVT and seizure may occur at higher than background rates following Janssen vaccination. Despite this, rates of neurological complications following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection are up to 617-fold higher than after COVID vaccination. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Backgroundand Purpose: Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a rare cause of stroke carrying a nearly 4% risk of recurrence after 1 year. There is limited data on predictors of recurrent venous thrombosis in patients with CVT. In this study, we aim to identify those predictors.Methods:This is a secondary analysis of the ACTION-CVT study which is a multi-center international study of consecutive patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of CVT over a 6-year period. Patients with cancer associated CVT, CVT during pregnancy, or CVT in the setting of known antiphospholipid antibody syndrome were excluded per the ACTION-CVT protocol. The study outcome was recurrent venous thrombosis defined as recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) or de-novo CVT. We compared characteristics between patients with vs. without recurrent venous thrombosis during follow-up and performed adjusted Cox regression analyses to determine important predictors of recurrent venous thrombosis.Results:947 patients were included with a mean age was 45.2 years, 63.9% were women, and 83.6% had at least 3-months of follow-up. During a median follow-up of 308 (IQR 120-700) days, there were 5.05 recurrent venous thromboses (37 VTE and 24 de-novo CVT) per 100 patient-years. Predictors of recurrent venous thrombosis were Black race (adjusted HR 2.13, 95% CI 1.14-3.98, p = 0.018), prior history of VTE (aHR 3.40, 95% CI 1.80-6.42, p < 0.001) and the presence of one or more positive antiphospholipid antibodies (aHR 3.85, 95% CI 1.97-7.50, p < 0.001). Sensitivity analyses including events only occurring on oral anticoagulation yielded similar findings.Conclusion:Black race, history of VTE, and the presence of one or more antiphospholipid antibodies are associated with recurrent venous thrombosis among patients with CVT. Future studies are needed to validate our findings to better understand mechanisms and treatment strategies in patients with CVT.

Since the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic, a substantial proportion of COVID‐19 patients had documented thrombotic complications and ischemic stroke. Several mechanisms related to immune‐mediated thrombosis, the renin angiotensin system and the effect of SARS‐CoV‐2 in cardiac and brain tissue may contribute to the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke in patients with COVID‐19. Simultaneously, significant strains on global healthcare delivery, including ischemic stroke management, have made treatment of stroke in the setting of COVID‐19 particularly challenging. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on epidemiology, clinical manifestation, and pathophysiology of ischemic stroke in patients with COVID‐19 to bridge the gap from bench to bedside and clinical practice during the most challenging global health crisis of the last decades., Ischemic stroke among COVID‐19 patients correlates with increased disability and mortality. Hypercoagulopathy, angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 inhibition, and cardioembolism are potential stroke mechanisms in COVID‐19. SARS‐CoV‐2–specific vaccinations and immunomodulatory agents may affect stroke prevention and treatment in COVID‐19 patients.

Objectives: Our objective was to identify characteristics associated with having an acute ischemic stroke (AIS) among hospitalized COVID-19 patients and the subset of these patients with a neurologic symptom.Materials and Methods: Our derivation cohort consisted of COVID-19 patients admitted to Yale-New Haven Health between January 3, 2020 and August 28, 2020 with and without AIS. We also studied a sub-cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients demonstrating a neurologic symptom with and without an AIS. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory results were compared between AIS and non-AIS patients in the full COVID-19 cohort and in the sub-cohort of COVID-19 patients with a neurologic symptom. Multivariable logistic regression models were built to predict ischemic stroke risk in these two COVID-19 cohorts. These 2 models were externally validated in COVID-19 patients hospitalized at a major health system in New York. We then compared the distribution of the resulting predictors in a non-COVID ischemic stroke control cohort.Results: A total of 1,827 patients were included in the derivation cohort (AIS N = 44; no AIS N = 1,783). Among all hospitalized COVID-19 patients, history of prior stroke and platelet count ≥ 200 × 1,000/μL at hospital presentation were independent predictors of AIS (derivation AUC 0.89, validation AUC 0.82), irrespective of COVID-19 severity. Among hospitalized COVID-19 patients with a neurologic symptom (N = 827), the risk of AIS was significantly higher among patients with a history of prior stroke and age N = 168), AIS patients were significantly older and less likely to have had a prior stroke, demonstrating the uniqueness of AIS patients with COVID-19.Conclusions: Hospitalized COVID-19 patients who demonstrate a neurologic symptom and have either a history of prior stroke or are of younger age are at higher risk of ischemic stroke.

INTRODUCTIONOlder adults hospitalized with COVID-19 are susceptible to neurological complications, particularly encephalopathy, which may reflect age-related neurodegenerative processes.METHODSSerum total tau, ptau-181, GFAP, NFL, UCHL1, and amyloid-beta(Aβ-40,42) were measured in hospitalized COVID-19 patients without a history of dementia, and compared among patients with or without encephalopathy, in-hospital death versus survival, and discharge home versus other dispositions using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses.RESULTSAmong 251 patients, admission serum ptau-181 and UCHL1 were significantly elevated in patients with encephalopathy (both PDISCUSSIONAge-related neurodegenerative biomarkers were elevated to levels observed in AD and associated with encephalopathy and worse outcomes among hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Importance In patients with acute spontaneous or traumatic intracranial hemorrhage, early hemostasis is thought to be critical to minimize ongoing bleeding. However, research evaluating hemostatic therapies has been hampered by a lack of standardized clinical trial outcome measures. Objective To identify appropriate primary outcomes for phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of therapies aimed at reducing acute intracranial bleeding. Evidence Review A comprehensive review of all previous clinical trials of hemostatic therapy for intracranial bleeding was performed, and studies measuring the frequency, risk factors, and association of intracranial bleeding with outcome of hemorrhage growth were included. Findings A hierarchy of 3 outcome measures is recommended, with the first choice being a global patient-centered clinical outcome scale measured 30 to 180 days after the event; the second, a combined clinical and radiographic end point associating hemorrhage expansion with a poor patient-centered outcome at 24 hours or later; and the third, a radiographic measure of hemorrhage expansion at 24 hours alone. Additional recommendations stress the importance of separating various subtypes of bleeding when possible, early treatment within a standardized treatment window, and the routine use of computerized planimetry comparing continuous measures of absolute and relative hemorrhage growth as either a primary or secondary end point. Conclusions and Relevance Standardization of outcome measures in studies of intracranial bleeding and hemostatic therapy will support comparative effectiveness research and meta-analysis, with the goal of accelerating the translation of research into clinical practice. The 3 outcome measures proposed in this consensus statement could help this process.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text., Background and Purpose: We sought to determine if biomarkers of inflammation and coagulation can help define coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)–associated ischemic stroke as a novel acute ischemic stroke (AIS) subtype. Methods: We performed a machine learning cluster analysis of common biomarkers in patients admitted with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 to determine if any were associated with AIS. Findings were validated using aggregate data from 3 large healthcare systems. Results: Clustering grouped 2908 unique patient encounters into 4 unique biomarker phenotypes based on levels of c-reactive protein, D-dimer, lactate dehydrogenase, white blood cell count, and partial thromboplastin time. The most severe cluster phenotype had the highest prevalence of AIS (3.6%, P

Acute and post-acute neurological symptoms, signs and diagnoses have been documented in an increasing number of patients infected by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this review, we aimed to summarize the current literature addressing neurological events following SARS-CoV-2 infection, discuss limitations in the existing literature and suggest future directions that would strengthen our understanding of the neurological sequelae of COVID-19. The presence of neurological manifestations (symptoms, signs or diagnoses) both at the onset or during SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with a more severe disease, as demonstrated by a longer hospital stay, higher in-hospital death rate or the continued presence of sequelae at discharge. Although biological mechanisms have been postulated for these findings, evidence-based data are still lacking to clearly define the incidence, range of characteristics and outcomes of these manifestations, particularly in non-hospitalized patients. In addition, data from low- and middle-income countries are scarce, leading to uncertainties in the measure of neurological findings of COVID-19, with reference to geography, ethnicity, socio-cultural settings, and health care arrangements. As a consequence, at present a specific phenotype that would specify a post-COVID (or long-COVID) neurological syndrome has not yet been identified. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00415-021-10848-4.

The association between race and ethnicity and microvascular disease in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is unclear. We hypothesized that social determinants of health (SDOHs) mediate the relationship between race and ethnicity and severity of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and microbleeds in patients with ICH.We performed a retrospective observational cohort study of patients with ICH at two tertiary care hospitals between 2013 and 2020 who underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. Magnetic resonance imaging scans were evaluated for the presence of microbleeds and WMH severity (defined by the Fazekas scale; moderate to severe WMH defined as Fazekas scores 3-6). We assessed for associations between sex, race and ethnicity, employment status, median household income, education level, insurance status, and imaging biomarkers of microvascular disease. A mediation analysis was used to investigate the influence of SDOHs on the associations between race and imaging features. We assessed the relationship of all variables with discharge outcomes.We identified 233 patients (mean age 62 [SD 16]; 48% female) with ICH. Of these, 19% were Black non-Hispanic, 32% had a high school education or less, 21% required an interpreter, 11% were unemployed, and 6% were uninsured. Moderate to severe WMH, identified in 114 (50%) patients, was associated with age, Black non-Hispanic race and ethnicity, highest level of education, insurance status, and history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or diabetes (p 0.05). In the mediation analysis, the proportion of the association between Black non-Hispanic race and ethnicity and the Fazekas score that was mediated by highest level of education was 65%. Microbleeds, present in 130 (57%) patients, was associated with age, highest level of education, and history of diabetes or hypertension (p 0.05). Age, highest level of education, insurance status, and employment status were associated with discharge modified Rankin Scale scores of 3-6, but race and ethnicity was not.The association between Black non-Hispanic race and ethnicity and moderate to severe WMH lost significance after we adjusted for highest level of education, suggesting that SDOHs may mediate the association between race and ethnicity and microvascular disease.

Background Little data exist regarding reversal and resumption of antithrombotics after left ventricular assist device (LVAD)–associated intracranial hemorrhage. Methods Prospectively collected data of LVAD patients with intracranial hemorrhage were reviewed. Coagulopathy reversal agents, antithrombotic regimens, and thrombotic (venous thromboembolism, ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction) and hemorrhagic (recurrent intracranial hemorrhage, gastrointestinal bleed, anemia requiring transfusion) complications were recorded. Results Of 405 patients, intracranial hemorrhage occurred in 39 (10%): 23 intracerebral hemorrhages, 10 subarachnoid hemorrhages, and 6 subdural hematomas. Of 27 patients who received antithrombotic reversal, 8 (30%) had inadequate coagulopathy reversal, and 3 of these patients had hemorrhage expansion or died before repeat imaging. One (4%) patient had a thrombotic complication (deep vein thrombosis). Antithrombotic therapy was resumed in 17 (100%) survivors in a median time 8 days for antiplatelet agents and 14 days for warfarin. Recurrent intracranial hemorrhage occurred within a median of 7 days of antithrombotic resumption, while ischemic stroke occurred in a median of 428 days. Patients who resumed antiplatelets alone (n = 4) had a trend toward more thrombotic events (1.37 versus 0.14 events/patient-year [EPPY]; p = 0.08), including more fatal thrombotic events (0.34 EPPY versus 0.08 EPPY; p = 0.89) compared with those resuming warfarin ± antiplatelet (n = 14). Nonfatal hemorrhage event rates were 0.34 EPPY in the warfarin ± antiplatelet versus 0 EPPY in the antiplatelet-alone group (p = 0.16). No fatal hemorrhagic events occurred. Conclusions Reversal of anticoagulation appears safe after LVAD-associated intracranial hemorrhage, though inadequate reversal was common. Resumption of warfarin ± antiplatelet was associated with fewer fatal and nonfatal thrombotic events compared with antiplatelets alone, though more nonfatal hemorrhage events occurred.

Patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) frequently present with hypertension, but it is unclear if this is due to pre-existing hypertension (prHTN) or to the bleed itself or associated pain. We sought to assess the relationship between prHTN and admission systolic blood pressure (aBP) and bleed severity.We retrospectively assessed the relationship between prHTN and aBP and NIHSS in patients with ICH at 3 institutions.Of 251 patients, 170 (68%) had prHTN based on history of hypertension/antihypertensive use. Median aBP was significantly higher in those with prHTN (155 mm Hg (IQR 135-181) versus 139 mm Hg (IQR 124-158), P.001). Patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) on electrocardiogram (ECG) or transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) had significantly higher aBP than those without LVH (median aBP 195 mm Hg (IQR 155-216) for patients with LVH on ECG versus 147 mm Hg (IQR 129-163) for patients with no LVH on ECG, P.001; median aBP 181 mm Hg (IQR 153-214) for patients with LVH on TTE versus 152 mm Hg (IQR 137-169) for patients with no LVH on TTE, P = .01). prHTN was associated with a higher median NIHSS (11 (IQR 3-20) for patients with history of hypertension/antihypertensive use versus 6 (IQR 1-14) for patients without this history (P = .02); 9 (IQR 3-19) versus 5 (IQR 2-13) for patients with/without LVH on ECG (P = .085); and 10 (IQR 5-18) versus 5 (IQR 1-13) for patients with/without LVH on TTE (P = .046).Patients with ICH who have prHTN have higher aBP and NIHSS, suggesting that prHTN may worsen reactive hypertension in the setting of ICH.

Infection has been associated with stroke in patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVAD); however, little data exist on the timing, type and mortality impact of infection-related stroke. Prospectively collected data of HeartMate II (N = 332) and HeartWare (N = 70) LVAD patients from a single center were reviewed. Only strokes (ischemic or hemorrhagic) that occurred within 6 weeks following a LVAD infection were considered in analyses. The association between LVAD infections (wound, pump pocket, driveline and/or bloodstream infection [BSI]), specific pathogens and ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes was evaluated using multivariable logistic regression analysis. The impact of infection-related stroke on cumulative survival was assessed using Kaplan–Meier analysis. Of 402 patients, LVAD infection occurred in 158 (39%) including BSI in 107 (27%), driveline infection in 67 (17%), wound infection in 31 (8%) and pump pocket infection in 24 (6%). LVAD infection-related stroke occurred in 20/158 (13%) patients in a median of 4 days (0–36 days) from documented infection. In multivariable analysis, ischemic stroke was associated with wound infection (aOR 9.0, 95% CI 2.4–34.0, P = 0.001) and BSI (aOR 7.7, 95% CI 0.9–66.0, P = 0.064), and hemorrhagic stroke was associated with BSI in 100% of cases (P = 0.01). There was no association with driveline or pump pocket infection. The cumulative survival rate among patients with infection-related stroke was significantly lower compared to those with LVAD infection but no stroke (log-rank P

Background Persistent cognitive symptoms have been reported following COVID-19 hospitalization. We investigated the relationship between demographics, social determinants of health (SDOH) and cognitive outcomes 6-months after hospitalization for COVID-19. Methods We analyzed 6-month follow-up data collected from a multi-center, prospective study of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Demographic and SDOH variables (age, race/ethnicity, education, employment, health insurance status, median income, primary language, living arrangements, and pre-COVID disability) were compared between patients with normal versus abnormal telephone Montreal Cognitive Assessments (t-MOCA; scores

Objective To examine the outcomes of adult patients with spontaneous intracranial and subarachnoid hemorrhage diagnosed with comorbid COVID-19 infection in a large, geographically diverse cohort. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis using the Vizient Clinical Data Base. We separately compared two cohorts of patients with COVID-19 admitted April 1–October 31, 2020—patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and those with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)—with control patients with ICH or SAH who did not have COVID-19 admitted at the same hospitals in 2019. The primary outcome was in-hospital death. Favorable discharge and length of hospital and intensive-care stay were the secondary outcomes. We fit multivariate mixed-effects logistic regression models to our outcomes. Results There were 559 ICH-COVID patients and 23,378 ICH controls from 194 hospitals. In the ICH-COVID cohort versus controls, there was a significantly higher proportion of Hispanic patients (24.5% vs. 8.9%), Black patients (23.3% vs. 20.9%), nonsmokers (11.5% vs. 3.2%), obesity (31.3% vs. 13.5%), and diabetes (43.4% vs. 28.5%), and patients had a longer hospital stay (21.6 vs. 10.5 days), a longer intensive-care stay (16.5 vs. 6.0 days), and a higher in-hospital death rate (46.5% vs. 18.0%). Patients with ICH-COVID had an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 2.43 [1.96–3.00] for the outcome of death and an aOR of 0.55 [0.44–0.68] for favorable discharge. There were 212 SAH-COVID patients and 5,029 controls from 119 hospitals. The hospital (26.9 vs. 13.4 days) and intensive-care (21.9 vs. 9.6 days) length of stays and in-hospital death rate (42.9% vs. 14.8%) were higher in the SAH-COVID cohort compared with controls. Patients with SAH-COVID had an aOR of 1.81 [1.26–2.59] for an outcome of death and an aOR of 0.54 [0.37–0.78] for favorable discharge. Conclusions Patients with spontaneous ICH or SAH and comorbid COVID infection were more likely to be a racial or ethnic minority, diabetic, and obese and to have higher rates of death and longer hospital length of stay when compared with controls.

Central and peripheral nervous system manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been frequently reported and may cause significant morbidity and mortality. This review details the latest evidence on the neuropathogenesis and neurologic complications of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.Commonly reported neurologic complications include toxic-metabolic encephalopathy, acute cerebrovascular disorders, seizures, and anoxic-brain injury. These complications represent secondary injury due to COVID-19 related hypoxia, sepsis, hypercoagulability, or hyperinflammation. Postinfectious complications, such as encephalitis, postinfectious demyelination, and Guillain-Barré syndrome have been reported, but are rare. Recent reports of persistent neurocognitive symptoms highlight the possibility of lasting impairment.Although some neurologic complications should be treated with standard practices, further investigations are still needed to determine the optimal treatment of COVID-related neurologic complications, such as ischemic stroke. Entering into the next phase of the pandemic, investigations into the long-term neurologic and cognitive impacts of SARS-CoV-2 infection will be needed. Clinicians must have a high clinical suspicion for both acute and chronic neurologic complications among COVID-19 patients.

Levetiracetam is commonly used for seizure prophylaxis in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), traumatic brain injury (TBI), supratentorial neurosurgery, and spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, its efficacy, optimal dosing, and the adverse events associated with levetiracetam prophylaxis remain unclear. A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane central register of controlled trials (CENTRAL) database was conducted from January 1, 2000, to October 30, 2020, including articles addressing treatment with levetiracetam for seizure prophylaxis after SAH, ICH, TBI, and supratentorial neurosurgery. Non-English, pediatric (aged

Introduction: While the thrombotic complications of COVID-19 have been described, there are limited data on its implications in hemorrhagic stroke. The clinical characteristics, underlying stroke mechanism, and outcomes in this group of patients are especially salient as empiric therapeutic anticoagulation becomes increasingly common in the treatment and prevention of thrombotic complications of COVID-19. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with hemorrhagic stroke (both non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage and spontaneous non-aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage) who were hospitalized between 3/1/20-5/15/20 at a NYC hospital system, during the coronavirus pandemic. We compared the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with hemorrhagic stroke and COVID-19 to those without COVID-19 admitted to our hospital between 3/1/20-5/15/20 (contemporary controls) and 3/1/19-5/15/19 (historical controls), using Fischer’s exact test and non-parametric testing. We adjusted for multiple comparisons using the Bonferroni method. Results: During the study period, 19 out of 4071 (0.5%) patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 had hemorrhagic stroke on imaging. Of all COVID-19 with hemorrhagic stroke, only 3 had non-aneurysmal SAH without intraparenchymal hemorrhage. Among hemorrhagic stroke and COVID-19 patients, coagulopathy was the most common etiology (73.7%); empiric anticoagulation was started in 89.5% vs 4.2% of contemporary and 10.0% of historical controls (both with p = Conclusion: We observed an overall low rate of imaging-confirmed hemorrhagic stroke among patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Most hemorrhages in COVID-19 patients occurred in the setting of therapeutic anticoagulation and were associated with increased mortality. Further studies are needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of therapeutic anticoagulation in COVID-19 patients.

Objective: We aim to investigate infarct patterns and 90-day recurrence in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease. Background: Large artery atherosclerosis subtype carries a high risk of early recurrent stroke despite medical management. Predictors of recurrence remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that border-zone infarcts are associated with a higher risk of recurrence. Design/Methods: We included consecutive patients admitted to NYU Langone Health (Manhattan and Brooklyn campuses) over 32-months with a diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke secondary to symptomatic intracranial or tandem atherosclerosis. Patients with purely extracranial stenosis were excluded. The primary predictor was infarct pattern (border-zone vs. non-border-zone infarction), defined in accordance to previous studies. We used univariate and multivariable cox-regression models to determine associations between infarct pattern and recurrent cerebrovascular events (RCVE) at 90-days. Results: Ninety-nine patients met the inclusion criteria; 95 were intracranial and 4 were tandem lesions. The mean age was 70 years, 58.6% were men, 15.1% Black and 16.1% Asian. The median symptom onset to arrival time was 1 day, nearly 74.7% of patients were treated with dual antiplatelet therapy and 99% were treated with high intensity statin. Within 90 days of follow up, 19.2% (19/99) had RCVE. In univariate analyses, the only factor associated with RCVE was border-zone infarct pattern when compared to non-border-zone infarct pattern (30.2% vs. 10.7%, p=0.02). In cox regression models, after adjusting for age and sex, border-zone infarct pattern was associated with increased risk of RCVE (adjusted HR 3.21 95% CI 1.21-8.51, p=0.019). Sensitivity analyses excluding patients with tandem lesions (n = 4) did not meaningfully change our findings (adjusted HR 3.04 95% CI 1.11-8.31, p=0.031). Conclusions: In real world post-SAMMPRIS medically treated patients with ICAD, infarct pattern was predictive of 90-day RCVE. Border-zone infarcts are likely a surrogate marker of impaired distal blood flow, highlighting the importance of targeting stroke mechanisms and developing alternative treatment strategies for this high-risk cohort.