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Background and Purpose: Ischemic core estimation by CT perfusion (CTp) is a diagnostic challenge, mainly because of the intrinsic noise associated with perfusion data. However, an accurate and reliable quantification of the ischemic core is critical in the selection of patients for reperfusion therapies. Our study aimed at assessing the diagnostic accuracy of two different CTp postprocessing algorithms, that is, the Bayesian Method and the oscillation index singular value decomposition (oSVD)., Methods: All the consecutive stroke patients studied in the extended time window (>4.5 hours from stroke onset) by CTp and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), between October 2019 and December 2021, were enrolled. The agreement between both algorithms and DWI was assessed by the Bland-Altman plot, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)., Results: Twenty-four patients were enrolled (average age: 72 ± 15 years). The average National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale was 14.42 ± 6.75, the median Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score was 8.50 (interquartile range [IQR] = 7.75-9), and median time from stroke onset to neuroimaging was 7.5 hours (IQR = 6.5-8). There was an excellent correlation between DWI and oSVD (ρ = .87, p-value < .001) and DWI and Bayesian algorithm (ρ = .94, p-value < .001). There was a stronger ICC between DWI and Bayesian algorithm (.97, 95% confidence interval [CI]: .92-.99, p-value < .001) than between DWI and oSVD (.59, 95% CI: .26-.8, p-value < .001)., Discussion: The agreement between Bayesian algorithm and DWI was greater than between oSVD and DWI in the extended window. The more accurate estimation of the ischemic core offered by the Bayesian algorithm may well play a critical role in the accurate selection of patients for reperfusion therapies., (© 2023 American Society of Neuroimaging.)

Objectives: To assess whether COVID-19 could be a concurrent factor in the genesis and/or worsening of stroke and to provide data on COVID-19 -associated stroke patients during the first pandemic wave and comparative data on COVID-19 negative stroke patients in the same period., Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective, observational, case-control, single centre study, carried out in a General Hospital in northern Italy. Sixty-three consecutive stroke patients were included, COVID-19-associated stroke was classified as cases and non COVID-19-associated stroke as controls., Results: A total of 19/63 (28.8%) had a COVID-19-associated stroke, 11 /63 (17.5%) were haemorrhagic and 52/63 (82.5%) ischaemic. COVID-19-associated strokes were more severe (p-value 0.019) and had a higher risk of severe disability and/or death (OR 3.79, CI 95%: 1.21-11.93, p-value 0.19). The COVID-19-associated stroke patients with onset during hospitalization for COVID-19 had a more severe stroke than patients with COVID-19 onset during hospitalization for stroke (p-value 0.019)., Conclusion: Although no relationship was observed between the stroke aetiology and COVID-19, intriguingly, COVID-associated stroke turned out to be more severe and disabling. Hopefully, further studies will provide more data and help in the management of this emerging population., Competing Interests: Disclosures None of the authors have anything to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: an estimated 40-80% of acute ischemic stroke patients have dysphagia and about 14% develop stroke-associated pneumonia. However, it may be difficult to detect swallowing problems at admission. Moreover, there might not be an on-duty specialist skilled in the diagnosis of this condition. This study aimed at developing a user-friendly bedside examination to identify the risk of dysphagia in stroke patients at hospital admission., Methods: a diagnostic accuracy study was carried out to assess the concurrent validity of a simple Bedside Screening Tool for Dysphagia (BSTD) in acute stroke. All the consecutive stroke patients admitted between January and April 2018 were enrolled. Sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV), negative predictive values (NPV) and the Cohen K concordance index scores, reported by nurses and speech-pathologists, were assessed., Results: a total of 67/120 patients (55.8%) were male; overall average age was 67.4 (range 45-91) and 80.8% of the whole population had a history of ischemic stroke. The nursing staff identified 33.3% of dysphagia cases at admission and the speech pathologists 30%. The Cohen K was 0.92 (optimal concordance when K was > 0.8), sensitivity was 100%, specificity 95.2%, PPV 90% and NPV 100%., Conclusions: our BSTD had a 100% negative predictive value, indicating that this screening test is very useful in ruling out/confirming dysphagia in acute stroke patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest regarding the manuscript, (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Multiphase CT angiography (CTA) in collateral assessment provides time-resolved cerebral angiograms of the intracranial vasculature, requiring a high-speed multidetector CT (MDCT) scanner with ≥ 64 slices. Unfortunately, many hospitals are equipped with lower speed MDCT scanners. Herein, we present our experience performing dual-phase CTA (d-CTA) on a 16 slice MDCT with a biphasic rate injection to grade intracranial collaterals as predictor of clinical outcome. 42 patients were evaluated with both dual-phase CTA (d-CTA) and single-phase CTA (s-CTA) for occluded anterior intracranial circulation and collaterals. They were treated with endovascular reperfusion. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to define the independent predictors for favorable outcome at 3 months. Good collateral circulation status on d-CTA was associated with a lower median 24-h (5 vs. 7.5, p = 0.03) and discharge (2 vs. 4.6, p = 0.04) NIHSS. A logistic regression model showed that only age (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.91-0.98, p = 0.03) and good collateral circulation status at d-CTA (OR 4.3, 95% CI 1.87-11.3, p < 0.01) were independent predictors of favorable functional outcome at 3 months, but that s-CTA was not. The collateral status on d-CTA can be a useful predictor for clinical outcome in acute stroke patients. The proposed protocol adapted to a low-speed MDCT scanner could be of particular interest in hospitals without access to the more up-to-date technology.

Wake-up stroke (WUS) patients are typically excluded from reperfusion treatment, as the time of symptoms onset is unknown. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical outcome and safety of intravenous thrombolysis with rt-PA in patients with WUS eligible for therapy using computed tomography perfusion criteria (CTP), compared to patients treated with rt-PA within 4.5 h of symptoms onset (non-WUS). This is an experimental, open-label trial, controlled against the best therapy currently in use. Primary endpoints were functional independence after 3 months [modified Rankin scale (mRS) ≤ 1] for clinical outcome and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) for safety. Secondary endpoints were no or only mild disability after 3 months (mRS ≤ 2) for clinical outcome, total intracerebral hemorrhage (TICH) and contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) for safety. 170 patients were treated, 143 non-WUS patients and 27 patients with WUS. Strokes of cardioembolic origin were most common in WUS patients (p < 0.001). Primary endpoints: mRS ≤ 1 was found in 35.8 % (non-WUS: 36.4% vs. WUS 33.3%; p = 0.62) and SICH was observed in 3.4 % of non-WUS patients and in WUS patients (p = 0.32). Secondary endpoints: mRS ≤ 2 was observed in 66.4 % of patients (non-WUS: 67.1% vs. WUS 62.9%; p = 0.67), TICH in 13.5 % of patients (13.9 % non-WUS vs. 11.1 % WUS; p = 0.69). CIN was documented in 3.7 % of WUS patients. rt-PA treatment carried out in WUS patients selected on the basis of CTP data demonstrate comparable clinical outcome and safety with respect to non-WUS patients. The study supports the hypothesis that a selected group of WUS patients may be suitable for thrombolysis.

Access to effective acute stroke services is a crucial factor to reduce stroke-related death and disability, but is limited in different parts of Italy. Our study addresses this inequality across the Italian regions by examining the regional legislations issued to adopt and implement the State-Regional Council agreement 03/02/2005 as to the acute stroke management. All decrees and resolutions as to acute stroke were collected from each region and examined by the means of a check list including quantitative and qualitative characteristics, selected in accordance with the recommendations from the State-Regional Council document. Each completed check list was then sent to each regional reference person, who filled in the section on the implementation of the indications and compliance, with the collaboration of stroke specialists if necessary. The study was carried out from November 2009 to September 2010. The documents and information were collected from 19 regions. Our survey revealed disparities both in terms of number of decrees and resolutions and of topics covered by the regional legislations about stroke care. Most legislations lacked practical and economical details. This feedback from national and regional stroke regulations revealed a need of more concrete indications. Involvement of various stakeholders (legislators, consumers, providers) might possibly ensure that policies are actually adopted, implemented and maintained. Although considerable challenges are present to the development of standard and optimal stroke care more widely across Italian regions, the potential gains from such developments are substantial.

The stroke units (SUs) have been demonstrated to be efficient and cost effective for acute stroke care. Nevertheless, the level of stroke unit implementation in Italy does not correspond to expectations yet. This study is a survey, which aims at assessing the current status of in-hospital stroke care in the Italian regions and at updating SUs. The survey was conducted by means of a semi-structured questionnaire, based on 18 stroke care "quality indicators", submitted to all the Italian centres that had taken part in the SITS-MOST study, and to other centres advised by the coordinator of SITS studies and by regional opinion leaders of stroke. SUs were defined as acute wards, with stroke-dedicated beds and dedicated teams that had been formally authorised to administer rt-PA. A statistical analysis was performed by a descriptive statistics and logistic regression model. The study was carried out from November 2009 to September 2010. A total of 168 forms were sent out and 153 replies received. Seven centres, which had not performed any thrombolytic treatment, and 16 which did not fulfil the criteria for the definition of SU were excluded from the study. Most of the centres reported more than 100 stroke patient admissions per year, i.e., 122 (84%) from 100 to 500, 18 (12%) more than 500. The 19% of the centres admitted more than 30% of patients within 3 h from the symptom onset and only 30% admitted more than 30% of patients within 4.5 h. The mean number of thrombolyses performed in the last 6 months was 10 for centres with a doctor on duty 24 h a day, 6 for those that have a doctor on duty from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and a doctor on call for night, and 5 for centres with a doctor on call 24 h a day. The territorial distribution of the SUs is remarkably heterogeneous: 87 SUs (67%) are located in the North of Italy, 28 (22%) in the central part of Italy and only 15 (11%) in the South. The last few years have witnessed a rise in both the diffusion of SUs and access to thrombolytic therapy in Italy. Despite this, there are a few large areas, mostly in the south, where the requirements of healthcare legislation are not met, and access to a dedicated SU and thrombolytic treatment is still limited and poor.

Background: Thrombolysis in the elderly is still a matter of debate. Recently, the Third International Stroke Trial (IST-3) suggested that recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) improves functional outcome, without a substantial absolute increase in symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, even in older patients. The aim of the current prospective study is to describe safety and functional outcome in a cohort of patients treated by intravenous rt-PA in an Italian stroke unit “real world setting”. Methods: All the consecutive patients treated with rt-PA between 2006 and 2010 in an Italian province with 290,000 inhabitants were enrolled. Total and symptomatic (associated with a 4-point worsening on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] score) hemorrhages were evaluated, as safety measures, along with disability (at 3-month modified Rankin scale) as effectiveness measure. Results: One hundred and eighty-seven patients were treated with rt-PA; 90 males (48.1%); average age 75.1 (±11.9) years; 79 (42.2%) patients aged ≥80 years. Patients aged ≥80 years had a higher NIHSS score at stroke onset (13.5 vs. 10.9). No significant difference was found between patients aged

Summary Background Thrombolysis in the elderly is still a matter of debate. Recently, the Third International Stroke Trial (IST-3) suggested that recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) improves functional outcome, without a substantial absolute increase in symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, even in older patients. The aim of the current prospective study is to describe safety and functional outcome in a cohort of patients treated by intravenous rt-PA in an Italian stroke unit “real world setting”. Methods All the consecutive patients treated with rt-PA between 2006 and 2010 in an Italian province with 290,000 inhabitants were enrolled. Total and symptomatic (associated with a 4-point worsening on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] score) hemorrhages were evaluated, as safety measures, along with disability (at 3-month modified Rankin scale) as effectiveness measure. Results One hundred and eighty-seven patients were treated with rt-PA; 90 males (48.1%); average age 75.1 (±11.9) years; 79 (42.2%) patients aged ≥80 years. Patients aged ≥80 years had a higher NIHSS score at stroke onset (13.5 vs. 10.9). No significant difference was found between patients aged <80 years and ≥80 years in mortality rate ( p = 0.1), total or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage ( p = 0.52 and p = 0.085, respectively), whereas the 3-month disability was higher in octogenarians ( p = 0.004). Conclusion Thrombolysis in patients aged ≥80 years was not associated with significantly increased intracranial hemorrhage. The higher 3-month disability rate observed in octogenarians may be explained by the more severe stroke and higher poststroke disability. Based on the current, “real world setting” study, we advocate the need for a randomized clinical trial to better clarify the efficacy and safety of intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]