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BackgroundThere is limited information on the delivery of acute stroke therapies and secondary preventive measures and clinical outcomes over time in young adults with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This study investigated whether advances in these treatments improved outcomes in this population.MethodsUsing a prospective multicenter stroke registry in Korea, young adults (aged 18–50 years) with AIS hospitalized between 2008 and 2019 were identified. The observation period was divided into four epochs: 2008–2010, 2011–2013, 2014–2016, and 2017–2019. Secular trends for patient characteristics, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed.ResultsA total of 7,050 eligible patients (mean age 43.1; men 71.9%) were registered. The mean age decreased from 43.6 to 42.9 years (Ptrend=0.01). Current smoking decreased, whereas obesity increased. Other risk factors remained unchanged. Intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy rates increased over time from 2008–2010 to 2017–2019 (9.5% to 13.8% and 3.2% to 9.2%, respectively; Ptrend’strendtrend’strend=0.04), but was not significant after adjusting for warfarin use.ConclusionImprovements in the delivery of acute stroke treatments did not necessarily lead to better outcomes in young adults with AIS over the past decade, indicating a need for further improvement.

The frequency, management, and outcomes of early neurologic deterioration (END) after ischemic stroke specifically due to stroke progression or stroke recurrence have not been well delineated.In a multicenter, nationwide registry, data on END due to stroke progression or recurrence confirmed by imaging were collected prospectively between January 2019 and July 2020. Patient characteristics, management strategies, and clinical outcomes were analyzed.Among 14,828 consecutive ischemic stroke patients, 1717 (11.6%) experienced END, including 1221 (8.2%) with END due to stroke progression (SP) or stroke recurrence (SR). Active management after END was implemented in 64.2% of patients. Active management strategies included volume expansion (29.2%), change in antithrombotic regimen (26.1%), induced hypertension (8.6%), rescue reperfusion therapy (6.8%), intracranial pressure lowering with hyperosmolar agents (1.5%), bypass surgery (0.6%), and hypothermia (0.1%). Active management strategies that varied with patient features included volume expansion and induced hypertension, used more often in large artery atherosclerosis and small vessel occlusion, and rescue endovascular thrombectomy, more common in other (dissection), cardioembolism, and large artery atherosclerosis. Active management was associated with higher rates of freedom from disability (modified Rankin Scale, mRS, 0-1; 24.3% vs. 16.6%) and functional independence (mRS, 0-2; 41.6% vs. 27.7%) at 3 months.END specifically due to stroke progression or recurrence occurs in 1 in 12 acute ischemic stroke patients. In this observational study, active management, undertaken in two-thirds of patients, was most often hemodynamic or antithrombotic and was associated with improved functional outcomes.

The expected growth of stroke burden in Korea in early 2000s led to the initiation of a government-funded clinical research project with the goal of development and implementation of national stroke guidelines. The CRCS-K (Clinical Research Collaboration for Stroke in Korea) began as a part of this project. For stroke epidemiology and quality of care research, the CRCS-K developed a multicenter, prospective, stroke registry and began collection of data in 2008. Now, about 100 000 cases have been registered at 17 university hospitals or regional stroke centers and about 200 articles have been published based on the registry experience. The analysis of the 10-year secular trends showed overall improvement of stroke care and outcomes and areas for improvement. This large-scale, high-quality dataset provides opportunities to explore and compare treatment disparities using the comparative effectiveness research methods, design and conduct a registry-based randomized clinical trial, connect the registry data with other data sources including the national claims data and neuroimaging or genetic data, and collaborate with other international researchers. An international stroke registry consortium may be a viable future direction.

Rationale: The optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with clopidogrel-aspirin for the large artery atherosclerotic (LAA) stroke subtype has been debated. Aims: To determine whether the 1-year risk of recurrent vascular events could be reduced by a longer duration of DAPT in patients with the LAA stroke subtype. Methods and study design: A total of 4806 participants will be recruited to detect a statistically significant relative risk reduction of 22% with 80% power and a two-sided alpha error of 0.05, including a 10% loss to follow-up. This is a registry-based, multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded end point study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a 12-month duration of DAPT compared with a 3-month duration of DAPT in the LAA stroke subtype. Patients will be randomized (1:1) to either DAPT for 12 months or DAPT for 3 months, followed by monotherapy (either aspirin or clopidogrel) for the remaining 9 months. Study outcomes: The primary efficacy outcome of the study is a composite of stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic), myocardial infarction, and all-cause mortality for 1 year after the index stroke. The secondary efficacy outcomes are (1) stroke, (2) ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack, (3) hemorrhagic stroke, and (4) all-cause mortality. The primary safety outcome is major bleeding. Discussion: This study will help stroke physicians determine the appropriate duration of dual therapy with clopidogrel-aspirin for patients with the LAA stroke subtype. Trial registration: URL: https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris . CRIS Registration Number: KCT0004407

Background: Stroke of other determined etiology (OE) includes patients with an uncommon cause of stroke. We described the general characteristics, management, and outcomes of stroke in OE and its subgroups. Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of a prospective, multicenter, nationwide registry, the Clinical Research Center for Stroke-Korea-National Institutes of Health registry. We classified OE strokes into 10 subgroups according to the literature and their properties. Each OE subgroup was compared according to clinical characteristics, sex, age strata, lesion locations, and management. Moreover, 1-year composites of stroke and all-cause mortality were investigated according to the OE subgroups. Results: In total, 2119 patients with ischemic stroke with OE types (mean age, 55.6±16.2 years; male, 58%) were analyzed. In the Clinical Research Center for Stroke-Korea-National Institutes of Health registry, patients with OE accounted for 2.8% of all patients with stroke. The most common subtypes were arterial dissection (39.1%), cancer-related coagulopathy (17.3%), and intrinsic diseases of the arterial wall (16.7%). Overall, strokes of OE were more common in men than in women (58% versus 42%). Arterial dissection, intrinsic diseases of the arterial wall and stroke associated with migraine and drugs were more likely to occur at a young age, while disorders of platelets and the hemostatic system, cancer-related coagulopathy, infectious diseases, and hypoperfusion syndromes were more frequent at an old age. The composite of stroke and all-cause mortality within 1 year most frequently occurred in cancer-related coagulopathy, with an event rate of 71.8%, but least frequently occurred in stroke associated with migraine and drugs and arterial dissection, with event rates of 0% and 7.2%, respectively. Conclusions: This study presents the different characteristics, demographic findings, lesion locations, and outcomes of OE and its subtypes. It is characterized by a high proportion of arterial dissection, high mortality risk in cancer-related coagulopathy and an increasing annual frequency of cancer-related coagulopathy in patients with stroke of OE.

Background Stroke is an important cause of maternal morbidity and mortality during pregnancy and puerperium. Isolated amnesia is a rare clinical symptom caused by ischemic stroke during pregnancy. We present the first documented case of acute amnesia during pregnancy due to bilateral fornix infarction. Case summary A 32-year-old nullipara presented at 35 wk of gestation with acute amnesia and headache. Brain magnetic resonance imaging and angiography revealed acute infarction in the bilateral anterior fornix. There was no evidence of causative abnormality after extensive work-up, including for vascular abnormality, cardiac disease, coagulopathy, and pregnancy-related conditions. The patient was diagnosed with cryptogenic stroke. Aspirin was administered immediately, and the patient recovered fully without recurrence. Conclusion Acute isolated amnesia due to stroke is rare during pregnancy. Early diagnosis of stroke and immediate treatment prevent neurologic sequelae.

Background and purpose The importance of the specialized management of neurocritical patients is being increasingly recognized. We evaluated the impact of neurointensivist comanagement on the clinical outcomes (particularly the mortality rate) of neurocritical patients admitted to a semiclosed neurocritical-care unit (NCU). Methods We retrospectively included neurocritical patients admitted to the NCU between March 2015 and February 2018. We analyzed the clinical data and compared the outcomes between patients admitted before and after the initiation of neurointensivist co-management in March 2016. Results There were 1,785 patients admitted to the NCU during the study period. Patients younger than 18 years (n=28) or discharged within 48 hours (n=200) were excluded. The 1,557 remaining patients comprised 590 and 967 who were admitted to the NCU before and after the initiation of co-management, respectively. Patients admitted under neurointensivist co-management were older and had higher Acute Physiologic Assessment and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores. The 30-day mortality rate was significantly lower after neurointensivist co-management (p=0.042). A multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that neurointensivist co-management significantly reduced mortality rates in the NCU and in the hospital overall [odds ratio=0.590 (p=0.002) and 0.585 (p=0.001), respectively]. Conclusions Despite the higher severity of the condition during neurointensivist co-management, co-management significantly improved clinical outcomes (including the mortality rate) in neurocritical patients.

Acute ischemic stroke is a disease with multiple etiologies. Classifying the mechanism of acute ischemic stroke is therefore fundamental for treatment and secondary prevention. The TOAST classification is currently the most widely-used system, but it has limitations of often classifying unknown causes and inadequate inter-rater reliability. Therefore, we tried to develop a 3D-convolutional neural network(CNN) based algorithm for stroke lesion segmentation and subtype classification using only diffusion and adc information of acute ischemic stroke patients. The recruited patients were 2251 patients with acute ischemic stroke who visited Chungbuk National University Hospital from February 2013 – July 2019. Our segmentation model for lesion segmentation in the training set achieved a Dice score of 0.843±0.009. The subtype classification model achieved an average accuracy of 81.9%, and each subtype was Large artery astherosclerosis (LAA) = 81.6%, Cardioembolism (CE) = 86.8%, Small vessel occlusion (SVO) = 72.9%, and Control = 86.3%. In conclusion, the proposed method shows great potential for identification of diffusion lesion segmentation and stroke subtype classification. As deep learning systems gradually develop, it would be useful in clinical practice and application.

Rationale: Sphenoid sinus pseudoaneurysm arising from the cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery (ICA) caused by traumatic vessel injury is rare, and rarer is a concomitant carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF). In particular, delayed subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) due to pseudoaneurysm rupture has not been reported to-date in literature. Here, we report a case of sphenoid sinus pseudoaneurysm with CCF presenting with delayed SAH. Patient concerns: A 73-year-old man presented with traumatic brain injury due to motorcycle accident. Diagnoses: Twenty-four days after admission, the patient's neurological status suddenly deteriorated. Brain computed tomography (CT) showed acute SAH along interhemispheric cisterns and suprasellar intracerebral hematoma. Brain CT angiography and digital subtraction angiography revealed giant sphenoid sinus pseudoaneurysm with CCF and the daughter sac of the pseudoaneurysm extended to the intracranial part via fracture in the superior wall of the sphenoid sinus. Interventions: As the sphenoid sinus pseudoaneurysm and CCF shared one rupture point, endovascular treatment with intraarterial approach using coil and liquid embolic material by balloon assisted technique was performed simultaneously. Outcomes: The origin of the pseudoaneurysmal sac and CCF was sufficiently blocked after injection of liquid embolic material and the lesions completely resolved immediately after endovascular treatment. Lessons: Sphenoid sinus pseudoaneurysm and CCF rarely occur following head trauma through a series of processes involving fracture of the lateral wall of the sphenoid sinus and ICA cavernous segment injury. Sphenoid sinus pseudoaneurysm may present as SAH through intracranial rupture with concomitant superior wall fracture of the sphenoid sinus. Therefore, early diagnosis using CT or magnetic resonance angiography and appropriate treatment through understanding the disease mechanism is necessary.

Background: Admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) specialized for brain and spine injury patients is associated with improved outcome. We investigated the effects of the first dedicated, combined neurological and neurosurgical ICU (NeuroICU) in Korea on patient outcomes. Methods: The first dedicated NeuroICU in Korea was established in March 2013. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data and compared the outcomes between patients admitted to the ICU before and after NeuroICU establishment. The predicted mortality of NeuroICU patients was calculated using their Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores. Patients’ functional outcomes were evaluated using their modified Rankin scale (mRS) scores at 6 months after ICU admission, which were obtained from medical records or telephone interviews. Results: We included 2487 patients, 1572 and 915 of whom were admitted prior to and after NeuroICU establishment, respectively. The demographic characteristics, Glasgow Coma Scale scores, and disease proportions did not differ significantly between the groups. The length of ICU stay and the number of days on ventilation were significantly lower in NeuroICU patients than they were in general ICU patients ( P = .024, P = .001). Intensive care unit mortality was significantly lower in NeuroICU patients (7.3% vs 4.7%, P = .012). The predicted mortality was obtained from 473 NeuroICU patients. The mortality ratio (observed mortality/predicted mortality) was 0.34 (8.9%/26.1%), and 228 (48.1%) patients showed good functional recovery (mRS, 0-2). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that admission to a dedicated NeuroICU significantly improves the neurological outcomes of patients with brain and spine injuries, including their postoperative care, in Korea.

Background Off‐hour presentation can affect treatment delay and clinical outcomes in endovascular therapy ( EVT ) for acute ischemic stroke. We aimed to examine the treatment delays and clinical outcomes of EVT between on‐ and off‐hour admission and to evaluate the effect of hospital procedure volume and the number of neurointerventionalists on off‐hour EVT . Methods and Results From a multicenter registry, we identified patients who were treated with EVT within 12 hours of symptom. Annual hospital procedure volume was divided as low (60). The effect of the number of neurointerventionalists and annual hospital procedure volume on clinical outcome was estimated by the generalized estimation equation. Of the 31 133 stroke patients, 1564 patients met the eligibility criteria (mean age: 69±12 years; median baseline National Institutes of Health stroke scale score, 15 [interquartile range, 10–19]). Of 1564 patients, 893 (57.1%) arrived during off‐hour. The off‐hour patients had greater median door‐to‐puncture time (110 versus 95 minutes; P P =0.90). The presence of three neurointerventionalists was significantly associated with favorable outcomes at 3 months during on‐ and off‐hour (2.07 [1.53–2.81]; P Conclusions The number of neurointerventionalists was more crucial to effective around‐the‐clock EVT for acute stroke patients than hospital procedural volume.

Background and purpose The use of decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) for the treatment of malignant cerebral edema can decrease mortality rates. However, this benefit is not sufficient to justify its use in elderly patients. We investigated the effects of therapeutic hypothermia (TH) on safety, feasibility, and functional outcomes in elderly patients with malignant middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarcts. Methods Elderly patients 60 years of age and older with infarcts affecting more than two-thirds of the MCA territory were included. Patients who could not receive DHC were treated with TH. Hypothermia was started within 72 hours of symptom onset and was maintained for a minimum of 72 hours with a target temperature of 33°C. Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 3 months following treatment and complications of TH were used as functional outcomes. Results Eleven patients with a median age of 76 years and a median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of 18 were treated with TH. The median time from symptom onset to initiation of TH was 30.3±23.0 hours and TH was maintained for a median of 76.7±57.1 hours. Shivering (100%) and electrolyte imbalance (82%) were frequent complications. Two patients died (18%). The mean mRS score 3 months following treatment was 4.9±0.8. Conclusions Our results suggest that extended use of hypothermia is safe and feasible for elderly patients with large hemispheric infarctions. Hypothermia may be considered as a therapeutic alternative to DHC in elderly individuals. Further studies are required to validate our findings.

Heat stroke is a life-threatening disease characterized by hyperthermia and neurological dysfunction. The central nervous system is highly sensitive to hyperthermia, which causes neurological complications due to the involvement of the cerebellum, basal ganglia, anterior horn cells, and peripheral nerves. Several studies reported about clinical symptoms and brain image findings of heat stroke. Isolated cranial nerve dysfunction caused by lacunar infarction is an extremely rare condition in patient with heat stroke. We experienced a rare case of trochlear nerve palsy due to midbrain infarction caused by heat stroke.

Brain herniation is most often the result of severe brain swelling and can rapidly lead to death or brain death. We retrospectively identified radiologic indicators to evaluate the effects of targeted temperature management (TTM) on the extent of cerebral edema and determine the cutoff values that best predict TTM outcomes in patients with large hemispheric infarction. We retrospectively reviewed brain computed tomography (CT) scans of 21 patients with large hemispheric infarctions, who were treated with TTM. We excluded 4 patients whose CT scans were inadequate for evaluation, which left 17 patients. We divided the patients into success and failure groups. TTM failure was defined as death or the need for decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) after TTM. Infarction size was measured as the total restricted area in diffusion-weighted imaging that was performed on admission. CT scans were obtained on the first and second days after TTM initiation and then every 2 days. We measured septum pellucidum shifts (SPS) and pineal gland shifts (PGS) on CT scans. The median time from symptom onset to TTM initiation was 14.5 hours. Ten patients were successfully treated with TTM, six patients died, and one patient underwent a DHC. Initial infarction sizes were not significantly different between the success and failure groups (p = 0.529), but the SPS and PGS at 36-72 hours after TTM initiation were (mean SPS: 5.0 vs. 14.9 mm, p = 0.001; mean PGS: 2.3 vs. 7.9 mm, p = 0.001). The sensitivity and negative predictive value for TTM failure caused by cerebral edema (SPS ≥9.25 mm and PGS ≥3.70 mm) at 36-72 hours after TTM initiation were both 100%. The SPS and PGS on CT scans taken 36-72 hours after TTM initiation may help to estimate the effect of TTM on cerebral edema and guide further treatment.

Balo's concentric sclerosis is regarded as a rare variant of multiple sclerosis. Traditionally, Balo's concentric sclerosis was a post-mortem diagnosis, but the recent introduction of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans may allow noninvasive access without biopsy. Brain MRI findings of Balo's concentric sclerosis is characteristic concentric configuration of alternating bands of white matter of different pathology, with relatively preserved myelination alternating with regions of demyelination in the cerebral white matter. We report a case of Balo's concentric sclerosis with recurrent optic neuritis. J Korean Neurol Assoc 33(4):310-314, 2015

Background There have been no prospective studies on the clinical features, etiologies, and outcome of transient ischemic attack (TIA) in Korea. The aim of this study was to identify variables that can discriminate TIA from TIA mimics. Also we evaluated the characteristic of TIA patients according to the presence of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) lesion. Methods Patients were categorized into TIA and TIA mimics according to the result of an initial workup. TIA patients were divided according to the presence of DWI lesions. Baseline demographics, risk factors, laboratory results, initial blood pressure, imaging findings, recurrence rate of TIA or stroke at 3 months, and initial neurologic manifestations were prospectively collected and compared. Results We evaluated a total of 252 patients (212 with TIA and 40 with TIA mimics). Steno-occlusion of the relevant artery (odds ratio [OR], 22.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.03-246.73) and cardioembolic risk (OR, 32.15; 95% CI, 1.12-922.97) were significantly associated with TIA. Amnesia (OR, .001; 95% CI, .00-.05) and consciousness disturbance (OR, .003; 95% CI, .00-.06) favored TIA mimics. Perfusion defect (OR, 5.56; 95% CI, 2.90-10.68) and cardioembolic risk (OR, 2.68; 95% CI, 1.14-6.32) were significantly associated with DWI lesion. Recurrence did not significantly differ according to the presence of a lesion on DWI (positive, 4.9%; negative, 7.8%; P = .41). Conclusion Steno-occlusive disease and cardioembolic risk were independently associated with TIA. Perfusion defect and cardioembolic risk predicted positive DWI lesion. The value of various imaging modalities for predicting TIA etiology needs further evaluation.

Background: We have evaluated whether anemia at admission is associated with ischemic stroke recurrence and composite outcome events (stroke, myocardial infarction, and vascular death) according to the age, presence of cerebral artery stenosis, stroke subtype, and initial severity of stroke. Methods: All 27145 patients with transient ischemia attack or acute ischemic stroke admitted between April 2008 and November 2014 from the stroke registry of the fifth section of the Clinical Research Center for Stroke (CRCS-5) were selected. The association between anemia and 1-year stroke recurrence, composite outcome events according to age, presence of cerebral artery stenosis, stroke mechanism, and initial severity of stroke were evaluated. Results: The cumulative 1-year stroke recurrence rate, composite outcome events were significantly higher in patients with anemia than without anemia ( 7.2% vs. 4.8%, p Conclusion: Anemia is an independent predictor of 1-year ischemic stroke recurrence, composite outcome events of stroke, myocardial infarction, and vascular death. Our data suggests that more attention should be paid to the anemic patients with mild to moderate neurological deficit, small vessel occlusion subtype, and stroke of other determined etiology.

Objective: Several reports described a beneficial effect of both decompressive hemicraniectomy and therapeutic hypothermia in the management of intractable cerebral edema caused by ischemic stroke. We compared the clinical course and functional outcome in patient with ischemic stroke who were treated with a combination therapy with decompressive hemicraniectomy and therapeutic hypothermia of 33.5°C (DT) or received decompressive hemicraniectomy alone (DA), respectively. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed of subjects who were received decompressive hemicraniectomy secondary to ischemic stroke involving the middle cerebral artery, internal carotid artery, or both from 2004 to 2015. 26 patients were treated by DA and 10 patients received a combination of DT. functional outcome was assessed at 30 days and at 90 days. Results: Age, initial National institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, volume of cerebral infarction in diffusion weight imaging, risk factors for ischemic stroke were not significantly different between both groups. Median time from symptom onset to decompressive hemicraniectomy were not significantly different. Therapeutic hypothermia was induced after surgery and maintained. (median duration : 159.9 hours). The difference between presurgical and postsurgical midline shift of septum pellucidum and pineal gland in cranial computed tomography scans did not differ significantly between both groups. Duration of need for intensive care or for mechanical ventilation were not significantly different between both groups. There is a difference in mortality rate at 30 days (0% in DT group vs. 26.9% in DA group). The median modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 30 and 90 days were 5 and 4, respectively in both groups. Good functional outcome (mRS scores of 0-3) at 90days was observed in 10% of DT group and 5.9% in DA group. Conclusion: The present study suggests that a combination therapy of decompressive hemicraniectomy and therapeutic hypothermia improves mortality rate and functional outcome as compared with decompressive hemicraniectomy alone. The main limitation of this study include its retrospective single-center nature, which may limit generalizablility of the study

Background: The purpose of the study is to evaluate whether prestroke glycemic control is associated with functional outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke after endovascular treatment. Methods: We reviewed the acute ischemic stroke patients who underwent endovascular recanalization in the participating centers between April 2008 and March 2015 from the Clinical Research Center for Stroke-5th division (CRCS-5) registry. The relationship between the level of HbA1c on admission and functional outcome at 3 month, stroke recurrence and composite outcome (stroke, myocardial infarction, or vascular death) occurrence were assessed. Results: All 829 study subjects were classified as 4 groups according to quartiles of HbA1c on admission: 1 st quartile (HbA1c ≤5.6%), 2 nd quartile (5.6% < HbA1c ≤5.9%), 3 rd quartile (5.9% < HbA1c ≤6.5%), 4 th quartile (HbA1c >6.5%). END occurred more frequently in the highest quartile of HbA1c (P=0.02). Among the components of END, the frequency of symptomatic hemorrhagic transformation occurred more often in the group with higher quartiles (P=0.03), while stroke recurrence or recurrence was not significantly different according to the quartiles of HbA1c (P=0.27). After adjusting for significant variables (age, sex, initial NIHSS, diabetes, complete recanalization, procedure time, occurrence of END, P6.5% was still inversely associated with favorable functional outcome at 3 month (adjusted OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.25-0.93 as quartiles, adjusted OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.22-0.73 as a dichotomized variable). No significant heterogeneities were observed according to the age, diagnosis of diabetes on admission, stroke subtype, recanalization degree, and reperfusion time. The cumulative risk of both stroke recurrence and composite even rates were not significantly different according to the quartiles of HbA1c on admission (P=0.64, P=0.19, respectively). Conclusion: Prestroke glycemic control is associated with occurrence of symptomatic hemorrhagic ransformaion and functional outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke after endovascular treatment. More stringent glycemic control of HbA1c below or equal to 6.5 % may have beneficial effect on neurological recovery after stroke.

Received July 10, 2015 Revised September 10, 2015 Accepted September 10, 2015 Address for correspondence: Sang-Jun Na, MD, PhD Department of Neurology, Konyang University Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine, 158 Gwanjeodong-ro, Seo-gu, Daejeon 35365, Korea Tel: +82-42-600-8814 Fax: +82-42-545-0050 E-mail: nukedoc@hanmail.net 거미막낭종은 거미막층 안에 위치한 양성 병변으로 대부분 소아 연령에서 진단된다. 성인에서 진단되는 거미막낭종은 흔

Background: The purpose of this study is to compare the patterns of voiding dysfunction according to the locations of brainstem lesions. Methods: Between November 2008 and December 2011, a total of 30 patients participated in this study. All 30 subjects, consisting of 16 men and 14 women, aged between 41 and 82 years (mean age, 63.0 ± 11.0 years) underwent a urodynamic study within 7 days after the onset of a stroke. Results: Twenty-one (70%) patients had a pontine lesion and 9 (30%) had a medullary lesion. Fourteen of these patients (46.7%) had bladder storage disorder, 7 patients (23.3%) had bladder emptying disorder, and 9 patients (30%) had a normal report. Five of the patients who had a medullary lesion (55.6%) had bladder emptying disorder, whereas only 2 patients who had a pontine lesion (9.5%) had bladder emptying disorder. Thirteen patients who had a pontine lesion (61.9%) showed bladder storage disorder. Discussion: The descending pathway from the midbrain tegmentum is inhibitory, and the pathway from the pontine tegmentum is stimulatory. Because of their location pontine lesions could disrupt the descending fibers of the midbrain tegmentum and medullary lesions could disrupt the descending fibers of the pontine tegmentum.

Introduction: In neurocritically ill patients, admission to a specialized neurocritical care unit (NCU) is associated with improved outcome. The first NCU in Korea was established on 15 March 2013. In Korea, the data of intensive care unit (ICU) outcome were collected in general ICUs, but there are only sparse data of NCU outcome. Hypothesis: The primary object of this study is to evaluate clinical outcomes of neurocritically ill patients in Korea. Methods: This study was conducted in 20 NCU beds of a large academic tertiary care hospital. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data from neurocritically ill patients. A comparison was made between those patients admitted before and after the establishment of NCU. The primary outcome examined was ICU mortality. To evaluate functional outcome, the modified Rankin scale (mRS) at 6 months after NCU admission was obtained from medical records or telephone interview. Results: A total of 2487 patients were included, 1572 prior to and 915 after the establishment of NCU. The predominant admission cause were postoperative care and cerebrovascular disease; such as subarachnoid hemorrhage, malignant ischemic stroke, and intracerebral hemorrhage. There were no significant differences between the groups about demographic characteristics and admission Glasgow Coma Scale score. ICU mortality was significantly decreased in patients admitted to NCU (7.3% vs 4.7%, p=0.12). Admission to NCU also significantly decreased length of ICU stay and ventilator days. Among patient admitted NCU, 228 patients (48.1%) showed good functional recovery (mRS 0-2), while 245 patients (51.9%) had unfavorable outcomes (mRS 3-6). Conclusion: This is the first report about outcomes of neurocritically ill patients who admitted to NCU in Korea. Admission to specialized NCU and cared by neurointensivist improved outcomes and decreased ICU mortality.

Objectives: Diffusion weighted MRI image (DWI) improves the prediction of the early risk of stroke after transient ischemic attack (TIA). Hyperintense acute reperfusion marker (HARM) is occasionally observed in patients with TIA. The predictive value of HARM in TIA is not well known. Methods: This is a retrospective study of patients who were diagnosed as TIA. From June 2008 to June 2014, 759 consecutive patients with TIA underwent DWI and axial postcontrast fluid attenuated inversion recovery images (FLAIR) within 24 hours after onset of symptoms. Presence of positive DWI findings, HARM on postcontrast FLAIR image, atrial fibrillation (AF), other risk factor of cardioembolic stroke, and recurrence of stroke were assessed. Results: DWI and HARM was positive in 276 (36.4%) and 28 (3.7%) patients. 45 (5.9%) patients had AF and 123 (16.2%) patients were diagnosed cardioembolic TIA. Recurrence of stroke was higher in patients with HARM (25.0%) than patients with DWI (6.5%) and lesion negative TIA (5.1%). Cardioembolic TIA (26.1% vs 10.3%) and AF (11.6% vs 2.6%) were common in patients with DWI than lesion negative TIA significantly. There were no statistically significant difference of cardioembolic TIA (14.3% vs 26.1%) and AF (3.6% vs 11.6%) between HARM and DWI group. Conclusion: TIA with HARM is associated with the high risk of stroke recurrence. Taking postcontrast FLAIR image improves the prediction of the risk of stroke after TIA.

An acute febrile disease, scrub typhus is caused by rickettsial nfection transferred by a bite of the chigger larvae infected with rientia tsutsugamushi. It is also known as tsutsugamushi disase and is characterized by focal or disseminated vasculitis and erivasculitis, which may involve the lung, heart, liver, spleen nd central nervous system [1–3]. The main pathologic change s focal or disseminated vasculitis caused by the destruction of ndothelial cells and the perivascular infiltration of leukocytes 1]. Scrub typhus occurs in a wide area of eastern Asia and he western pacific region [3]. It occurs in persons who ngage in occupational or recreational behavior that brings hem into contact with mite-infested habitats such as bush and rass. Scrub typhus can present with neurologic signs resembling septic meningitis or encephalitis syndrome. According to a study y Pai et al., twelve (48%) of 25 patientswith scrub typhus hadmild SF pleocytosis [7]. However, focal neurologic signs and abnormal euroradiologic findings in scrub typhus are rarely reported. We eport a case of scrub typhusmeningo-encephalitis with focal neuologic signs and associated neuroradiologic abnormalities along ith a review of the literature.

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with vascular risk factors; brain ischemia facilitates the pathogenesis of AD. Recent studies have suggested that the reduction of AD risk with statin was achieved by decreased amyloidogenic amyloid precursor protein. Methods: We used mitochondrial transgenic neuronal cell (cybrid) models to investigate changes in the levels of intracellular hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α )a ndβ-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme (BACE) in the presence of simvastatin. Sporadic AD (SAD) and age-matched control (CTL) cybrids were exposed to 2 % O2 and incubated with 1 μ Mo r 10μM simvastatin. Results: There was no significant difference between cell survival by 1 or 10 μM simvastatin in both SAD and CTL cybrids. In the presence of 1 μM simvastatin, intracellular levels of HIF-1α and BACE decreased by 40–70 % in SAD, but not CTL cybrids. However, 10 μM simvastatin increased HIF-1α and BACE expression in both cybrid models. Conclusion: Our results suggest demonstrate differential dose-dependent effects of simvastatin on HIF-1α and BACE in cultured Alzheimer’s disease cybrid cells.