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BackgroundNeurocysticercosis (NCC) is a parasitic infection of the central nervous system that has been associated with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE-HS). However, this association has not been completely established.ObjectiveTo evaluate the prevalence of calcified NCC (cNCC), its characteristics and a possible association between cNCC and MTLE-HS in a cohort of 731 patients with epilepsy.MethodsWe review clinical, EEG and neuroimaging findings of 731 patients with epilepsy. From these, 659 had CT-scans and 441 patients had complete neuroimaging with CT-scans and MRI. In these patients, we review the prevalence and characteristic of epilepsy in cNCC and in MTLE-HS patients.ResultsForty-two (6.4%) of the 659 patients studied with CT-scans had cNCC. cNCC lesions were more frequent in women than in men (n = 33–78.6% vs. n = 09–21.4%, respectively; OR = 3.64;(95%CI = 1.71–7.69); p < 0.001). cNCC was more often in patients who developed epilepsy later in life, in older patients, in patients who had a longer history of epilepsy, and in those with a lower educational level. MTLE–HS was observed in 93 (21.1%) of 441 patients that had complete neuroimaging, and 25 (26.9%) of these 93 patients also had cNCC. Calcified NCC was observed in only 17 (4.9%) of the remaining 348 patients that had other types of epilepsy rather than MTLE-HS. Thus, in our cohort, cNCC was more frequently associated with MTLE-HS than with other forms of epilepsy, O.R. = 11.90;(95%CI = 6.10–23.26); p < 0.0001).ConclusionsAs expected, in some patients the epilepsy was directly related to cNCC lesional zone, although this was observed in a surprisingly lower number of patients. Also, cNCC lesions were observed in other forms of epilepsy, a finding that could occur only by chance, with epilepsy probably being not related to cNCC at all. In this cohort, cNCC was very commonly associated with MTLE-HS, an observation in agreement with the hypothesis that NCC can contribute to or directly cause MTLE-HS in many patients. Given the broad world prevalence of NCC and the relatively few studies in this field, our findings add more data suggesting a possible and intriguing frequent interplay between NCC and MTLE-HS, two of the most common causes of focal epilepsy worldwide.

Background and Purpose— The increasing demand and shortage of experts to evaluate and treat acute stroke patients has led to the development of remote communication tools to aid stroke management. We aimed to evaluate the JOIN App smartphone system—a low-cost tool for rapid clinical and neuroimaging data sharing to expedite decision-making in stroke. Methods— Consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients treated at a University Hospital in Brazil from December 2014 to December 2015 were evaluated. The analysis included all patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke who underwent initial evaluation by neurology residents followed by JOIN teleconsultation with a stroke neurologist on call for management decisions. An expert panel of stroke neurologists and neuroradiologists revised all cases using a standard Picture Archiving and Communication System imaging workstation within 24 hours and analyzed the decision made with remote assistance during the emergency setting. Results— A total of 720 stroke codes were evaluated with 442 acute ischemic stroke qualifying. Seventy-eight (18%) patients were treated with intravenous thrombolysis. The main reasons for tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator) exclusion were symptom onset >4.5 hours (n=295; 67%) and hypodense middle cerebral artery territory area >1/3 (n=31; 7%). The agreement rates between Picture Archiving and Communication System versus JOIN-based thrombolysis decisions were 100% for the stroke (unblinded) and 99.3% for the neuroradiologist (blinded) experts. The use of the application resulted in a significant reduction in the door-to-needle times across the pre- versus postimplementation periods (median, 90 [interquartile range, 75–106] versus 63 [interquartile range, 61–117] minutes; P =0.03). The rates of 90-day excellent outcomes (modified Rankin Scale, 0–1) were 51.3%; 90-day mortality, 2.6%; and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, 3.8%. Conclusions— The JOIN smartphone system allows rapid sharing of clinical and imaging data to facilitate decisions for stroke treatment. The remote application-based decisions seem to be as accurate as the physical presence of stroke experts and might lead to faster times to treatment. This system represents an easily implementable low-cost telemedicine solution for centers that cannot afford the full-time presence of stroke specialists.

Embora o benefício do tratamento trombolítico no AVC isquêmico esteja bem demonstrado, o impacto na população geral de pacientes com AVC ainda é limitado, principalmente devido a estreita janela terapêutica. No Brasil, poucos centros estão estruturados para o uso do rtPA no AVC isquêmico agudo. Nós apresentamos os resultados de 4 anos de experiência em terapia trombolítica, com 173 pacientes tratados em 3 Unidades Vasculares implementadas em hospitais gerais no Sul do Brasil.

There is uncertainty over the optimal level of systolic blood pressure (SBP) in the setting of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of the early manipulation of SBP in non-thrombolised patients. The key hypothesis under investigation was that clinical outcomes vary across ranges of SBP in AIS. 218 patients were randomized within 12 h of AIS to maintain the SBP during 24 h within three ranges: Group 1 140–160 mmHg, Group 2 161–180 mmHg or Group 3 181–200 mmHg. Vasoactive drugs and fluids were used to achieve these targets. Good outcome was defined as a modified Rankin score 0–2 at 90-days. The median SBP in the three groups in 24 h was: 153 mmHg, 163 mmHg, and 178 mmHg, respectively, P

Background: Decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) is a life-saving procedure for treatment of large malignant middle cerebral artery (MCA) strokes. Post-stroke epilepsy is an additional burden for these patients, but its incidence and the risk factors for its development have been poorly investigated. Objective: To report the prevalence and risk factors for post-stroke seizures and post-stroke epilepsy after DHC for treatment of large malignant MCA strokes in a cohort of 36 patients. Methods: In a retrospective cohort study of 36 patients we report the timing and incidence of post-stroke epilepsy. We analyzed if age, sex, vascular risk factors, side of ischemia, reperfusion therapy, stroke etiology, extension of stroke, hemorrhagic transformation, ECASS scores, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, or modified Rankin scores were risk factors for seizure or epilepsy after DHC for treatment of large MCA strokes. Results: The mean patient follow-up time was 1,086 days (SD = 1,172). Out of 36 patients, 9 (25.0%) died before being discharged. After 1 year, a total of 11 patients (30.6%) had died, but 22 (61.1%) of them had a modified Rankin score ≤4. Thirteen patients (36.1%) developed seizures within the first week after stroke. Seizures occurred in 22 (61.1%) of 36 patients (95% CI = 45.17–77.03%). Out of 34 patients who survived the acute period, 19 (55.9%) developed epilepsy after MCA infarcts and DHC (95% CI = 39.21–72.59%). In this study, no significant differences were observed between the patients who developed seizures or epilepsy and those who remained free of seizures or epilepsy regarding age, sex, side of stroke, presence of the clinical risk factors studied, hemorrhagic transformation, time of craniectomy, and Rankin score after 1 year of stroke. Conclusion: The incidence of seizures and epilepsy after malignant MCA infarcts submitted to DHC might be very high. Seizure might occur precociously in patients who are not submitted to anticonvulsant prophylaxis. The large stroke volume and the large cortical ischemic area seem to be the main risk factors for seizure or epilepsy development in this subtype of stroke.

This study aimed to develop a short version of an instrument to detect cognitive impairment in stroke patients, investigate which cognitive dimensions best discriminate between stroke patients and healthy adults and to graphically analyze the relationships among the neuropsychological variables and groups. This pilot study included 94 adults (49 post-stroke and 45 neurologically healthy) who answered the Brief Neuropsychological Assessment Battery NEUPSILIN for patients with expressive aphasia (NEUPSILIN-Af) to assess orientation, perception, memory, praxis, executive functions, oral language, and academic achievement (written language and arithmetic). The IRT Rasch model for dichotomous data indicated the exclusion of items that could not be used to discriminate performances. ROC curves indicated that only the orientation, oral language, academic achievement, and executive function dimensions could be used to differentiate between the clinical and healthy groups. Graphical analysis indicated that independently of the relation among variables, orientation and executive functions tasks are essentials in the neuropsychological assessments. This study contributes to the development of specific and sensitive neuropsychological instruments to assess stroke patients and to better understand the common deficits present in this clinical population.

Introduction: In 2015, international experts defined a standard set of patient-centered outcome measures after stroke as part of the International Consortium for Health Outcomes (ICHOM). It aims to make outcomes comparable around the world, allowing the value-based healthcare delivery. In developing countries, it is still a challenge to implement outcome measurement for stroke patients after hospital discharge, due to different structures and healthcare network characteristics. The study objective is to assess the implementation strategies of the outcome measures of ICHOM stroke in 6 Brazilian hospitals. Methods: For 1 year, we progressively implemented ICHOM outcome measurements in 6 stroke centers: 1 private, 1 public university and 4 primary stroke centers with telemedicine guidance. The data collection strategies included: in person interview, interview by phone or a link to an online form sent by e-mail. Results: 429 patients were included in the 90-day follow-up interview. In person interview was made for 80 patients (mean interview time of 5 minutes), by phone in 285 (mean interview time 8 minutes) and by e-mail in 64. There was loss of follow-up in 15% of in-person interviews, 28% on phone and 62% on e-mail. In the private hospital, where there is better data registry, only 18% of the patients were lost to follow-up, while 54% of telemedicine patients weren’t found for the interview, mainly because of lack of phone number register or even wrong number. Higher succeeded attempts occurred on evening calls compared to business hours’ calls. Conclusion: The data collection for outcome measurements of stroke patients in Brazil is still a challenge. The barrier for phone interviews was data registry error, and the correct phone number being registered allows the follow-up. Though requiring further validation, e-mail contact seems to be a good initial strategy, decreasing the need for phone calls and saving time. The phone calls are the option for patients who do not answer e-mails.

Introduction: An international experts panel was assembled to create a standard set of outcome measures for use in both low and high-income countries. Additionally, the panel intended to represent the most relevant outcomes for subsequent cost-effectiveness analysis. For implementing the tool, it was necessary to make it feasible in different healthcare systems. The objective of this study was to implement and compare the ICHOM outcome measures between two different stroke centers: a university public hospital and a private hospital. Methods: the medical data of all patients with stroke diagnosis consecutively admitted in the two hospitals were registered. ICHOM outcomes in the 3-month follow-up were measured by interviews in person, by phone or by e-mail, and the results were compared between the hospitals. Results: 90-day outcome measurements were available for 328 patients (169 in the private hospital and 159 in the public), corresponding to 87% of the patients admitted with stroke diagnosis in these hospitals. The mean age was 68 years in the private vs. 65 in the public, with a mean NIHSS of 7, and 90% had ischemic strokes (18% received IV thrombolysis in the private setting vs. 16% in the public). Public hospital inpatients had a greater number of comorbidities. The mortality rate was 14% in both hospitals, and functional independence (mRS 0-2) occurred in 51% of private setting patients and 39% of the public. The greater proportion of patients needing help for dressing or toileting, as well as having language issues, was in the public setting. Better outcomes were measured in the private hospital regarding the resumption of the social role (64% vs 40%), satisfaction with social activities (65% vs 57%) and good quality of life (66% vs 57%). In both hospitals, 34% had access to physiotherapy after hospital discharge. Conclusions: In patients with acute stroke from private and public hospitals the thrombolysis eligibility are similar, without increasing the mortality rates in the public setting. However, better functional outcomes were found in private patients, probably due to less comorbidities, better prevention and post-discharge rehabilitation care.

Background: Patients with minor acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack are at high risk for subsequent stroke, and more potent antiplatelet therapy in the acute setting is needed. However, the potential benefit of more intense antiplatelet therapy must be assessed in relation to the risk for major bleeding. The SOCRATES trial (Acute Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack Treated With Aspirin or Ticagrelor and Patient Outcomes) was the first trial with ticagrelor in patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack in which the efficacy and safety of ticagrelor were compared with those of aspirin. The main safety objective was assessment of PLATO (Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes)–defined major bleeds on treatment, with special focus on intracranial hemorrhage (ICrH). Methods: An independent adjudication committee blinded to study treatment classified bleeds according to the PLATO, TIMI (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction), and GUSTO (Global Use of Strategies to Open Occluded Coronary Arteries) definitions. The definitions of ICrH and major bleeding excluded cerebral microbleeds and asymptomatic hemorrhagic transformations of cerebral infarctions so that the definitions better discriminated important events in the acute stroke population. Results: A total of 13 130 of 13 199 randomized patients received at least 1 dose of study drug and were included in the safety analysis set. PLATO major bleeds occurred in 31 patients (0.5%) on ticagrelor and 38 patients (0.6%) on aspirin (hazard ratio, 0.83; 95% confidence interval, 0.52–1.34). The most common locations of major bleeds were intracranial and gastrointestinal. ICrH was reported in 12 patients (0.2%) on ticagrelor and 18 patients (0.3%) on aspirin. Thirteen of all 30 ICrHs (4 on ticagrelor and 9 on aspirin) were hemorrhagic strokes, and 4 (2 in each group) were symptomatic hemorrhagic transformations of brain infarctions. The ICrHs were spontaneous in 6 and 13, traumatic in 3 and 3, and procedural in 3 and 2 patients on ticagrelor and aspirin, respectively. In total, 9 fatal bleeds occurred on ticagrelor and 4 on aspirin. The composite of ICrH or fatal bleeding included 15 patients on ticagrelor and 18 on aspirin. Independently of bleeding classification, PLATO, TIMI, or GUSTO, the relative difference between treatments for major/severe bleeds was similar. Nonmajor bleeds were more common on ticagrelor. Conclusions: Antiplatelet therapy with ticagrelor in patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack showed a bleeding profile similar to that of aspirin for major bleeds. There were few ICrHs. Clinical Trial Registration: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT01994720.

A 47-year-old man developed sudden-onset abulia and alien hand syndrome (AHS). MRI revealed bilateral ischemic injury within anterior cerebral artery territory (a complex bilateral corpus callosum infarction1) due to obstruction of a variant bihemispheric A2 branch by a thrombus (figures 1 and 2), also demonstrated on 3D volume-rendered CT angiography (figure 2). The finding of lower-limb deep venous thrombosis in a patient with right-to-left interatrial shunt accounted for the case, given workup was otherwise unremarkable.

Background Emergency department (ED) care for acute vascular diseases faces the challenge of overcrowding. A vascular unit is a specialized, protocol-oriented unit in the ED with a team trained to manage acute vascular disorders, including stroke, coronary syndromes, pulmonary embolism (PE), and aortic diseases. Objectives The objective was to compare case fatality rates for selected cardiovascular conditions before and after the implementation of a vascular unit. Methods Patients with the selected diagnoses admitted to the ED in two different time periods, 2002 through 2005 (before unit opening) and 2007 to 2010 (after vascular unit opening), were identified by ICD-10 codes, and their electronic records were reviewed. Case fatality rates were calculated and compared for both time periods. Results The period prior to unit implementation (2002 through 2005) included 4,164 patients, and the vascular unit period (2007 to 2010) included 6,280 patients. Overall, the case fatality rate for acute vascular conditions decreased from 9% to 7.3% with vascular unit implementation (p = 0.002). The in-hospital mortality rates for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) dropped from 6% to 3.8% (p = 0.003), and for acute PE dropped from 32.1% to 10.8% (p

We report here neuroimaging findings of a 41 years-old female with molecular diagnosis of CADASIL (Cerebral Autosomal-Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy). CADASIL, the most common form of hereditary stroke, is characterized by headaches and relapsing strokes. More than 95% of patients present mutations of NOTCH3 gene. MRI, the best neuroimaging modality to investigate CADASIL can show lacunar infarcts and less-well demarcated T2 weighted hyperintensities characteristically located in subcortical white matter. There is no specific treatment for CADASIL. Anti-platelet agents such as aspirin might help to prevent new strokes. Other symptoms, like headache, seizures, or other neuropsychiatric manifestations should be appropriately treated.

Objectives To determine levels of vascular cellular adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 and endothelin (ET)-1 in patients with stroke. Design and methods Thirty-four patients were prospectively studied. Plasma levels of VCAM-1 and ET-1 were measured by ELISA within 72 h of the event, at 7 and 90 days. Results Levels of VCAM-1 increased overtime, whereas ET-1 values were initially and persistently elevated. Conclusions Increased circulating levels of VCAM-1 and ET-1 are present during stroke.

A avaliação neuropsicológica busca identificar funções cognitivas deficitárias e preservadas para auxiliar no diagnóstico, no prognóstico e na reabilitação do paciente. No Brasil, o AVC é uma das principais causas de internações e a primeira causa de mortalidade e incapacitação. O AVC em hemisfério esquerdo (HE) está associado a diferentes graus de prejuízo de linguagem e a outros prejuízos cognitivos, por exemplo, na memória. Objetivou-se comparar o desempenho em tarefas neuropsicológicas breves de pacientes pós-AVC de HE, na ausência de quadro afásico moderado ou grave, com controles saudáveis. Uma lista de 135 pacientes foi selecionada com base em critérios de inclusão. Participaram do estudo 15 pacientes com lesão vascular esquerda, emparelhados por sexo, idade e escolaridade a 30 adultos neurologicamente saudáveis. Os dados resultantes da aplicação do Instrumento de Avaliação Neuropsicológica Breve Neupsilin foram analisados com o Teste não paramétrico U de Mann-Withney. Os adultos com AVC de HE apresentaram redução significativa no desempenho quando comparados a controles saudáveis em linguagem, memória de trabalho e praxia ideomotora, resultados também encontrados em outros estudos com pacientes com lesão vascular no HE. The neuropsychological assessment investigates cognitive deficits to improve the diagnosis, the prognosis and the rehabilitation of patients. In Brazil, stroke is a major cause of hospitalization and the leading cause of mortality and disability. The stroke in the left hemisphere (LH) is associated with different degrees of loss of language and other cognitive impairments, for example, in the memory. We compared the performance in brief neuropsychological tasks of the left hemisphere poststroke patients, without moderate or severe aphasia, with healthy controls. A list of 135 patients was selected based on inclusion criteria. The study included 15 patients with left stroke, paired by sex, age and education to 30 neurologically healthy adults. The data resulting from application of the Neupsilin Brief Neuropsychological Assessment Instrument were analyzed with the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U. Adults with LH stroke showed a significant reduction in performance when compared to healthy controls on language, working memory and ideomotor praxis, results also found in other studies of patients with left hemisphere stroke. La evaluación neuropsicológica investiga los déficits cognitivos para mejorar el diagnóstico, el pronóstico y la rehabilitación de los pacientes. En Brasil, el accidente cerebrovascular es una causa importante de hospitalización y la principal causa de mortalidad y discapacidad. El accidente cerebrovascular en el hemisferio izquierdo (HI) se asocia con diferentes grados de pérdida de lenguaje y otros deterioros cognitivos, por ejemplo, en la memoria. Se comparó el rendimiento neuropsicológico en pruebas breves de pacientes sin afasia moderada o grave, después del accidente cerebrovascular en hemisferio izquierdo, con los controles sanos. Una lista de 135 pacientes se seleccionaron sobre la base de criterios de inclusión. El estudio incluyó a 15 pacientes con accidente cerebrovascular izquierdo, pareados por sexo, edad y educación a 30 adultos neurológicamente sanos. Los datos resultantes de la aplicación de la prueba breve de evaluación neuropsicológica Neupsilin fueron analizados con el test no paramétrico U de Mann-Whitney. Fue encontrada una reducción significativa en el rendimiento de los pacientes con accidente vascular en HI en comparación con los controles sanos en el lenguaje, la memoria de trabajo y de la praxis ideomotora. Los resultados también se encuentran en otros estudios de pacientes con accidente vascular en HI.

Elderly patients may represent an important group when considering new stroke treatments, particularly in developing countries. The aim of this study was to analyze the use of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) in elderly Brazilian patients with acute ischemic stroke. Clinical and neuroimaging parameters at admission, frequency of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and outcome were compared between elderly (≥80 years) and nonelderly (80 years) stroke patients treated with rtPA in the Porto Alegre Stroke Network. We evaluated 183 nonelderly patients (mean age, 63 ± 12 years) and 55 elderly patients (mean age, 84 ± 3 years). Female sex, hypertension, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and previous history of stroke or transient ischemic attack were more frequent in the elderly patients. Elderly patients also presented with higher mean systolic blood pressure (P = .03) and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (P.0001), whereas the nonelderly patients had a higher serum glucose level (P = .03). The rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was 10.9% in the elderly patients and 6.6% in the nonelderly patients (P = .28), and a substantial proportion of the elderly patients achieved a favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale score ≤1) at 90 days, although this proportion was lower than that in the nonelderly patients (42% vs 58%; P = .04). Poorer outcomes were generally seen in elderly patients with an anterior circulation stroke, a higher NIHSS score, hypoattenuation in ≥1/3 lf the middle cerebral artery territory, and an Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score of ≤7 on an initial computed tomography scan. Our results support the administration of intravenous rtPA in selected elderly stroke patients presenting early to the hospital in developing countries.

Introdução. Poucos hospitais públicos no Brasil estão estruturados para utilizar rtPA no acidente vascular cerebral (AVC) isquêmico agudo. Relatamos a experiência de 1 ano de trombólise no AVC isquêmico na Unidade Vascular do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, um hospital público, Universitário. Método. Foi criada uma Unidade Vascular na Emergência, formada uma equipe de AVC, realizados treinamentos, implementados protocolos e padronizado o rtPA. Resultados. Foram trombolisados 36 pacientes com rtPA endovenoso no período de 1 ano. A taxa de elegibilidade para o tratamento foi de 15%. A média do escore do NIHSS na chegada foi de 12; 61% dos pacientes apresentaram-se com escore NIH 0–1 e 67% com independência funcional em 3 meses. Sangramento ce­rebral sintomático ocorreu em 4 pacientes (1 fatal). A mortalidade total foi de 8%. Tempo porta tomografia foi de 28 minutos e porta-agulha de 74 minutos. Conclusão. A trombólise com rtPA foi efeti­vamente realizada em um hospital escola público, onde existe um grande volume de pacientes, geralmente com mais comorbidades e que chegam mais tardiamente para o atendimento. A organização dos hospitais e a aprovação do rtPA no sistema público de saúde pode diminuir o impacto do AVC no Brasil.