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We propose a novel approach to enhance magnon bistability and magnon–phonon entanglement in a microwave cavity containing a driving atomic ensemble and a ferrimagnetic crystal of yttrium iron garnet (YIG), where the cavity is simultaneously coupled with the magnon and atoms while the magnon couples to phonon through magnetostrictive interaction. When the magnon-atom coherent coupling is established via the exchange of virtual photon, it is of interest that the magnon bistability is significantly enhanced by the vacuum induced coherence (VIC) from the atomic spontaneous. Moreover, the magnon–phonon entanglement that arises from parametric and beam-splitter interactions are also enhanced, wherein the atomic ensemble acts as a reservoir to cooling the magnon and phonon further. The present scheme provides a feasible way to control the nonlinear magnon–phonon coupling strength by quantum interference, which may be useful for macroscopic quantum information processing.

Abstract Introduction This study aimed to investigate the association between atrial fibrillation (AF), particularly newly diagnosed AF, and remote intracerebral hemorrhage (rICH) in patients with ischemic stroke who were treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). Methods This observational study was conducted on patients with ischemic stroke who received IVT with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator. The data were taken from a multicenter prospective registry of a Chinese population. rICH was defined as any extraischemic hemorrhage detected on computerized tomography (CT) 24 h after intravenous thrombolysis. We collected and compared the demographic data and clinical characteristics of all the patients with rICH to those of patients without any type of hemorrhagic transformation. The association between AF and rICH was analyzed using univariate analysis and binary logistic regression. Results A total of 20,697 patients were included in the study, with 1566 (7.6%) experiencing intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), 586 (2.8%) experiencing rICH, and 19,131 (92.4%) not experiencing any form of hemorrhagic transformation. Univariate analysis revealed significant differences in age, pre-thrombolysis systolic blood pressure, baseline National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score, previously known AF, newly diagnosed AF, coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, hyperhomocysteinemia, and history of thrombolysis between the rICH and control groups (P

Background In patients with acute cardiogenic cerebral embolism, a residual thrombus may still be present in the cardiac cavity even after reperfusion therapy. We aimed to investigate the occurrence of a residual cardiac thrombus in cardioembolic stroke after reperfusion therapy and analyze its impact on clinical outcome. Methods and Results We enrolled patients with cardioembolic stroke from our prospectively collected database who underwent 2‐phase cardiac computed tomography within 7 days after reperfusion therapy. Residual cardiac thrombus was defined as a filling defect on both early‐ and late‐phase images, whereas circulatory stasis was defined as a filling defect only on the early‐phase images in the left atrial appendage. The primary outcome was a poor clinical outcome (modified Rankin Scale score, 3–6) at 90 days. The secondary outcome was a composite end point event (cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke) at 90 days. A total of 303 patients were included, of whom 94 (31.0%) had a residual cardiac thrombus. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of a residual cardiac thrombus was associated with a poor clinical outcome (odds ratio, 1.951 [95% CI, 1.027–3.707]; P=0.041) but not circulatory stasis in the left atrial appendage (odds ratio, 1.096 [95% CI, 0.542–2.217]; P=0.798). Furthermore, there was no correlation between a residual cardiac thrombus and the composite end point event (30.0% versus 31.1%; P=1.000). Conclusions Residual cardiac thrombus occurs in approximately one‐third of patients with cardioembolic stroke after reperfusion therapy and is often indicative of a poor clinical outcome.

Background It remains uncertain whether patients with minor acute ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion benefit from endovascular treatment (EVT). We aim to evaluate the outcomes of EVT in minor acute ischemic stroke with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion. Methods and Results Based on a nationwide prospective stroke registry, patients with minor acute ischemic stroke with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion within 24 hours of onset were divided into groups receiving standard medical treatment plus EVT or standard medical treatment alone. Primary outcome was excellent functional outcome defined as modified Rankin Scale score 0 to 1 at 90 days. In addition, a multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyze the effect of EVT guided by perfusion imaging. A total of 572 patients with median age 68 years (interquartile range=60–77) and median National Institutes of Health Stroke score 3 (interquartile range =2–4) were identified and 123 patients were treated with standard medical treatment plus EVT. EVT was not associated with excellent functional outcome (unadjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.771 [95% CI, 0.516–1.151]; adjusted OR, 0.793 [95% CI, 0.515–1.219]; P=0.290). However, therapy selection guided by perfusion imaging was a modifier of EVT effect on outcomes, as EVT was significantly associated with excellent functional outcome (60.0% versus 50.8%, unadjusted OR, 1.451 [95% CI, 0.643–3.272]; adjusted OR, 2.849 [95% CI, 1.006–8.067]; P=0.049) but not with symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage in the imaging‐guided group. Conclusions Although functional outcomes in minor acute ischemic stroke caused by anterior circulation large vessel occlusion were not improved from the routine use of EVT, our results suggested that EVT guided by perfusion imaging could be beneficial for those patients. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT 04487340.

Objectives Optimal periprocedural blood pressure (BP) management during mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for acute ischaemic stroke is still controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between intraprocedural BP variability (BPV) and outcomes in patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) following MT with general anaesthesia.Design A prospective observational cohort study.Setting This study was conducted in a single tertiary hospital of Hangzhou in Zhejiang province.Participants A total of 141 patients with LVO treated with MT were finally included between January 2018 and September 2020.Main outcome measures Intraprocedural BP was recorded every 5 min throughout the procedure. BPV was measured as SD, coefficient of variation (CV), max-min (RANGE) and successive variation. Haemorrhagic transformation was assessed on 24-hour CT images according to European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study III trial. Poor functional outcome was defined as 90-day modified Rankin Scale score 3–6. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association of BPV parameters with the incidence of parenchymal haemorrhage (PH) and poor functional outcome.Results After controlling for age, female, history of smoking, hypertension and atrial fibrillation, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, baseline systolic BP (SBP), baseline Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score, bridging thrombolysis and times of retrieval attempts, the results demonstrated that intraprocedural SBPRANGE (OR 1.029; 95% CI 1.003 to 1.055; p=0.027), SBPSD (OR 1.135; 95% CI 1.023 to 1.259; p=0.017) and SBPCV (OR 1.189; 95% CI 1.053 to 1.342; p=0.005) were independently associated with poor functional outcome. However, the independent association between intraprocedural BPV and PH at 24 hours has not been established in this study.Conclusions Increased intraprocedural BPV was more likely to have poor functional outcome in patients with LVO following MT with general anaesthesia. This finding indicates that special precautions should be taken to minimise BP fluctuation during procedure.

BackgroundRapid intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is crucial for improving outcomes. However, few randomized trials of interventions aimed at reducing in-hospital delay have been carried out in China. We aimed to evaluate the effect of a multicomponent intervention on thrombolytic door-to-needle time (DNT) of AIS patients via video teleconference based on the Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) method.Methods and findingsThis cluster-randomized trial, conducted between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019, randomly allocated 22 hospitals equally to PEITEM (Persuasion Environment reconstruction Incentivization Training Education Modeling) intervention or routine care plus stroke registry and subsequently enrolled 1,634 AIS patients receiving IVT within 4.5 hours upon stroke onset from participant hospitals. The PEITEM group received a 1-year PEITEM 6-component intervention based on the behavioral theory monthly via video teleconference. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with a DNT of 60 minutes or less. A total of 987 patients participated in the PEITEM group (mean age, 69 years; female, 411 [41.6%]) and 647 patients in the control group (mean age, 70 years; female, 238 [36.8%]). Of all participants, the proportion of DNT ≤60 minutes in the PEITEM group was higher than in the control group (82.0% versus 73.3%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.77; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.17 to 2.70; ICC, 0.04; P = 0.007). Among secondary outcomes, the average DNT was 43 minutes in the PEITEM group and 50 minutes in the control group (adjusted mean difference: -8.83; 95% CI, -14.03 to -3.64; ICC, 0.12; P = 0.001). Favorable functional outcome (score of 0 to 1 on the modified Rankin scale (mRS)) was achieved in 55.6% patients of the PEITEM group and 50.4% of the control group (adjusted odds ratio, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.90; ICC, 0.01; P = 0.049). Main study limitations include non-blinding of clinicians, and that specific interventions component responsible for the observed changes could not be determined.ConclusionsThe teleconference-delivered PEITEM intervention resulted in a moderate but clinically relevant shorter DNT and better functional outcome in AIS patients receiving IVT.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT03317639.

Abstract Background Guideline-based medical care has been identified to improve outcomes in stroke. However, data acquisition and medical quality management during hospital stay still need to be improved in China. We have developed a computer-based medical data collecting system, together with automated calculation of key performance indicators (KPIs) and regular individualized education, and thus aim to explore whether it can improve the medical care quality of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) during hospital stay in stroke centers. Methods The individualized quality improvement based on the Computer Analysing system to improve Stroke management quality Evaluation (CASE) trial is a prospective, multicenter, historical control study among 30 stroke centers in China. In this trial, the data is directly extracted from the saved original medical record of each AIS patient during hospital stay, regardless of different Electronic Medical Record System (EMRS) in each center. Then, the automated calculation of KPIs and the regular education via teleconference per month allow the clinicians to examine the causes of non-compliance of guideline-based care and develop programs to decrease their frequency. Discussion We compare KPIs between pre-intervention stage and post-intervention stage (without or with education) among stroke centers. If proved effective, this approach might be generalized around China and even worldwide, where a unified EMRS is difficult to be applied and in-patient care needs to be improved. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03684629 . Registered on 9 December 2018. Retrospectively registered.

Background: Current clinical guidelines recommend systemic anticoagulation as the initial treatment for severe cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). However, anticoagulation alone does not always dissolve large and extensive CVSTs in some patients. Here, we investigated the effectiveness and safety of balloon-assisted thrombectomy and intrasinus urokinase thrombolysis in our retrospective study of a series of 23 patients with CVST.Methods: We reviewed the clinical, radiological, and outcome data of all patients. Complete recanalization was defined as all the occluded sinuses were recanalized on digital subtraction angiography or Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance venography. Partial recanalization was defined as the complete recanalization of one sinus but persistent occlusion of other sinuses, or partial recanalization of one or more sinuses. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was used to represent the clinical outcome.Results: From May 2017 to November 2019, a total of 23 patients were treated with balloon-assisted thrombectomy and intrasinus urokinase thrombolysis. A total of 84 venous sinuses were involved, ≥3 sinuses were involved in 20 (87%) patients. Among them, 21 (91%) patients achieved technical success. Complete and partial recanalization were obtained in 17 (81%) and 4 (19%) patients at 6 months follow-up, respectively. All 21 patients had mRS scores of 0 (18) or 1 (3).Conclusions: Our case series shows that balloon-assisted thrombectomy combined with intrasinus urokinase thrombolysis and activated partial thromboplastin time-regulated systemic anticoagulation is safe and effective in treating severe CVST.

Few studies have focused on the connection between glymphatic dysfunction and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), partially due to the lack of non-invasive methods to measure glymphatic function. We established modified index for diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (mALPS-index), which was calculated on diffusion tensor image (DTI), compared it with the classical detection of glymphatic clearance function calculated on Glymphatic MRI after intrathecal administration of gadolinium (study 1), and analyzed the relationship between CSVD imaging markers and mALPS-index in CSVD patients from the CIRCLE study (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03542734) (study 2). Among 39 patients included in study 1, mALPS-index were significantly related to glymphatic clearance function calculated on Glymphatic MRI ( r = -0.772~-0.844, p < 0.001). A total of 330 CSVD patients were included in study 2. Severer periventricular and deep white matter hyperintensities (β = -0.332, p < 0.001; β = -0.293, p < 0.001), number of lacunas (β = -0.215, p < 0.001), number of microbleeds (β = -0.152, p = 0.005), and severer enlarged perivascular spaces in basal ganglia (β = -0.223, p < 0.001) were related to mALPS-index. Our results indicated that non-invasive mALPS-index might represent glymphatic clearance function, which could be applied in clinic in future. Glymphatic clearance function might play a role in the development of CSVD.

Background: With the guidance of multi-mode imaging, the time window for endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) has been expanded to 24 h. However, poor clinical outcomes are still not uncommon. We aimed to develop a multi-mode imaging scale for endovascular therapy in patients with acute ischemic stroke (META) to predict the neurological outcome in patients receiving endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). Methods: We included consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients with occlusion of middle cerebral artery and/or internal carotid artery who underwent EVT. Poor outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 3–6 at 3 months. A five-point META score was constructed based on clot burden score, multi-segment clot, the Alberta Stroke Program early computed tomography score of cerebral blood volume (CBV-ASPECTS), and collateral status. We evaluated the META score performance using area under the curve (AUC) calculations. Results: A total of 259 patients were included. A higher META score was independently correlated with poor outcomes at 3 months (odds ratio, 1.690, 95% CI, 1.340 to 2.132, p < 0.001) after adjusting for age, hypertension, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, and baseline blood glucose. Patients with a META score ≥ 2 were less likely to benefit from EVT (mRS 3–6: 60.8% vs. 29.2%, p < 0.001). The META score predicted poor outcomes with an AUC of 0.714, higher than the Pittsburgh Response to Endovascular therapy (PRE) score, the totaled health risks in vascular events (THRIVE) score (AUC: 0.566, 0.706), and the single imaging marker in the scale. Conclusions: The novel META score could refine the predictive accuracy of prognosis after EVT, which might provide a promising avenue for future automatic imaging analysis to help decision making.

RAB39B is located on the X chromosome and encodes the RAB39B protein that belongs to the RAB family. Mutations in RAB39B are known to be associated with X-linked intellectual disability (XLID), Parkinson’s disease, and autism. However, the patho/physiological functions of RAB39B remain largely unknown. In the present study, we established Rab39b knockout (KO) mice, which exhibited overall normal birth rate and morphologies as wild type mice. However, Rab39b deficiency led to reduced anxiety and impaired learning and memory in 2 months old mice. Deletion of Rab39b resulted in impairments of synaptic structures and functions, with reductions in NMDA receptors in the postsynaptic density (PSD). RAB39B deficiency also compromised autophagic flux at basal level, which could be overridden by rapamycin-induced autophagy activation. Further, treatment with rapamycin partially rescued impaired memory and synaptic plasticity in Rab39b KO mice, without affecting the PSD distribution of NMDA receptors. Together, these results suggest that RAB39B plays an important role in regulating both autophagy and synapse formation, and that targeting autophagy may have potential for treating XLID caused by RAB39B loss-of-function mutations.

Background: This study aims to investigate the association between blood pressure (BP) at the time of recanalization and hemorrhagic transformation in large vessel occlusion (LVO) patients following mechanical thrombectomy (MT) with general anesthesia.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our data base for patients with acute ischemic stroke acute ischemic stroke (AIS) who received MT between January 2018 and December 2019. The BP at two adjacent time points immediately after successful recanalization was recorded for subsequent calculation of mean BP (BPmean), maximum BP (BPmax), minimum BP (BPmin), range of BP (BPrange), and standard deviation of SP (BPSD). Hemorrhagic transformation was identified on 24-h computerized tomography images according to the European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study (ECASS) III trial. We used binary logistic regression analysis to investigate the association of BP parameters and the incidence of parenchymal hemorrhage (PH) and PH-2.Results: A total of 124 patients with anterior circulation LVO were finally included for analyses. After controlling for intravenous thrombolysis, procedure duration of mechanical thrombectomy, baseline National institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), baseline ASPECTS, and number of device passes, the results showed that every increment of 10 mmHg in SBPrange (OR 1.559; 95% CI 1.027–2.365; P = 0.037) and SBPSD (OR 1.998; 95% CI 1.017–3.925; P = 0.045) were independently associated with PH. After adjustment for intravenous thrombolysis, procedure duration of mechanical thrombectomy, baseline NIHSS, the results showed that every increment of 10 mmHg in SBPmean (OR 1.973; 95% CI 1.190–3.271; P = 0.008), SBPmax (OR 1.838; 95% CI 1.199 to 2.815; P = 0.005), SBPrange (OR 1.908; 95% CI 1.161–3.136; P = 0.011) and SBPSD (OR 2.573; 95% CI 1.170–5.675; P = 0.019) were independently associated with PH-2.Conclusion: Patients with higher systolic BP and variability at the time of successful recanalization were more likely to have PH-2 in LVO patients following MT with general anesthesia.

Background The purpose of this study was to determine whether the presence of antegrade blood flow was related to stroke subtype in patients with acute intracranial large artery occlusion. Methods and Results The prospectively collected data for consecutive patients who had occlusion of the unilateral M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery with or without internal carotid artery and received reperfusion therapy were retrospectively reviewed. Stroke causes were determined according to the Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment standard. We defined antegrade flow as early opacification at the distal interface of the clot with subsequent distal extension on 4‐dimensional computed tomography angiography. A total of 387 large artery occlusion patients were analyzed (229 men and 158 women; mean age, 71±14 years), including 77 (19.9%) with large artery atherosclerosis (LAA), 206 (53.2%) with cardioembolism, and 104 (26.9%) with undetermined causes. Antegrade flow was found in 206 (53.2%) patients, and 181 (46.8%) presented with retrograde flow. The rate of antegrade flow was much higher in patients with LAA than in those with cardioembolism (85.7% versus 42.2%, P

Background and Purpose: Patients with large vessel occlusion stroke (LVOS) need to be rapidly identified and transferred to comprehensive stroke centers (CSC). However, previous pre-hospital strategy remains challenging. We aimed to develop a modified scale to better predict LVOS.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our prospectively collected database for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients who underwent CT angiography (CTA) or time of flight MR angiography (TOF-MRA) and had a detailed National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at admission. Large vessel occlusion (LVO) was defined as the complete occlusion of large vessels, including the intracranial internal carotid artery (ICA), M1, and M2 segments of the middle cerebral artery (MCA), and basilar artery (BA). The Conveniently-Grasped Field Assessment Stroke Triage (CG-FAST) scale consisted of Level of Consciousness (LOC) questions, Gaze deviation, Facial palsy, Arm weakness, and Speech changes. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to obtain the Area Under the Curve (AUC) of CG-FAST and previously established pre-hospital prediction scales.Results: Finally, 1,355 patients were included in the analysis. LVOS was detected in 664 (49.0%) patients. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of CG-FAST were 0.617, 0.810, 0.785, and 0.692 respectively, at the optimal cutoff (≥4). The AUC, Youden index and accuracy of the CG-FAST scale (0.758, 0.428, and 0.728) were all higher than other pre-hospital prediction scales.Conclusions: CG-FAST scale could be an effective and simple scale for accurate identification of LVOS among AIS patients.

Background: Large core is associated with poor outcome in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. It is unclear whether endovascular treatment (EVT) could bring benefits to patients with core volume ≥70 ml before treatment. We aimed to compare the impact of EVT with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) on the outcome in patients with core volume ≥70 ml.Methods: We included consecutive anterior circulation AIS patients who underwent MR or CT perfusion within 6 h post stroke onset, which revealed a core ≥70 ml before reperfusion therapy. Good outcome was defined by modified Rankin Scale of 0 to 2 at 90-day. Reperfusion was defined as a reduction in hypoperfusion volume of ≥70% between baseline and 24 h.Results: One hundred four patients were included. Among them, 76 received IVT only, and 28 received EVT. After adjusting for age, NIHSS score, baseline core volume and onset to imaging time, patients in EVT group were more likely to achieve good outcome compared to IVT patients (OR, 3.875; 95% Cl 1.068–14.055, p = 0.039). More patients in EVT group achieved recanalization (84.0 vs. 58.5%, p = 0.027) and reperfusion (66.7 vs. 33.3%, p = 0.010) than in IVT group. Reperfusion also independently predicted good outcome (OR, 7.718; 95% Cl 1.713-34.772, p = 0.008). All patients with good outcome achieved recanalization at 24 h.Conclusions: Our data indicated that patients with core volume ≥70 ml might still benefit from EVT, which was related to its high reperfusion rate.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders affecting millions of people. Due to the complicated and unclear mechanisms of epilepsy, still a significant proportion of epilepsy patients remain poorly controlled. Epilepsy is characterized by convulsive seizures that are caused by increased excitability. In this study, by using kainic acid (KA)-induced epilepsy mice, we investigated the neuronal activities and revealed the neuronal compensatory mechanisms after KA-induced toxic hyperexcitability. The results indicate that both phasic inhibition induced by enhanced inhibitory synaptic activity and tonic inhibition mediated by activated astrocytes participate in the compensatory mechanisms. Compensatory mechanisms were already found in various neuronal disorders and were considered important in protecting nervous system from toxic hyperexcitability. This study hopefully will provide valuable clues in understanding the complex neuronal mechanisms of epilepsy, and exploring potential clinical treatment of the disease.

Background: Identifying large vessel occlusion (LVO) patients in the prehospital triage stage to avoid unnecessary and costly delays is important but still challenging. We aim to develop an artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm to predict LVO using prehospital accessible data including demographics, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) items and vascular risk factors.Methods: Consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients who underwent CT angiography (CTA) or time of flight MR angiography (TOF-MRA) and received reperfusion therapy within 8 h from symptom onset were included. The diagnosis of LVO was defined as occlusion of the intracranial internal carotid artery (ICA), M1 and M2 segments of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and basilar artery on CTA or TOF-MRA before treatment. Patients with and without LVO were randomly selected at a 1:1 ratio. The ANN model was developed using backpropagation algorithm, and 10-fold cross-validation was used to validate the model. The comparison of diagnostic parameters between the ANN model and previously established prehospital prediction scales were performed.Results: Finally, 300 LVO and 300 non-LVO patients were randomly selected for the training and validation of the ANN model. The mean Youden index, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the ANN model based on the 10-fold cross-validation analysis were 0.640, 0.807, 0.833 and 0.820, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC), Youden index and accuracy of the ANN model were all higher than other prehospital prediction scales.Conclusions: The ANN can be an effective tool for the recognition of LVO in the prehospital triage stage.

BackgroundPrevious studies demonstrated that cardioembolism (CE) was prone to develop hemorrhagic transformation (HT), whereas hyper-permeability of blood–brain barrier (BBB) might be one reason for the development of HT. We, thus, aimed to investigate whether the BBB permeability (BBBP) was higher in CE stroke than other stroke subtypes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients.MethodsThis study was a retrospective review of prospectively collected clinical and imaging database of AIS patients who underwent CT perfusion. Hypoperfusion was defined as Tmax >6 s. The average relative permeability-surface area product (rPS), reflecting the BBBP, was calculated within the hypoperfusion region (rPShypo). CE was diagnosed according to the international Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment criteria. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine predictive value of rPShypo for CE. Logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors for CE.ResultsA total of 187 patients were included in the final analysis [median age, 73 (61–80) years; 75 (40.1%) females; median baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, 12 (7–16)]. Median rPShypo was 65.5 (35.8–110.1)%. Ninety-seven (51.9%) patients were diagnosed as CE. ROC analysis revealed that the optimal rPShypo threshold for CE was 86.71%. The value of rPShypo and the rate of rPShypo>86.71% were significantly higher in patients with CE than other stroke subtypes (p

Background While intravenous thrombolysis is recommended for patients who had an acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) within 4.5 hours of symptom onset, there are few randomised trials investigating the benefits of thrombolysis beyond this therapeutic window.Aim To determine whether patients who had an AIS selected with the presence of potentially salvageable tissue on CT perfusion at 4.5–24 hours after stroke onset (for stroke with unknown onset time, the midpoint of the time last known to be well and symptom recognition time; for wake-up stroke, the midpoint of the time last known to be well or sleep onset and wake up time) will benefit from intravenous thrombolysis.Design HOPE is a prospective, multicentre, randomised, open-label blinded endpoint trial with the stage of phase III. The treatment allocation employs 1:1 randomisation. The treatment arm under investigation is alteplase with standard therapy, the control arm is standard therapy. Eligibility imaging criteria include ischaemic core volume ≤70 mL, penumbra ≥10 mL and mismatch ≥20%.Study outcomes The primary outcome is non-disabled functional outcome (assessed as modified Rankin Scale score of 0–1 at 90 days).Discussion HOPE is the first trial to investigate whether intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase offers benefits in patients who had an AIS presenting within 4.5–24 hours, which has the potential to extend time window and expand eligible population for thrombolysis therapy.

Background The major concern for bridging intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) before endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is the potentially increased risk of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH). Thus we conducted this study to clarify whether evaluation of individual bleeding risk could assist in the decision to perform IVT before EVT. Methods The study was a subgroup analysis of a randomized trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of IVT before EVT. The SEDAN (blood Sugar, Early infarct signs and (hyper) Dense cerebral artery sign, Age, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Score) score, GRASPS (Glucose, Race, Age, Sex, systolic blood Pressure, and Severity of stroke) score, and SITS-SICH (Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke-Symptomatic Intracerebral Hemorrhage) score were used to evaluate individual bleeding risk. The primary outcome was functional independence, defined as a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0-2 at 90 days. Binary logistic regression with an interaction term was used to estimate treatment effect modification to clarify whether direct EVT was more beneficial in patients with a higher sICH risk, while adjunctive IVT before EVT was more beneficial in patients with a lower sICH risk. results Among 658 randomized patients, 639 (361 men, 56.5%; median age 69 (IQR 61-76) years) were included in the study. With the SITS- SICH score as an example, adjusted OR for functional independence with EVT alone was 1.12 (95% CI 0.68 to 1.82) in patients with a lower sICH risk (SITS-SICH score 0-4) and 0.92 (0.53 to 1.60) in those with a higher sICH risk (SITS-SICH score 5-15). There were no treatment-by-bleeding-risk interactions for all dichotomized mRS outcomes based on the three scores (all p>0.05). Conclusions We found no evidence that clinicians can decide whether to omit IVT before EVT based on an individualized assessment of bleeding risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies found that the porosity of thrombi might vary among individuals. However, its relationship with the clinical presentation and efficacy of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) remains unknown. We aimed to characterize the ultrastructure of thrombi and explore its association with the complexity of MT and clot perviousness. Methods SEM was used to observe the morphological features of different components of thrombi obtained from patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion undergoing MT and to determine the porosity of thrombi by semi-quantitative analysis. Non-porous thrombi were defined as thrombi with porosity <2%. Clot perviousness was also evaluated using thrombus attenuation increase on CT perfusion (TAIctp). We assessed the complexity of MT by attempts of retrieval >3 and procedural duration >60 min, defined as the time interval between groin puncture and recanalization. Results A total of 49 thrombi were analyzed and 31 (63.3%) were classified as non-porous thrombi. The presence of non-porous thrombi was negatively associated with procedure >60 min (OR 0.152, 95% CI 0.031 to 0.734, p=0.019) and attempts >3 (OR 0.194, 95% CI 0.046 to 0.822, p=0.026) after adjustment. Additionally, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that TAIctp <17.9 Hounsfield units could predict the presence of non-porous thrombi with an area under the curve of 0.915. Conclusions Non-porous thrombi on SEM are easier to be retrieved during MT and could be identified as less pervious clots on CT images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]