BMJ Open

INTRODUCTION: Worldwide, 2 million patients aged 18-50 years suffer a stroke each year, and this number is increasing. Knowledge about global distribution of risk factors and aetiologies, and information about prognosis and optimal secondary prevention in young stroke patients are limited. This limits evidence-based treatment and hampers the provision of appropriate information regarding the causes of stroke, risk factors and prognosis of young stroke patients. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The Global Outcome Assessment Life-long after stroke in young adults (GOAL) initiative aims to perform a global individual patient data meta-analysis with existing data from young stroke cohorts worldwide. All patients aged 18-50 years with ischaemic stroke or intracerebral haemorrhage will be included. Outcomes will be the distribution of stroke aetiology and (vascular) risk factors, functional outcome after stroke, risk of recurrent vascular events and death and finally the use of secondary prevention. Subgroup analyses will be made based on age, gender, aetiology, ethnicity and climate of residence. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval for the GOAL study has already been obtained from the Medical Review Ethics Committee region Arnhem-Nijmegen. Additionally and when necessary, approval will also be obtained from national or local institutional review boards in the participating centres. When needed, a standardised data transfer agreement will be provided for participating centres. We plan dissemination of our results in peer-reviewed international scientific journals and through conference presentations. We expect that the results of this unique study will lead to better understanding of worldwide differences in risk factors, causes and outcome of young stroke patients

Cerebral microbleeds and stroke risk after ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack: a pooled analysis of individual patient data from cohort studies

BACKGROUND: Cerebral microbleeds are a neuroimaging biomarker of stroke risk. A crucial clinical question is whether cerebral microbleeds indicate patients with recent ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack in whom the rate of future intracranial haemorrhage is likely to exceed that of recurrent ischaemic stroke when treated with antithrombotic drugs. We therefore aimed to establish whether a large burden of cerebral microbleeds or particular anatomical patterns of cerebral microbleeds can identify ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack patients at higher absolute risk of intracranial haemorrhage than ischaemic stroke. METHODS: We did a pooled analysis of individual patient data from cohort studies in adults with recent ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack. Cohorts were eligible for inclusion if they prospectively recruited adult participants with ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack; included at least 50 participants; collected data on stroke events over at least 3 months follow-up; used an appropriate MRI sequence that is sensitive to magnetic susceptibility; and documented the number and anatomical distribution of cerebral microbleeds reliably using consensus criteria and validated scales. Our prespecified primary outcomes were a composite of any symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage or ischaemic stroke, symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage, and symptomatic ischaemic stroke. We registered this study with the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews, number CRD42016036602. FINDINGS: Between Jan 1, 1996, and Dec 1, 2018, we identified 344 studies. After exclusions for ineligibility or declined requests for inclusion, 20 322 patients from 38 cohorts (over 35 225 patient-years of follow-up; median 1·34 years [IQR 0·19-2·44]) were included in our analyses. The adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] comparing patients with cerebral microbleeds to those without was 1·35 (95% CI 1·20-1·50) for the composite outcome of intracranial haemorrhage and ischaemic stroke; 2·45 (1·82-3·29) for intracranial haemorrhage and 1·23 (1·08-1·40) for ischaemic stroke. The aHR increased with increasing cerebral microbleed burden for intracranial haemorrhage but this effect was less marked for ischaemic stroke (for five or more cerebral microbleeds, aHR 4·55 [95% CI 3·08-6·72] for intracranial haemorrhage vs 1·47 [1·19-1·80] for ischaemic stroke; for ten or more cerebral microbleeds, aHR 5·52 [3·36-9·05] vs 1·43 [1·07-1·91]; and for ≥20 cerebral microbleeds, aHR 8·61 [4·69-15·81] vs 1·86 [1·23-1·82]). However, irrespective of cerebral microbleed anatomical distribution or burden, the rate of ischaemic stroke exceeded that of intracranial haemorrhage (for ten or more cerebral microbleeds, 64 ischaemic strokes [95% CI 48-84] per 1000 patient-years vs 27 intracranial haemorrhages [17-41] per 1000 patient-years; and for ≥20 cerebral microbleeds, 73 ischaemic strokes [46-108] per 1000 patient-years vs 39 intracranial haemorrhages [21-67] per 1000 patient-years). INTERPRETATION: In patients with recent ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack, cerebral microbleeds are associated with a greater relative hazard (aHR) for subsequent intracranial haemorrhage than for ischaemic stroke, but the absolute risk of ischaemic stroke is higher than that of intracranial haemorrhage, regardless of cerebral microbleed presence, antomical distribution, or burden

Prothrombotic factors do not increase the risk of recurrent ischemic events after cryptogenic stroke at young age: the FUTURE study

Contains fulltext : 193449.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: The role of hypercoagulable states and preceding infections in the etiology of young stroke and their role in developing recurrent ischemic events remains unclear. Our aim is to determine the prevalence of these conditions in patients with cryptogenic stroke at young age and to assess the long-term risk of recurrent ischemic events in patients with and without a hypercoagulable state or a recent pre-stroke infection with Borrelia or Syphilis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We prospectively included patients with a first-ever transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke, aged 18-50, admitted to our hospital between 1995 and 2010. A retrospective analysis was conducted of prothrombotic factors and preceding infections. Outcome was recurrent ischemic events. RESULTS: Prevalence of prothrombotic factors did not significantly differ between patients with a cryptogenic stroke and with an identified cause (24/120 (20.0%) and 32/174 (18.4%) respectively). In patients with a cryptogenic stroke the long-term risk [mean follow-up of 8.9 years (SD 4.6)] of any recurrent ischemic event or recurrent cerebral ischemia did not significantly differ between patients with and without a hypercoagulable state or a recent infection. In patients with a cryptogenic stroke 15-years cumulative risk of any recurrent ischemic event was 24 and 23% in patients with and without any prothrombotic factor respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of prothrombotic factors and preceding infections did not significantly differ between stroke patients with a cryptogenic versus an identified cause of stroke and neither is significantly associated with an increased risk of recurrent ischemic events after cryptogenic stroke

Supplementary Material for: Spatial Neglect Predicts Upper Limb Use in the Activities of Daily Living

<i>Background and Purpose:</i> Motor tests performed at stroke onset have been shown to predict the recovery of upper limb motor impairment. Less is known about upper limb recovery at the level of functional activity or of participation and how spatial neglect may influence the integration of the upper limb in the activities of daily living (ADL). Our objective was to investigate whether the initial severity of spatial neglect may predict upper limb use in ADL. <i>Methods:</i> Eighty-two patients with a right-hemispheric stroke (RHS) were prospectively included in the study. They were assessed twice in the acute/subacute and in the subacute/chronic phases (mean time interval of 45 days) after stroke. The Catherine Bergego Scale (CBS) was used to quantify the influence of spatial neglect on the ADL. Contralesional upper limb use in the ADL was evaluated with the Lucerne international classification of function, disability and health-based Multidisciplinary Observation Scale. Hand strength was measured using the Jamar, dexterity with the Nine Hole Peg test, and tactile perception using the stereognosis subtest of the Nottingham Sensory Assessment. Cognitive functions were assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. <i>Results:</i> Regression analyses revealed that spatial neglect is an independent and a significant predictor of upper limb outcome. A CBS score of ≤5 at the time of admission to neurorehabilitation care was highly predictive for good upper limb use in the ADL 45 days later. <i>Conclusions:</i> This study demonstrates that spatial neglect severity, as observed in the ADL, is a significant and an independent predictor of upper limb outcome. Neglect therapy is thus needed to further improve contralesional upper limb use in the ADL in RHS patients

Etiology of first-ever ischaemic stroke in European young adults: the 15 cities young stroke study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Risk factors for IS in young adults differ between genders and evolve with age, but data on the age- and gender-specific differences by stroke etiology are scare. These features were compared based on individual patient data from 15 European stroke centers. METHODS: Stroke etiology was reported in detail for 3331 patients aged 15-49 years with first-ever IS according to Trial of Org in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) criteria: large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA), cardioembolism (CE), small-vessel occlusion (SVO), other determined etiology, or undetermined etiology. CE was categorized into low- and high-risk sources. Other determined group was divided into dissection and other non-dissection causes. Comparisons were done using logistic regression, adjusting for age, gender, and center heterogeneity. RESULTS: Etiology remained undetermined in 39.6%. Other determined etiology was found in 21.6%, CE in 17.3%, SVO in 12.2%, and LAA in 9.3%. Other determined etiology was more common in females and younger patients, with cervical artery dissection being the single most common etiology (12.8%). CE was more common in younger patients. Within CE, the most frequent high-risk sources were atrial fibrillation/flutter (15.1%) and cardiomyopathy (11.5%). LAA, high-risk sources of CE, and SVO were more common in males. LAA and SVO showed an increasing frequency with age. No significant etiologic distribution differences were found amongst southern, central, or northern Europe. CONCLUSIONS: The etiology of IS in young adults has clear gender-specific patterns that change with age. A notable portion of these patients remains without an evident stroke mechanism according to TOAST criteria