Neurorehabilitation through Hippotherapy on Neurofunctional Sequels of Stroke: Effect on Patients’ Functional Independence, Sensorimotor/Cognitive Capacities and Quality of Life, and the Quality of Life of Their Caregivers—A Study Protocol

Background: Stroke is a high burden illness and the second leading cause of worldwide disability with generally poor recovery rates. Robust benefits of hippotherapy, a novel neurorehabilitation approach, in functional recovery following various severe neurological disabling conditions has been shown. In the present study, we will analyze the effect of a hippotherapy program on the outcome of post-stroke patients in the first year post-stroke. Method: A randomized controlled clinical trial on the effectiveness of hippotherapy (4 weeks/18 weeks hippotherapy/conventional neurorehabilitation) versus conventional neurorehabilitation alone (22 weeks) will be conducted over 48 weeks. In the treated group, one-hour daily hippotherapy sessions will be exclusively conducted during the hippotherapy’s cycles, alternated with periods of conventional neurorehabilitation. A test battery will measure both the functional and psychological outcomes. The primary endpoint will be the patient’s functional independence. The secondary endpoints will measure the sensorimotor function, autonomy, and quality of life, as well as the caregivers’ quality of life. Results and conclusion: Individual brain connectome, life history and personality construct influence the brain’s functional connectivity and are central to developing optimal tailored neurorehabilitation strategies. According to our current practice, hippotherapy allows the enhancement of substantial neuroplastic changes in the injured brain with significant neurological recovery. The protocol aims to confirm those issues. Trial registration in ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04759326 accessed on 19 February 2021

Functional Outcome, Recanalization, and Hemorrhage Rates After Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke Treated With Tenecteplase Before Thrombectomy

International audienceObjective: To investigate in routine care the efficacy and safety of IV thrombolysis (IVT) with tenecteplase prior to mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in patients with large vessel occlusion acute ischemic strokes (LVO-AIS), either secondarily transferred after IVT or directly admitted to a comprehensive stroke center (CSC).Methods: We retrospectively analyzed clinical and procedural data of patients treated with 0.25 mg/kg tenecteplase within 270 minutes of LVO-AIS who underwent a brain angiography. The main outcome was 3-month functional independence (modified Rankin scale score ≤ 2). Recanalization (revised Treatment in Cerebral Ischemia score 2b-3), was evaluated before (pre-MT) and after MT (final).Results: We included 588 patients (median age 75 years [interquartile range (IQR) 61-84]; 315 women [54%]; median NIH Stroke Scale [NIHSS] score 16 [IQR 10-20]), of which 520 (88%) were secondarily transferred after IVT. Functional independence occurred in 47% (n = 269/570; 95%CI 43.0-51.4) of patients. Pre-MT recanalization occurred in 120 patients (20.4%; 95%CI 17.2-23.9), at a similar rate across treatment paradigms (direct admission, n = 14/68 [20.6%]; secondary transfer, n = 106/520 [20.4%]; p > .99) despite a shorter median IVT-to-puncture time in directly admitted patients (38 [IQR 23-55] vs 86 [IQR 70-110] minutes; p < .001). Final recanalization was achieved in 492 patients (83.7%; 95%CI 80.4-86.6). Symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in 2.5% of patients (n = 14/567; 95%CI 1.4-4.1).Conclusions: Tenecteplase before MT is safe, effective and achieves a fast recanalization in everyday practice in patients secondarily transferred or directly admitted to a CSC, in line with published results. These findings should encourage its wider use in bridging therapy.Classification of evidence: This study provides class IV evidence that tenecteplase within 270 minutes of LVO-AIS is increases the probability of functional independence

Recanalization before Thrombectomy in Tenecteplase vs. Alteplase-Treated Drip-and-Ship Patients

International audienc