The Rate of Hemorrhagic Transformation and Safety of Antithrombotic Therapy in Pediatric Cardioembolic Arterial Ischemic Stroke

Antithrombotic therapy (ATT) is currently recommended for stroke prevention in pediatric cardioembolic arterial ischemic stroke (CE-AIS). Rates of hemorrhagic transformation (HT) in pediatric CE-AIS are unknown. This single-center retrospective study of CE-AIS in children evaluated factors associated with HT to explore the relationship between ATT, HT and clinical outcome. Eighty-two children met inclusion criteria [male 44 (54%); neonates 23 (28%); median age 0.43 years (0.08 – 4.23)]. HT occurred in 20 of 82 children (24%), 5 (6%) of whom had symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. Four (5%) had major systemic hemorrhage. HT was not associated with antiplatelet vs. anticoagulant use nor combination therapy. Children with univentricular physiology were less likely to have HT [10% vs. 90%; p=0.03] and had higher rates of recurrent stroke, prior to definitive cardiac repair, despite receiving ATT. However, the risk-benefit ratio of ATT remains unknown in the context of each primary cardiac diagnosis and warrants further study.M.Sc

Assessment of MR blood-oxygen-level-dependent cerebrovascular reactivity under general anaesthesia in children with moyamoya

Background: Moyamoya is a progressive arteriopathy condition characterized by steno-occlusion of the arteries of the circle of Willis. MRI performed with hypercapnic challenge can image blood-oxygen-level-dependent cerebrovascular reactivity (BOLD-CVR) thereby assessing cerebrovascular reserve. MRI studies of children <7 years of age, or with significant behavioural challenges require anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to validate the use of ventilator-induced hypercapnic challenge under general anaesthesia (GA).Methods: Children with moyamoya underwent two BOLD-CVR imaging in the same session under GA (GA-CVR). Differences in CVR estimates and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between repeated scans were examined to determine repeatability across grey and white matter tissue and vascular territories. Bland-Altman plots were used to visulaize the overall variation between the scans. The associations with age, moyamoya types, and stroke presentation were also examined. Qualitative scoring by visual inspection was also conducted by trained neurologists.Results: Thirty-two paired GA-CVR studies (sixty-four scans in total) were analyzed (mean age: 7.07 (2.74 -17.95) years, 13 females). Forty-one percent (41%) were under 7 and 77%, under 10. No significant differences between repeated scans were found for any of the CVR estimates, when summarized by tissue and vascular territory. Of the paired studies, repeatability (ICC) for the whole-brain CVR estimates was excellent (≥0.74) in 14 (43.8%), good (≤0.59, >0.74) in 7 (21.9%), fair (≤0.41, >0.59) in 6 (18.8%) and poor (<0.41) in 5 (15.6%). Bland-Altman plots illustrated the overall variation of whole-brain CVR within 95% confidence interval level. Repeatability indices were not affected by children’s age and other clinical factors. On qualitative scoring, the Cohen weighted kappa showed substantial agreement in both right (0.75) and left (0.81) hemispheres.Conclusion: Our study support the clinical use of GA-CVR across all ages and disease conditions. The GA-CVR provides a feasible, repeatable, and reliably interpretable tool for the assessment of cerebrovascular reserve of very young and behaviourally challenged children with moyamoya

Fronto-Parietal and White Matter Haemodynamics Predict Cognitive Outcome in Children with Moyamoya Independent of Stroke

Moyamoya disease is a major arteriopathy characterised by progressive steno-occlusion of the arteries of the circle of Willis. Studies in adults with moyamoya suggest an association between abnormal fronto-parietal and white matter regional haemodynamics and cognitive impairments, even in the absence of focal infarction. However, these associations have not been investigated in children with moyamoya. We examined the relationship between regional haemodynamics and ratings of intellectual ability and executive function, using hypercapnic challenge blood oxygen level–dependent magnetic resonance imaging of cerebrovascular reactivity in a consecutive cohort of children with confirmed moyamoya. Thirty children were included in the final analysis (mean age: 12.55 ± 3.03 years, 17 females, 15 idiopathic moyamoya and 15 syndromic moyamoya). Frontal haemodynamics were abnormal in all regardless of stroke history and comorbidity, but occipital lobe haemodynamics were also abnormal in children with syndromic moyamoya. Executive function deficits were noted in both idiopathic and syndromic moyamoya, whereas intellectual ability was impaired in syndromic moyamoya, even in the absence of stroke. Analysis of the relative effect of regional abnormal haemodynamics on cognitive outcomes demonstrated that executive dysfunction was predominantly explained by right parietal and white matter haemodynamics independent of stroke and comorbidity, while posterior circulation haemodynamics predicted intellectual ability. These results suggest that parietal and posterior haemodynamics play a compensatory role in overcoming frontal vulnerability and cognitive impairment

Fronto-parietal and white matter haemodynamics predict cognitive outcome in children with moyamoya independent of stroke

Moyamoya disease is a major arteriopathy characterised by progressive steno-occlusion of the arteries of the circle of Willis. Studies in adults with moyamoya suggest an association between abnormal fronto-parietal and white matter regional haemodynamics and cognitive impairments, even in the absence of focal infarction. However, these associations have not been investigated in children with moyamoya. We examined the relationship between regional haemodynamics and ratings of intellectual ability and executive function, using hypercapnic challenge blood oxygen level–dependent magnetic resonance imaging of cerebrovascular reactivity in a consecutive cohort of children with confirmed moyamoya. Thirty children were included in the final analysis (mean age: 12.55 ± 3.03 years, 17 females, 15 idiopathic moyamoya and 15 syndromic moyamoya). Frontal haemodynamics were abnormal in all regardless of stroke history and comorbidity, but occipital lobe haemodynamics were also abnormal in children with syndromic moyamoya. Executive function deficits were noted in both idiopathic and syndromic moyamoya, whereas intellectual ability was impaired in syndromic moyamoya, even in the absence of stroke. Analysis of the relative effect of regional abnormal haemodynamics on cognitive outcomes demonstrated that executive dysfunction was predominantly explained by right parietal and white matter haemodynamics independent of stroke and comorbidity, while posterior circulation haemodynamics predicted intellectual ability. These results suggest that parietal and posterior haemodynamics play a compensatory role in overcoming frontal vulnerability and cognitive impairment