Search

Background The hyperdense middle cerebral artery sign (HMCAS) is an early radiological marker to provide an early diagnosis and to identify ischemia. As reported, HMCAS is associated with heavy clot burden. Moreover, a heavy clot burden may cause obstruction of the orifices of arteries for leptomeningeal collateral flows and can lead to severe clinical conditions. However, the direct relationship between HMCAS and collateral flows remains unclear. Therefore, we explored the association between HMCAS and leptomeningeal collaterals in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods Consecutive ischemic stroke patients were enrolled from January 2015 to April 2021. HMCAS appearance and collateral status were detected by multimodal computed tomography at admission. Logistic regression analyses helped to identify the association between HMCAS, collateral flows and stroke severity. Results In 494 included patients, 180 (36.4%) presented with HMCAS. Ipsilateral collaterals were not seen or less prominent in patients with HMCAS (P P P values Conclusions HMCAS is associated with poor leptomeningeal collaterals, the stroke severity and a poor neurological outcome. Therefore, the HMCAS appearance can act as an early warning sign for healthcare professionals to be alert for poor collateral flows and poor neurological outcomes in ischemic stroke patients with middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Background: As the combined effects of advanced age and extensive brain infarction can have a greater negative impact on clinical outcomes, a real-world data analysis is necessary to fully understand the benefits and risks of endovascular therapy (EVT) in this population. Methods: The study retrospectively analyzed clinical outcomes for elderly stroke patients (age ≥ 70) with large ischemic cores (Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score [ASPECTS]

Plasminogen is involved in the process of angiogenesis; however, the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here, we investigated the potential contribution of plasmin/plasminogen in mediating angiogenesis and thereby contributing to functional recovery post-stroke. Wild-type plasminogen naive (Plg+/+) mice and plasminogen knockout (Plg−/−) mice were subjected to unilateral permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo). Blood vessels were labeled with FITC-dextran. Functional outcomes, and cerebral vessel density were compared between Plg+/+ and Plg−/− mice at different time points after stroke. We found that Plg−/− mice exhibited significantly reduced functional recovery, associated with significantly decreased vessel density in the peri-infarct area in the ipsilesional cortex compared with Plg+/+ mice. In vitro, cerebral endothelial cells harvested from Plg−/− mice exhibited significantly reduced angiogenesis assessed using tube formation assay, and migration, as evaluated using Scratch assays, compared to endothelial cells harvested from Plg+/+ mice. In addition, using Western blots, expression of thrombospondin (TSP)-1 and TSP-2 were increased after MCAo in the Plg−/− group compared to Plg+/+ mice, especially in the ipsilesional side of brain. Taken together, our data suggest that plasmin/plasminogen down-regulates the expression level of TSP-1 and TSP-2, and thereby promotes angiogenesis in the peri-ischemic brain tissue, which contributes to functional recovery after ischemic stroke.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide and poses a great threat to global health. COVID-19 has also an unneglected effect on migraine patients. Migraine attack frequency is one of the migraine characteristics, and its impact during COVID-19 needs further research. We aimed to evaluate whether migraine attack frequency during the COVID-19 pandemic differed from pre-COVID-19 attack frequency and explore possible influencing factors during the pandemic. Method: This prospective cohort study enrolled 187 migraine patients from the Department of Neurology of West China Hospital from October 2019 to December 2019. After the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 157 patients were included. We collected demographic data, clinical characteristics, and epidemiological contact information and followed up on March 2020. Then, paired-samples T-tests, logistic regression and interaction tests were used to analyze the data. Result: We found that the migraine attack frequency was 2.47 ± 1.12 before and 3.54 ± 1.79 during COVID-19 (P #60;0.0001). Then, we divided patients into two groups based on the difference in migraine attack frequency between the COVID-19 and pre-COVID-19 periods and employed logistic regression analysis. In the logistic regression analysis, divorced status (OR = 6.53, P = 0.0453), good sleep pre-COVID-19 and poor sleep during COVID-19 (OR = 3.11, P = 0.0432) had independent effects on migraine attack frequency during the COVID-19 pandemic. We found no interaction in poor sleep during COVID-19 between various subgroups. Conclusion: We found that migraineurs’ headache attacks were more frequent during COVID-19 than pre-COVID-19 and that increased migraine attack frequency was independently related to divorced status and poor sleep during COVID-19.

Poststroke depression (PSD) is the most frequent complication after stroke. Statin is a widely used prophylactic for stroke. However, some researchers reported that poststroke statin may lead to a depressive change in stroke patients. We aimed to study the effect of different statin medication timing especially prestroke timing on PSD to adopt appropriate intervention around stroke. Patients with first-ever ischemic stroke were consecutively observed from January 2012 to June 2017. They were grouped by different initiation time of statin treatment. The follow-up endpoints were set to: (1) diagnosis of PSD within 1-year and (2) censor data. Cox regression model adjusted for confounding factors was performed. A total of 1571 patients were included in the analyses, among which 210 (13.4%) were comorbided with PSD, and the median time of the course was 30 (14-98) days. The patients who received both pre- and poststroke statin treatment had 1.99 times (P = 0.037) the hazard faced by patients who did not receive that medication. In contrast, sole statin pretreatment may have the tendency to reduce the risk of PSD. Our findings provide the primary results for the prestroke statin medication. The initiation timing of continuous regular statin treatment ahead of ischemic stroke could have a correlation with a higher risk of PSD.

The coronavirus disease 2019 is still continuing and may affect stroke emergency care. We aim to investigate the impact of pandemic on stroke treatment in tertiary stroke centers in western China, and to quantitatively evaluate the worldwide influence with a meta-analysis. The original part was conducted in three tertiary stroke centers in Sichuan province. We compared emergency visits and efficiency of stroke treatment pre-, early, peak and late pandemic. Single-center analysis was further conducted in the largest local hospital and one hospital located close to the epicenter respectively. Relevant studies were searched in PubMed, Ovid Embase and Cochrane Library for English publications from December 2019 to July 2020 for systematic review. Fixed-and random-effect meta-analysis was performed to calculate the overall rates. Totally current original study showed fewer time of hospital admission and significantly higher rates of mechanical thrombectomy during the early and peak epidemic periods, compared with pre-epidemic time. The largest local hospital had significantly higher mechanical thrombectomy rates during the whole crisis and less daily admission during early and peak epidemic periods. The hospital located close to the epicenter presented higher proportions of intravenous thrombolysis since outbreak, and more favorable outcomes after reperfusion therapies than later (all P values

Background: Statin therapy has been shown to be effective in the prevention of ischemic stroke. In addition, recent studies have suggested that prior statin therapy could lower the initial stroke severity and improve stroke functional outcomes in the event of stroke. It was speculated that prestroke statin use may enhance collateral circulation and result in favorable functional outcomes. Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the association of prestroke statin use with leptomeningeal collaterals and to determine the association of prestroke statin use with stroke severity and functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients. Methods: We prospectively and consecutively enrolled 239 acute ischemic stroke patients with acute infarction due to occlusion of the middle cerebral artery within 24 h in the neurology department of West China Hospital from May 2011 to April 2017. Computed tomographic angiography (CTA) imaging was performed for all patients to detect middle cerebral artery thrombus; regional leptomeningeal collateral score (rLMCS) was used to assess the degree of collateral circulation; the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was used to measure stroke severity at admission; the modified Rankin scale (mRS) was used to measure outcome at 90 days; and premorbid medications were recorded. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Results: Overall, 239 patients met the inclusion criteria. Fifty-four patients used statins, and 185 did not use statins before stroke onset. Prestroke statin use was independently associated with good collateral circulation (rLMCS > 10) (odds ratio [OR], 4.786; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.195–19.171; P = 0.027). Prestroke statin use was not independently associated with lower stroke severity (NIHSS score≤14) (OR, 1.955; 95% CI, 0.657–5.816; p = 0.228), but prestroke statin use was independently associated with favorable outcome (mRS score≤2) (OR, 3.868; 95% CI, 1.325–11.289; P = 0.013). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that prestroke statin use was associated with good leptomeningeal collaterals and clinical outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients presenting with occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. However, clinical studies should be conducted to verify this claim.

BackgroundPsychological distress is highly prevalent among migraineurs during public health emergencies. The coronavirus disease 2019 (nCOV-2019) has created mass panic in China due to its highly contagious by contact and aerosols and lack of effective treatment. However, the emotion status of migraineurs stayed unclear during the nCOV-2019 outbreak.ObjectiveTo understand psychological distress of migraineurs by comparing with common population and identify potential high-risk factors of severe psychological distress among migraine patients.MethodWe enrolled the migraineurs treated at the department of Neurology of West China Hospital and healthy controls with age- and sex-matched to migraineurs. Data on clinicodemographics and psychological distress in the month of February 2020 (during in the nCOV-2019 outbreak in China) were collected. We used the Kessler 6-item (K-6) scale to assess psychological distress. Potential risk factors of severe psychological distress were identified using univariate and multivariate logistic regression.ResultsThe 144 migraineurs and 150 controls were included in the study. Migraineurs showed significantly higher K-6 scores than controls (P P = 0.001) and 1.589 (95% 1.117–2.26,P = 0.01).ConclusionDuring public health outbreaks, healthcare professionals should focus not only on controlling and reducing migraine attack but also on mental health of migraineurs, especially those with high frequency migraine attack.

AimsWhether endovascular treatment (EVT) can further improve the prognosis of patients with posterior circulation ischemic stroke (PCIS) is unclear. This meta-analysis aims to compare the efficacy and safety of PCIS patients treated with EVT plus standard medical treatment (SMT) and SMT alone.MethodsWe systematically searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective cohort trials in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library up to February 2022. The primary outcome was favorable functional outcome of the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) with scores of 0–2 or 0–3; secondary outcomes included successful recanalization rate, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) after treatment and 90-day mortality.ResultsWe identified six studies including 1, 385 PCIS patients (957 with EVT plus SMT; 428 with SMT alone). EVT plus SMT substantially improved 90-day functional outcomes compared with SMT alone [mRS score of 0–2: RR=1.95, 95% CI (1.52 – 2.51), P < 0.001; mRS score of 0–3: RR = 1.85, 95% CI (1.49 – 2.30), P < 0.001, respectively]. Moreover, compared with SMT, combined treatment significantly improved the rate of successful recanalization [RR = 5.03, 95% CI (3.96–6.40), P < 0.001] and reduced 90-day mortality [RR = 0.71, 95% CI (0.63–0.79), P < 0.001] despite a higher risk of ICH [RR = 6.13, 95% CI (2.50–15.02), P < 0.001] and sICH [RR = 10.47, 95% CI [2.79–39.32), P = 0.001].ConclusionLow-to-moderate evidence from RCTs and non-RCTs showed that increased ICH and sICH risk of EVT plus SMT did not translate to a higher risk of unfavorable outcomes compared with SMT and could even promote independence at 90 days in a real-world cohort.

Preserved nutritional status in acute ischemic stroke patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) undergoing endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is important but lacks an effective evaluation method. We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of objective nutritional indexes (ONIs) in LVO patients after EVT that were validated by studies in patients with other vascular diseases receiving intervention therapy and to develop a functional prediction nomogram for better stroke management.LVO patients undergoing EVT from 2016 to 2020 were retrospectively enrolled and randomly classified into training and validation cohorts at a ratio of 7:3. The ONIs, including the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score, Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), and Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), were calculated. A stepwise logistic regression model for 3-month poor functional outcome based on the smallest Akaike information criterion was employed to develop the nomogram, and the nomogram's determination and clinical use were tested by area under the curve (AUC), calibration plots, and decision curve analysis and compared with three earlier prognostic models. A total of 418 patients were enrolled. The CONUT independently related and increased the risk of 3-month poor functional outcome with an OR of 1.387 (95% CI: 1.133-1.698, p = 0.002). A nomogram including CONUT and other seven factors (AIC = 274.568) was developed. The AUC of the nomogram was 0.847 (95% CI: 0.799-0.894) and 0.836 (95% CI: 0.755-0.916) in the training and validation cohort, respectively, with better predictive performance and clinical utility than previous models.The CONUT independently related to the poor functional outcome, and the newly established nomogram reliably predicted the functional outcome in LVO patients after EVT.

Limited data are available for evaluating the relationship between the prognosis and body temperature (BT) in patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy (MT), especially in those with successful recanalization. We aimed to explore the prognostic value of BT in predicting outcomes of stroke recovery at 3 months poststroke.We retrospectively analyzed the relationship among BT levels as a continuous variable, with fever (BT ≥ 37.5℃) as a binary variable, and obtained several outcomes of interest. Subjects were stratified according to successful recanalization (thrombolysis in cerebral infarction scores of 2b-3) following MT. Functional independence was defined as a modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of 0-2.In total, 258 patients were included. The proportion of patients with functional independence was significantly lower among patients with BT ≥ 37.5℃ than among those with BT 37.5 °C (45.3 % versus 23.0 %; P 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, hyperpyrexia (especially BT ≥ 38 °C) was significantly associated with poor 3-month outcomes in patients treated with MT. Subgroup analysis was conducted by comparing the successful recanalization group with the non-recanalization group, showing that BT ≥ 37.5 °C was associated with a significantly lower proportion of functional independence in the recanalized patients. Besides, the Kaplan-Meier model showed that the fever group had significantly lower survival rates than the non-fever group during the 3-month follow-up.In patients treated with MT, hyperpyrexia is an independent predictor of poststroke outcomes at 3 months, particularly in those with successful recanalization.

Background Limited data are available for evaluating the relationship between the prognosis and body temperature (BT) in patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy (MT), especially in those with successful recanalization. We aimed to explore the prognostic value of BT in predicting outcomes of stroke recovery at 3 months poststroke. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the relationship among BT levels as a continuous variable, with fever (BT ≥ 37.5℃) as a binary variable, and obtained several outcomes of interest. Subjects were stratified according to successful recanalization (thrombolysis in cerebral infarction scores of 2b-3) following MT. Functional independence was defined as a modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of 0–2. Results In total, 258 patients were included. The proportion of patients with functional independence was significantly lower among patients with BT ≥ 37.5℃ than among those with BT P Conclusions In patients treated with MT, hyperpyrexia is an independent predictor of poststroke outcomes at 3 months, particularly in those with successful recanalization.

Pre-stroke statin use reduces stroke severity and improves functional outcomes; however, whether low-dose statins as a primary preventive measure have similar effects on the Chinese population remains unclear. Consecutive cases of ischaemic stroke between May 2011 and January 2017 were retrospectively analysed. The primary endpoints were stroke severity on admission and functional outcomes at 90 days. The secondary endpoints were factors related to lower stroke severity on admission. Propensity score matching and logistic regression analyses were performed. Of the 1878 patients, 6.4% and 23.8% were pre-stroke statin users before and after propensity matching, respectively, reducing the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score on admission from 5 (2–9) to 3 (2–4) (P

Stroke is a common cause of death and disability worldwide. Among stroke patients, malnutrition is a significant problem that contributes to poor outcome. Clinical evidence is required to identify risk factors for malnutrition and to adopt appropriate management strategies during early stroke intervention. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis of potential risk factors related to malnutrition in stroke patients.We systemically searched relevant observational studies in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBLD), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and VIP Database of Chinese periodicals from January 1990 to September 2017 in any language. Patients included in this study were adults who suffered from stroke. Stata 12.0 and Review Manager 5.1 software were used to pool useful data and calculate odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We also performed heterogeneity and sensitivity analyses, and evaluated publication bias.Twenty-nine observational studies involving 8838 participants who met our inclusion criteria were incorporated into the meta-analysis, and thirteen risk factors related to malnutrition were studied. The following variables probably correlated with an increased risk of malnutrition in stroke patients: malnutrition on admission (OR = 8.34, 95% CI = 4.60-15.10, P 0.00001), dysphagia (OR = 2.60, 95% CI = 2.24-3.03, P 0.00001), previous stroke (OR = 3.04, 95% CI = 2.35-3.95, P 0.00001), diabetes mellitus (OR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.35-2.38, P 0.0001), tube feeding (OR = 5.43, 95% CI = 3.99-7.37, P 0.00001) and reduced level of consciousness (OR = 2.82, 95% CI = 2.12-3.75, P 0.00001). The factors alcohol consumption, hypertension, male sex, depressed mood, pneumonia and infection need to be re-evaluated. Conversely, smoking was most likely not associated with post-stroke malnutrition.Our meta-analysis has revealed a variety of risk factors for malnutrition during hospital stay among stroke patients. Early identification of these factors is warranted for improving patient outcomes.

Early neurological deterioration (END) after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is strongly associated with poor prognosis in patients with large vessel occlusion. The relationship between body temperature and END after EVT is unknown, which we aimed to investigate in this study.END was defined as an increase of four or more points on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score compared with the baseline assessment within 24 h. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models were used to assess the relationship between body temperature and END.Among 7741 consecutive patients with ischemic stroke, 406 patients with large vessel occlusion who underwent EVT were enrolled. In total, 88 (21.7%) patients developed END. Logistic regression showed that the maximum body temperature within 24 h (odds ratio [OR] = 1.97 per °C, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17-3.32, p = 0.010) was independently associated with END. This association was nonlinear and J shaped (p for nonlinearity = 0.010), and the risk of END increased when the maximum body temperature within 24 h was lower or higher than 37.0 °C. Fever burden is also independently associated with END (OR = 1.06 per °C × hour, 95% CI 1.01-1.11, p = 0.012). In addition, the timing of fever onset was independently associated with END, and the highest risk of END was associated with fever onset within 6 h after EVT (OR = 3.92, 95% CI 1.25-12.27, p = 0.019).In summary, there is a J-shaped association between the maximum body temperature within 24 h after EVT and END. Moreover, the risk of END differed according to the timing of fever onset.

Background: Increased aortic stiffness has been found to be associated with cognitive function decline, but the evidence is still under debate. It is of great significance to elucidate the evidence in this debate to help make primary prevention decisions to slow cognitive decline in our routine clinical practice.Methods: Electronic databases of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched to identify peer-reviewed articles published in English from January 1, 1986, to March 16, 2020, that reported the association between aortic stiffness and cognitive function. Studies that reported the association between aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) and cognitive function, cognitive impairment, and dementia were included in the analysis.Results: Thirty-nine studies were included in the qualitative analysis, and 29 studies were included in the quantitative analysis. The aortic PWV was inversely associated with memory and processing speed in the cross-sectional analysis. In the longitudinal analysis, the high category of aortic PWV was 44% increased risk of cognitive impairment (OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.24–1.85) compared with low PWV, and the risk of cognitive impairment increased 3.9% (OR 1.039; 95% CI 1.005–1.073) per 1 m/s increase in aortic PWV. Besides, meta-regression analysis showed that age significantly increased the association between high aortic PWV and cognitive impairment risk.Conclusion: Aortic stiffness measured by aortic PWV was inversely associated with memory and processing speed and could be an independent predictor for cognitive impairment, especially for older individuals.

IntroductionPrimary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke often fails due to poor adherence among patients to evidence-based prevention recommendations. The proper formatting of messages portraying CVD and stroke risks and interventional benefits may promote individuals’ perception and motivation, adherence to healthy plans and eventual success in achieving risk control. The main objective of this study is to determine whether risk and intervention communication strategies (gain-framed vs loss-framed and long-term vs short-term contexts) and potential interaction thereof have different effects on the optimisation of adherence to clinical preventive management for the endpoint of CVD risk reduction among subjects with at least one CVD risk factor.Methods and analysisThis trial is designed as a 2×2 factorial, observer-blinded multicentre randomised controlled study with four parallel groups. Trial participants are aged 45–80 years and have at least one CVD risk factor. Based on sample size calculations for primary outcome, we plan to enrol 15 000 participants. Data collection will occur at baseline, 6 months and 1 year after randomisation. The primary outcomes are changes in the estimated 10-year CVD risk, estimated lifetime CVD risk and estimated CVD-free life expectancy from baseline to the 1-year follow-up.Ethics and disseminationThis study received approval from the Ethical Committee of West China Hospital, Sichuan University and will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.Trial registration numberNCT04450888.

Previous studies have shown that there is a geographic variation in the prevalence of stroke, with a lower prevalence of stroke in Sichuan province. And a stroke transition was found during the period of economic development as well. However, as the center of Southwest China, with a greatly developed economy, whether the geographic variation remained with lower burden of stroke in Sichuan province is unknown. Therefore, in this study, we analyzed the secular stroke status in Sichuan province to help explore the potential reasons for geographic disparity. From a cross-sectional study conducted based on eight national disease surveillance points (DSPs) in Sichuan province in 2013, the epidemiologic data of stroke were collected. Data of risk factors were obtained from a cross-sectional study based on 12 national DSPs in Sichuan province in 2013. The results showed that the age-standardized prevalence, incidence, and mortality of stroke in Sichuan province were 338.6/100,000 people [95% confidence interval (CI), 267.8–409.4], 147.1/100,000 person-years (95% CI = 100.6–193.6), and 72.4/100,000 person-years (95% CI = 40.0–104.8), respectively, which were significantly lower than those determined from the contemporary data of China in 2013. The analysis of the risk factors showed that the weights of contribution of the potential risk factors to stroke were in consistency with those published reports from other areas. In conclusion, the disparity of lower stroke burden in Sichuan than the average China remained, although with the great developments in Sichuan province over all those decades. In addition to traditional modifiable factors, we suggest that unknown or intrinsic differences such as genetic factors might play an important role in geographic disparity, which should be investigated in future studies.

Background: Stroke is the first cause of death in Chinese residents. Plasminogen playes an important role in the process of anigiogenesis. But its specific mechanism of regulating angiogenesis after stroke is not clear. Method: We used wild-type (WT) mice and plasminogen knockout (KO) mice to conduct a permanent middle cerebral artery infarction model (MCAo). At different time points after operation we performed function test; used FITC to measure brain vascular distribution; used western-blot to detect the expression of TSP after MCAo. We used the cerebral vascular endothelial cells for tubeformation. All collected data were processed by corresponding image software, and the results were statistically analyzed by variance analysis or t test. Results: (1) The total length of capillary formation of cerebral vascular endothelial cells in group KO mice was less than that in group WT.(Figure 1) (2) The loss of motor sensory function in group WT was always less than that in group KO. (Figure 2) (3) After MCAo, the blood vessel density in the two groups of mice increased with time, and the density of blood vessels in the WT group was greater than that of the KO group. (Figure 3 ) (4) After MCAo, the levels of TSP-1 and TSP-2 in the cerebral tissue of KO and WT mice were higher than those in the contralateral brain. At the same time, the expression of TSP-1 and TSP-2 in the infarct lateral brain tissue of group KO was higher than that in group WT. (Figure 4) Conclusion: The lack of plasminogen can regulate the expression of TSP-1 and TSP-2 after ischemic stroke, thereby inhibiting the angiogenesis process of brain tissue after cerebral ischemia which leads to poor functional prognosis. stroke.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, The greatest regional variation in stroke prevalence exists in China. However, whether there are differences in population attributable risk (PAR) and clustering of stroke risk factors among regions resulting in stroke geographic variation is unclear. We conducted face-to-face surveys of residents of 14 provinces from September 2016 to May 2017 who participated in the Chinese Stroke Screening and Prevention Project. We compared the specific PAR values of eight risk factors and the different cluster rates and patterns in China. A total of 84,751partipants were included. Eight factors accounted for 70% to 80% of the PAR of overall stroke in China. Not only did the PAR of the total risk factors differ among the 3 regions, but the PAR of the same risk factor also varied among different regions. The top 3 factors with the greatest PAR variations among the 3 regions were dyslipidemia, physical inactivity and family history of stroke. The clustering rates and patterns varied by regions. The overall proportion of participants with 0, 1, 2, 3, and ≥4 risk factors were 34.4%, 28.0%, 17.4%, 9.2%, and 10.3% in eastern China; 31.0%, 27.9%, 19.8%, 10.8%, and 9.9% in Central China and 28.2%, 29.5%, 19.9%, 10.8%, and 11.0% in western China, respectively. On basis of hypertension, the most common risk cluster patterns were overweight or smoking, dyslipidemia and physical inactivity, with other risk factors in the eastern, central and western regions, respectively. The rates and patterns of clustering and the potential importance of stroke risk factors in different regions may together contribute to the geographical variation in stroke prevalence in China.

Background and purpose: The proteasome subunit α type 6 (PSMA6) is an important proteolytic protein regulating the expression of genes involved in inflammation. Recently, a functional polymorphism rs1048990, located in PSMA6 , has been reported with the susceptibility to ischemic stroke (IS) in several ethnic cohorts, but the results were inconsistent. Moreover, it still lacks the data in Asian. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether this polymorphism confers significant risk to IS in a Chinese population. Methods: A total of 1102 IS cases and 975 healthy controls were analyzed in our study. We genotyped rs1048990 with ligation detection reaction (LDR) method and then performed a meta-analysis. Results: Significant association between rs1048990 in PSMA6 and ischemic stroke was observed in all comparison models (genotype, p =0.016; allele, p =0.004; CG+GG vs. CC, adjusted p =0.006; GG vs. CG+CC, adjusted p =0.038). Further stratification for stroke subtype, similar differences also can be found in large artery atherosclerosis and cardioembolism, but not small vessel occlusion. In addition, in the analysis of genotype-phenotype correlation, the onset ages of allele-G carriers have a trend to be older than non-carriers’ ( p Conclusion: Our study suggests that rs1048990 contributes to the risk of IS and its subtypes in Chinese population, but these associations may vary in different ethnic populations.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene may affect the secretion and function of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, thereby affecting the occurrence, severity and prognosis of ischemic stroke. This case-control study included 778 patients (475 males and 303 females, mean age of 64.0 ± 12.6 years) in the acute phase of ischemic stroke and 865 control subjects (438 males and 427 females, mean age of 51.7 ± 14.7 years) from the Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, China between September 2011 and December 2014. The patients' severities of neurological deficits in the acute phase were assessed using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale immediately after admission to hospital. The ischemic stroke patients were divided into different subtypes according to the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment classification. Early prognosis was evaluated using the Modified Rankin Scale when the patients were discharged. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood of participants. Genotyping of rs7124442 and rs6265 was performed using Kompetitive Allele Specific polymerase chain reaction genotyping technology. Our results demonstrated that patients who carried the C allele of the rs7124442 locus had a lower risk of poor prognosis than the T allele carriers (odds ratio [OR] = 0.67; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.45-1.00; P = 0.048). The patients with the CC or TC genotype also exhibited lower risk than TT carriers (OR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.42-1.00; P = 0.049). The AA genotype at the rs6265 locus was associated with the occurrence of ischemic stroke in patients with large-artery atherosclerosis (OR = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.37-0.90; P = 0.015). We found that the C allele (CC and TC genotypes) at the rs7124442 locus may be protective for the prognosis of ischemic stroke. The AA genotype at the rs6265 locus is likely a protective factor against the occurrence of ischemic stroke in patients with large-artery atherosclerosis. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of West China Hospital of Sichuan University, China (approval ID number 2008[4]) on July 25, 2008.

Medication overuse headache is a disabling headache disorder. Withdraw treatment plus preventive medication may lead to a better outcome. However, the effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor on the treatment of medication overuse headache is still unknown. In this study, we followed up medication overuse headache patients diagnosed at the West China Hospital at an average follow-up duration of 1.5 years to analyze patients’ outcomes and relapse. We used logistic regression to assess the relationship between patient medication and effect of withdrawal treatment. We used COX (cox regression model) regression analysis to assess the relationship between withdrawal treatments and relapse rate in patients. A total of 72 medication overuse headache patients were enrolled in this study, of which 14 (19.4%) failed to withdraw therapy, 58 got a good response to withdraw therapy. Among responders, there are 5 (8.6%) relapse patients. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment can increase the effect of withdrawal therapy (odds ratio [OR] = 0.016, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.003, 0.091, P

Background Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND), is a progressive neurodegenerative disease without effective therapies. Several studies have suggested that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may have positive benefit in ALS. However, the efficacy and safety of this therapy remain uncertain. This is the first update of a review published in 2011. Objectives To determine the clinical efficacy and safety of rTMS for treating ALS. Search methods On 30 July 2012, we searched the Cochrane Neuromuscular Disease Group Specialized Register, CENTRAL (2012, issue 7 in The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE (1966 to July 2012), EMBASE (1980 to July 2012), CINAHL (1937 to July 2012), Science Citation Index Expanded (January 1945 to July 2012), AMED (January 1985 to July 2012). We searched the Chinese Biomedical Database (1979 to August 2012). We also searched for ongoing studies on clinicaltrials.gov (August 2012). Selection criteria Randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials assessing the therapeutic efficacy and safety of rTMS for patients with a clinical diagnosis of ALS. Comparisons eligible for inclusion were: 1. rTMS versus no intervention; 2. rTMS versus sham rTMS; 3. rTMS versus physiotherapy; 4. rTMS versus medications; 5. rTMS + other therapies or drugs versus sham rTMS + the same therapies or drugs; 6. different methods of application of rTMS such as high-frequency (> 1Hz) compared to low-frequency (≤ 1Hz) rTMS. Data collection and analysis Two authors independently selected papers, assessed risk of bias and extracted data. We resolved disagreements through discussion. We contacted study authors for additional information. Main results Three randomised, placebo-controlled trials with a total of 50 participants were included in the review. All three trials compared rTMS with sham TMS. All the trials were of poor methodological quality and were insufficiently homogeneous to allow the pooling of results. Moreover, the high rate of attrition further increased the risk of bias. None of the trials provided detailed data on the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) scores at six months follow-up which was pre-assigned as our primary outcome. One trial contained data in a suitable form for quantitative analysis of our secondary outcomes. No difference was seen between rTMS and sham rTMS using the ALSFRS-R scores and manual muscle testing (MMT) scores at 12 months follow-up in this trial. Additionally, none of the trials reported any adverse events associated with the use of rTMS. However, in view of the small sample size, the methodological limitations and incomplete outcome data, treatment with rTMS cannot be judged as completely safe. Authors' conclusions There is currently insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about the efficacy and safety of rTMS in the treatment of ALS. Further studies may be helpful if their potential benefit is weighed against the impact of participation in a randomised controlled trial on people with ALS.