Hilde Hénon

Endarterectomy Versus Angioplasty in Patients with Symptomatic Severe Carotid Stenosis (EVA-3S) trial: results up to 4 years from a randomised, multicentre trial

BACKGROUND Carotid stenting is a potential alternative to carotid endarterectomy but whether this technique is as safe as surgery and whether the long-term protection against stroke is similar to that of surgery are unclear. We previously reported that in patients in the Endarterectomy Versus Angioplasty in Patients with Symptomatic Severe Carotid Stenosis (EVA-3S) trial, the rate of any stroke or death within 30 days after the procedure was higher with stenting than with endarterectomy. We now report the results up to 4 years. METHODS In this follow-up study of a multicentre, randomised, open, assessor-blinded, non-inferiority trial, we compared outcome after stenting with outcome after endarterectomy in 527 patients who had carotid stenosis of at least 60% that had recently become symptomatic. The primary endpoint of the EVA-3S trial was the rate of any periprocedural stroke or death (ie, within 30 days after the procedure). The prespecified main secondary endpoint was a composite of any periprocedural stroke or death and any non-procedural ipsilateral stroke during up to 4 years of follow-up. Other trial outcomes were any stroke or periprocedural death, any stroke or death, and the above endpoints restricted to disabling or fatal strokes. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00190398. FINDINGS 262 patients were randomly assigned to endarterectomy and 265 to stenting. The cumulative probability of periprocedural stroke or death and non-procedural ipsilateral stroke after 4 years of follow-up was higher with stenting than with endarterectomy (11.1%vs 6.2%, hazard ratio [HR] 1.97, 95% CI 1.06-3.67; p=0.03). The HR for periprocedural disabling stroke or death and non-procedural fatal or disabling ipsilateral stroke was 2.00 (0.75-5.33; p=0.17). A hazard function analysis showed the 4-year differences in the cumulative probabilities of outcomes between stenting and endarterectomy were largely accounted for by the higher periprocedural (within 30 days of the procedure) risk of stenting compared with endarterectomy. After the periprocedural period, the risk of ipsilateral stroke was low and similar in both treatment groups. For any stroke or periprocedural death, the HR was 1.77 (1.03-3.02; p=0.04). For any stroke or death, the HR was 1.39 (0.96-2.00; p=0.08). INTERPRETATION The results of this study suggest that carotid stenting is as effective as carotid endarterectomy for middle-term prevention of ipsilateral stroke, but the safety of carotid stenting needs to be improved before it can be used as an alternative to carotid endarterectomy in patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis.

Clinical outcome in 287 consecutive young adults (15 to 45 years) with ischemic stroke

ObjectiveTo determine the 3-year outcome in 287 young adults (15 to 45 years old) consecutively admitted between 1992 and 1996 for an ischemic stroke. MethodsFollow-up was obtained with clinical examinations or telephone interviews, and data were recorded about risk factors, associated disorders, causes of stroke, and current treatments. Functional outcomes were classified with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Endpoints were stroke recurrence, myocardial infarction, epileptic seizures, and death. ResultsAfter a mean follow-up of 3 years, no patient was lost to follow-up; 25.4% of the follow-up visits were performed by telephone interview. The authors found 1) an annual mortality rate of 4.5% during the first year and then of 1.6%; 2) an annual stroke recurrence rate of 1.4% during the first year and then of 1.0%; 3) a 0.2% annual rate of myocardial infarct; 4) epileptic seizures occurring in 6.6% of patients, during the first year in most patients; 5) independence (mRS = 0 to 2) in 94.0% of patients; 6) 4.2% of patients lost their job after stroke despite an mRS score of ≤1; 7) 7.0% of patients reported divorce; and 8) only 22.2% of smokers gave up smoking. ConclusionAlthough young patients who experience ischemic strokes have a low risk of stroke recurrence and myocardial infarction, some patients do not regain independence.

Poststroke dementia Incidence and relationship to prestroke cognitive decline

Objective: To evaluate the 3-year incidence of poststroke dementia (PSD) and the influence of prestroke cognitive decline. Methods: The authors evaluated prestroke cognitive functions in 202 consecutive stroke patients ≥40 years old using the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE), with a cut-off of 104 for the diagnosis of dementia. Six months and then annually after stroke, dementia was reassessed. The diagnosis of dementia was based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision criteria in survivors who underwent a visit with a neurologist, or on the IQCODE score obtained by telephone contact with the family in survivors who did not. Statistics were performed using life-table methods. Results: Thirty-three patients were excluded because of prestroke dementia. In the 169 remaining patients, the cumulative proportion of patients with dementia was 28.5% at the end of the follow-up period, with most of PSD occurring during the first 6 months. Using multivariate analysis, independent predictors of PSD were aging, preexisting cognitive decline, severity of deficit at admission, diabetes mellitus, and silent infarcts. Leukoaraiosis was an independent predictor of PSD when prestroke cognitive decline was not taken into account. The presumed etiology of dementia was vascular dementia (VaD) in two-thirds of patients and AD in one-third. Conclusions: The risk of PSD is high, and increased in patients with prestroke cognitive decline, with about one-third of patients meeting the criteria for AD and two-thirds meeting the criteria for VaD. These results confirm that, in stroke patients, an underlying degenerative pathology may play a role in the development of PSD.

Cerebral venous thrombosis 3-year clinical outcome in 55 consecutive patients.

Abstract. An early diagnosis and heparin therapy have contributed to a decreased mortality in cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). However, predictors of outcome are difficult to identify, because most studies suffered heterogeneity in diagnostic findings and treatments, retrospective design, and recruitment bias. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome in 55 consecutive patients with CVT admitted over a 4-year period. The study population consisted of 42 women and 13 men, with a median age of 39 years (range 16–68). The diagnosis was performed with MRI in 53 patients, and angiography in 2. The outcome was assessed with the modified Rankin scale (mRs). After a median follow-up of 36 months (range: 12–60), 45 patients were independent (mRS 0–2), and 10 were dependent or dead (mRS 3–6). Of 48 survivors, 7 had seizures, 6 motor deficits, 5 visual field defects, 29 headache (migraine in 14, tension headache in 13, other in 2). The logistic regression analysis found focal deficits and cancer at time of diagnosis, as independent predictors of dependence or death at year 3, and isolated intra-cranial hypertension as an independent predictor of survival and independence. Mortality rates are low in the absence of cancer and focal deficits, and more than 80 % of survivors are independent after 3 years. However, 3/4 of survivors have residual symptoms. Therefore, despite a low mortality rate, CVT remains a serious disorder.

Confusional State in Stroke Relation to Preexisting Dementia, Patient Characteristics, and Outcome

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Acute confusional state (ACS) is frequent in hospitalized stroke patients. We previously showed that 16% of patients admitted for a stroke have preexisting dementia. The extent to which preexisting cognitive decline is associated with a risk of ACS at the acute stage of stroke remains to be systematically examined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of ACS in acute stroke patients, to study the influence of preexisting cognitive decline and other patient characteristics, and to evaluate the influence of ACS on outcome. METHODS We diagnosed ACS using DSM-IV criteria and the Delirium Rating Scale with a cutoff of 10 in 202 consecutive stroke patients aged 40 years or older (median age, 75 years; range, 42 to 101 years). Cognitive functioning before stroke was assessed with the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly. RESULTS Forty-nine stroke patients (24.3%; 95% CI, 18.3% to 30.2%) had an ACS during hospitalization. Using logistic regression analysis, we found preexisting cognitive decline (P=0.006) and metabolic or infectious disorders (P=0.008) to be independent predictors of ACS. Functional, but not vital, prognosis was worse in patients with ACS at discharge and 6 months after stroke. CONCLUSIONS ACS occurs in one fourth of stroke patients older than 40 years. Its occurrence requires inquiry for a preexisting cognitive decline, which usually remains unrecognized in the absence of a systematic evaluation.

Early seizures in intracerebral hemorrhage Incidence, associated factors, and outcome

Objective: In patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), the occurrence of early seizures (ES) may be a prognostic marker. Therefore, we aimed to identify incidence, associated factors, and influence on outcome of ES in patients with ICH. Methods: Between November 2004 and March 2009, we prospectively recruited 562 consecutive adults with a spontaneous ICH (Prognosis of InTra-Cerebral Hemorrhage cohort). Patients with previous seizures (n = 40) were excluded. ES were defined as seizures occurring within 7 days of stroke onset, and their associated factors were identified with Cox regression. For a subgroup of onset seizures, we used logistic regression. Data influencing outcome (mortality at day 7 and month 6 and functional outcome at month 6) were studied using survival analyses. Results: ES occurred in 71 (14%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 11–17) of 522 patients (274 male; median age 72 years, interquartile range 58–79 years). The only factor associated with ES was cortical involvement of ICH (odds ratio [OR] = 2.06; 95% CI 1.28–3.31). Regarding onset seizures (n = 38) (7%; 95% CI 5–10), associated factors were previous ICH (OR = 4.76; 95% CI 1.53–14.84), cortical involvement (OR = 2.21; 95% CI 1.11–4.43), younger age (OR = 0.97 per 1 year increase; 95% CI 0.95–0.99), and severity of the neurologic deficit at admission (OR = 1.03 per 1 point increase in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score; 95% CI 1.01–1.06). ES did not influence vital or functional outcome. Conclusions: ES are a frequent complication in patients with spontaneous ICH; however, their occurrence does not influence outcome at 6 months.

Depressive symptoms after stroke and relationship with dementia A three-year follow-up study

Objective: To determine frequency, determinants, and time course of poststroke depressive symptoms (DS) and their relationship with dementia. Methods: Two hundred two consecutive stroke patients were prospectively evaluated for DS, followed up over a 3-year period. Patients with Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores of ≥7 were considered as having DS. The severity of the neurologic deficit, functional outcome, and dementia were quantified with the Orgogozo Scale, modified Rankin Scale, Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly, and an extensive battery of neuropsychological tests. Results: DS were present in 43% of survivors after 6 months, 36% after 12 months, 24% after 24 months, and 18% after 36 months. The severity of the neurologic deficit at admission was the only independent predictor of DS at month 6. DS at month 6 were more frequent in patients with previous depression, dementia, and right superficial lesions. Younger age and right superficial lesions were the two variables independently associated with the presence of DS at month 36. The time course of the various DS differed, sadness remaining frequent 3 years after stroke (50%), whereas slowness, psychic slowness, lack of energy, and concentration difficulties remained frequent at month 36 in patients with dementia. Conclusion: DS are frequent after stroke. Their time course varies and depends on the cognitive status; this variation contributes to differences among previous studies on poststroke depression.

Influence of cognitive impairment on the institutionalisation rate 3 years after a stroke

Background and purpose: Pre-existing cognitive decline and new-onset dementia are common in patients with stroke, but their influence on institutionalisation rates is unknown. Objective: To evaluate the influence of cognitive impairment on the institutionalisation rate 3 years after a stroke. Design: (1) The previous cognitive state of 192 consecutive patients with stroke living at home before the stroke (with the Informant Questionnaire on COgnitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE)), (2) new-onset dementia occurring within 3 years and (3) institutionalisation rates within 3 years in the 165 patients who were discharged alive after the acute stage were prospectively evaluated. Results: Independent predictors of institutionalisation over a 3-year period that were available at admission were age (adjusted odds ratio (adjOR) for 1-year increase  = 1.08; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03 to 1.15), severity of the neurological deficit (adjOR for 1-point increase in Orgogozo score = 0.97; 95% CI 0.96 to 0.99) and severity of cognitive impairment (adjOR for 1-point increase in IQCODE score = 1.03; 95% CI 1 to 1.06). Factors associated with institutionalisation at 3 years that were present at admission or occurred during the follow-up were age (adjOR for 1-year increase = 1.17; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.27) and any (pre-existing or new) dementia (adjOR = 5.85; 95% CI 1.59 to 21.59), but not the severity of the deficit of the neurological deficit. Conclusion: Age and cognitive impairment are more important predictors of institutionalisation 3 years after a stroke than the severity of the physical disability.

Medial temporal lobe atrophy in stroke patients: relation to pre-existing dementia

OBJECTIVE The links between stroke and Alzheimer’s disease seem to be closer than expected by chance. In a previous study it was shown that up to 16% of patients admitted for stroke had pre-existing dementia. Medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTLA) is strongly associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of MTLA and its relation with pre-existing dementia. METHOD The study was conducted on 170 consecutive stroke patients (87 women; median age 75 years; 152 infarcts), who underwent non-contrast CT with temporal lobe oriented 2 mm contiguous slices at admission. A cut off point of 11.5 mm was used to differentiate patients with and without MTLA. Pre-existing dementia was assessed using the informant questionnaire on cognitive decline in the elderly (IQCODE) with a cut off score of 104. RESULTS Ninety four patients (55.3%) had MTLA, of whom 23 (24.5%) had pre-existing dementia; of 76 patients without MTLA, only four (5.3%) had pre-existing dementia (p=0.0007). The logistic regression analysis with MTLA as dependent variable found the following independent variables: increasing age (p<0.05), and global cerebral atrophy scores (p<0.01). The IQCODE scores just reached significance (p=0.05). CONCLUSION Stroke patients with MTLA are more likely to have pre-existing dementia; this suggests that Alzheimer’s disease might contribute to the dementia syndrome. A longitudinal follow up is now necessary to determine whether stroke patients with MTLA and without pre-existing dementia are at increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease over subsequent years.

Leukoaraiosis more than dementia is a predictor of stroke recurrence

Background and Purpose— It has been suggested that poststroke dementia is associated with a higher risk of stroke recurrence. Leukoaraiosis, however, might be a confounding factor because it is a risk factor for stroke recurrence and cognitive decline. Our aim was to determine the influence of prestroke and poststroke dementia on the 3-year risk of stroke recurrence. Methods— We evaluated prestroke cognitive functions in 202 stroke patients ≥40 years of age using the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE), with a cutoff of 104 for the diagnosis of dementia. Patients were followed up for 3 years. Dementia was diagnosed on the basis of International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, criteria in survivors who underwent a neurologist visit or from the IQCODE score in survivors who did not. The severity of leukoaraiosis was assessed with a visual rating scale on CT scans without contrast performed at the acute stage of stroke. At each follow-up contact, stroke recurrences were recorded. Results— During 385 person-years of follow-up, a total of 29 patients developed 33 stroke recurrences, resulting in an incidence rate of 8.6 per 100 person-years. We did not find any influence of dementia on the risk of stroke recurrence. Leukoaraiosis, however, was a strong predictor of stroke recurrence within 3 years after stroke. Conclusions— Dementia was not a predictor of stroke recurrence, but leukoaraiosis was strongly associated with stroke recurrence. Special attention in the secondary prevention of stroke must be given to patients with leukoaraiosis with or without dementia.