Stroke imaging

Post-stroke dementia (PSD) or post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) may affect up to one third of stroke survivors. Various definitions of PSCI and PSD have been described. We propose PSD as a label for any dementia following stroke in temporal relation. Various tools are available to screen and assess cognition, with few PSD-specific instruments. Choice will depend on purpose of assessment, with differing instruments needed for brief screening (e.g., Montreal Cognitive Assessment) or diagnostic formulation (e...

BACKGROUND: A third of transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs) and ischaemic strokes are of undetermined cause (ie, cryptogenic), potentially undermining secondary prevention. If these events are due to occult atheroma, the risk-factor profile and coronary prognosis should resemble that of overt large artery events. If they have a cardioembolic cause, the risk of future cardioembolic events should be increased. We aimed to assess the burden, outcome, risk factors, and long-term prognosis of cryptogenic TIA and stroke...

BACKGROUND: Although cerebral lesions 3 mm or larger on imaging are associated with incident stroke, lesions smaller than 3 mm are typically ignored. OBJECTIVE: To examine stroke risks associated with subclinical brain lesions (<3 mm only, ≥3 mm only, and both sizes) and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs). DESIGN: Community cohort from the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) Study. SETTING: Two ARIC sites with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 1993 to 1995...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Hyperintense vessels on baseline FLAIR MR imaging of patients with ischemic stroke have been linked to leptomeningeal collateralization, yet the ability of these to maintain viable ischemic tissue remains unclear. We investigated whether hyperintense vessels on FLAIR are associated with the severity of hypoperfusion and response to thrombolysis in patients treated with intravenous tissue-plasminogen activator. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients with ischemic stroke with an MR imaging before and within 24 hours of treatment, with proved vessel occlusion and available time-to-maximum maps were included (n = 62)...

OBJECTIVE: There is a recognized need to improve selection of patients with carotid artery stenosis for carotid endarterectomy (CEA). We assessed the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-defined carotid plaque hemorrhage (MRIPH) to predict recurrent ipsilateral cerebral ischemic events, and stroke in symptomatic carotid stenosis. METHODS: One hundred seventy-nine symptomatic patients with ≥ 50% stenosis were prospectively recruited, underwent carotid MRI, and were clinically followed up until CEA, death, or ischemic event...