scholarly journals Surface Electroencephalography (EEG) During the Acute Phase of Stroke to Assist With Diagnosis and Prediction of Prognosis: a Scoping Review.

Author(s):  
Lou Sutcliffe ◽  
Hannah Lumley ◽  
Lisa Shaw ◽  
Richard Francis ◽  
Christopher I. Price

Abstract BackgroundStroke is a common medical emergency responsible for significant mortality and disability. Early identification improves outcomes by promoting access to time-critical treatments such as thrombectomy for large vessel occlusion (LVO), whilst accurate prognosis could inform many acute management decisions. Surface electroencephalography (EEG) shows promise for stroke identification and outcome prediction, but evaluations have varied in technology, setting, population and purpose. This scoping review aimed to summarise published literature addressing the following questions:1. Can EEG during acute clinical assessment identify:a) Stroke versus non-stroke mimic conditionsb) Ischaemic versus haemorrhagic strokec) Ischaemic stroke due to LVO. 2. Can these states be identified if EEG is applied <6hrs since onset. 3. Does EEG during acute assessment predict clinical recovery following confirmed stroke.MethodsWe performed a systematic search of five bibliographic databases ending 19/10/2020. Two reviewers assessed eligibility of articles describing diagnostic and/or prognostic EEG application <72hrs since suspected or confirmed stroke. ResultsFrom 5892 abstracts, 210 full text articles were screened and 39 retained. Studies were small and heterogeneous. Amongst 21 reports of diagnostic data, consistent associations were reported between stroke, greater delta power, reduced alpha/beta power, corresponding ratios and greater brain asymmetry. When reported, the area under the curve (AUC) was at least good (0.81–1.00). Only one study combined clinical and EEG data (AUC 0.88). There was little data found describing whether EEG could identify ischaemic versus haemorrhagic stroke. Radiological changes suggestive of LVO were also associated with increased slow and decreased fast waves. The only study with angiographic proof of LVO reported AUC 0.86 for detection <24hrs since onset. Amongst 26 reports of prognostic data, increased slow and reduced fast wave EEG changes were associated with future dependency, neurological impairment, mortality and poor cognition, but there was little evidence that EEG enhanced outcome prediction relative to clinical and/or radiological variables. Only one study focussed solely on patients <6hrs since onset, for predicting neurological prognosis post-thrombolysis.ConclusionsAlthough studies report important associations with EEG biomarkers, further technological development and adequately powered real-world studies are required before recommendations can be made regarding application during acute stroke assessment.


2021 ◽  
pp. 159101992110191
Author(s):  
Muhammad Waqas ◽  
Weizhe Li ◽  
Tatsat R Patel ◽  
Felix Chin ◽  
Vincent M Tutino ◽  
...  

Background The value of clot imaging in patients with emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) treated with thrombectomy is unknown. Methods We performed retrospective analysis of clot imaging (clot density, perviousness, length, diameter, distance to the internal carotid artery (ICA) terminus and angle of interaction (AOI) between clot and the aspiration catheter) of consecutive cases of middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion and its association with first pass effect (FPE, TICI 2c-3 after a first attempt). Results Patients ( n = 90 total) with FPE had shorter clot length (9.9 ± 4.5 mm vs. 11.7 ± 4.6 mm, P = 0.07), shorter distance from ICA terminus (11.0 ± 7.1 mm vs. 14.7 ± 9.8 mm, P = 0.048), higher perviousness (39.39 ± 29.5 vs 25.43 ± 17.6, P = 0.006) and larger AOI (153.6 ± 17.6 vs 140.3 ± 23.5, P = 0.004) compared to no-FPE patients. In multivariate analysis, distance from ICA terminus to clot ≤13.5 mm (odds ratio (OR) 11.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.65–46.15, P = 0.001), clot length ≤9.9 mm (OR 7.34; 95% CI 1.8–29.96, P = 0.005), perviousness ≥ 19.9 (OR 2.54, 95% CI 0.84–7.6, P = 0.09) and AOI ≥ 137°^ (OR 6.8, 95% CI 1.55–29.8, P = 0.011) were independent predictors of FPE. The optimal cut off derived using Youden’s index was 6.5. The area under the curve of a score predictive of FPE success was 0.816 (0.728–0.904, P < 0.001). In a validation cohort ( n = 30), sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of a score of 6–10 were 72.7%, 73.6%, 61.5% and 82.3%. Conclusions Clot imaging predicts the likelihood of achieving FPE in patients with MCA ELVO treated with the aspiration-first approach.



2021 ◽  
pp. injuryprev-2020-044092
Author(s):  
Éric Tellier ◽  
Bruno Simonnet ◽  
Cédric Gil-Jardiné ◽  
Marion Lerouge-Bailhache ◽  
Bruno Castelle ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo predict the coast-wide risk of drowning along the surf beaches of Gironde, southwestern France.MethodsData on rescues and drownings were collected from the Medical Emergency Center of Gironde (SAMU 33). Seasonality, holidays, weekends, weather and metocean conditions were considered potentially predictive. Logistic regression models were fitted with data from 2011 to 2013 and used to predict 2015–2017 events employing weather and ocean forecasts.ResultsAir temperature, wave parameters, seasonality and holidays were associated with drownings. Prospective validation was performed on 617 days, covering 232 events (rescues and drownings) reported on 104 different days. The area under the curve (AUC) of the daily risk prediction model (combined with 3-day forecasts) was 0.82 (95% CI 0.79 to 0.86). The AUC of the 3-hour step model was 0.85 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.88).ConclusionsDrowning events along the Gironde surf coast can be anticipated up to 3 days in advance. Preventative messages and rescue preparations could be increased as the forecast risk increased, especially during the off-peak season, when the number of available rescuers is low.



2021 ◽  
pp. 089011712110113
Author(s):  
Jessica R. Thompson ◽  
Lauren R. Risser ◽  
Madeline N. Dunfee ◽  
Nancy E. Schoenberg ◽  
Jessica G. Burke

Objective: Appalachian women continue to die younger than in other US regions. We performed a rapid scoping review to summarize women’s health research in Appalachia from 2000 to 2019, including health topics, study populations, theoretical frameworks, methods, and findings. Data Source: We searched bibliographic databases (eg, PubMed, PsycINFO, Google Scholar) for literature focusing on women’s health in Appalachia. Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria: Included articles were: (1) on women’s health in Appalachia; (2) published January 2000 to June 2019; (3) peer-reviewed; and (4) written in English. We excluded studies without reported data findings. Data Extraction: Two coders reviewed articles for descriptive information to create summary tables comparing variables of interest. Data Synthesis: Two coders co-reviewed a sub-sample to ensure consensus and refine data charting categories. We categorized major findings across the social-ecological framework. Results: A search of nearly 2 decades of literature revealed 81 articles, which primarily focused on cancer disparities (49.4%) and prenatal/pregnancy outcomes (23.5%). Many of these research studies took place in Central Appalachia (eg, 42.0% in Kentucky) with reproductive or middle-aged women (82.7%). Half of the studies employed quantitative methods, and half used qualitative methods, with few mixed method or community-engaged approaches (3.7%). Nearly half (40.7%) did not specify a theoretical framework. Findings included complex multi-level factors with few articles exploring the co-occurrence of factors across multiple levels. Conclusions: Future studies should: 1) systematically include Appalachian women at various life stages from under-represented sub-regions; 2) expand the use of rigorous methods and specified theoretical frameworks to account for complex interactions of social-ecological factors; and 3) build upon existing community assets to improve health in this vulnerable population.



2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haowen Jiang ◽  
Sunitha Vimalesvaran ◽  
Jeremy King Wang ◽  
Kee Boon Lim ◽  
Sreenivasulu Reddy Mogali ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Virtual reality (VR) is a digital education modality that produces a virtual manifestation of the real world and it has been increasingly used in medical education. As VR encompasses different modalities, tools and applications, there is a need to explore how VR has been employed in medical education. OBJECTIVE The objective of this scoping review is to map existing research on the use of VR in undergraduate medical education and to identify areas of future research METHODS We performed a search of 4 bibliographic databases in December 2020, with data extracted using a standardized data extraction form. The data was narratively synthesized and reported in line with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. RESULTS Of 114 included studies, 69 studies (61%) reported the use of commercially available surgical VR simulators. Other VR modalities included 3D models (15 [14%]) and virtual worlds (20 [18%]), mainly used for anatomy education. Most of the VR modalities included were semi-immersive (68 [60%]) and of high interactivity (79 [70%]). There is limited evidence on the use of more novel VR modalities such as mobile VR and virtual dissection tables (8 [7%]), as well as the use of VR for training of non-surgical and non-psychomotor skills (20 [18%]) or in group setting (16 [14%]). Only 3 studies reported the use conceptual frameworks or theories in the design of VR. CONCLUSIONS Despite extensive research available on VR in medical education, there continues to be important gaps in the evidence. Future studies should explore the use of VR for the development of non-psychomotor skills and in areas other than surgery and anatomy.



Author(s):  
Kiana Moussavi ◽  
Mohammad Moussavi

Introduction : Hospital medical emergencies are prone to inefficiencies related to delayed dissemination of information, communication error, role confusion, and delayed decision making. The use of medical codes is intended to convey emergent and essential information quickly while preventing stress and mismanagement. The more complex, critical, and time sensitive an event is, the greater the need to establish a Code. Major mechanical thrombectomy (MT) trials published in 2015 and 2016 proved emergent MT to be more effective compared to IV tPA in stroke patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO). It has been proven that time to reperfusion with MT is directly proportional to severity of patient outcomes, coining the phrase, “save a minute, save a week”. When compared to the use of percutaneous intervention (PCI) in the treatment of STEMI, the number needed to treat for MT is estimated at 5 compared to 16 for PCI. Despite this fact, most hospitals have yet to adopt a code specific to MT. Our Purpose is to emphasize the importance of establishing a dedicated Code NI (Neuro‐Intervention) for stroke patients who require MT by sharing our Methods : After defining the problems, measuring the need, and analyzing the process, we identified the urgency for improvements in our facility. The administration was persuaded to support us in implementation of improvements after realizing the success of MT trials in patient outcomes, length of stay, hospital rankings, Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification, and insurance company compensation. Results : In early 2018, after many presentations and meetings, it was decided to implement “Code NI” for acute stroke patients who met MT criteria. Many teams and individuals including Neurointervention, Neuroradiology, Angio Suite, Anesthesia, ICU, Bed management, and transport were alerted. Following these implementations, from 2018 to 2021, our Door to Puncture Time and Puncture to Recanalization Time has been trending down from 219 to 120; and 261 to 147 minutes respectively. Conclusions : Approximately 70% of stroke patients with LVO have the potential of a meaningful recovery if treated efficiently and effectively. Establishing a “Code NI” for this time sensitive medical emergency helps the patients, their families, hospitals, and society.



2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 670-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Ali Raza ◽  
Clara M Barreira ◽  
Gabriel M Rodrigues ◽  
Michael R Frankel ◽  
Diogo C Haussen ◽  
...  

BackgroundAge, neurologic deficits, core volume (CV), and clinical core or radiographic mismatch are considered in selection for endovascular therapy (ET) in anterior circulation emergent large vessel occlusion (aELVO). Semiquantitative CV estimation by Alberta Stroke Programme Early CT Score (CT ASPECTS) and quantitative CV estimation by CT perfusion (CTP) are both used in selection paradigms.ObjectiveTo compare the prognostic value of CTP CV with CT ASPECTS in aELVO.MethodsPatients in an institutional endovascular registry who had aELVO, pre-ET National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, non-contrast CT head and CTP imaging, and prospectively collected 3-month modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score were included. Age- and NIHSS-adjusted models, including either CT ASPECTS or CTP volumes (relative cerebral blood flow <30% of normal tissue, total hypoperfusion, and radiographic mismatch), were compared using receiver operator characteristic analyses.ResultsWe included 508 patients with aELVO (60.8% M1 middle cerebral artery, 34% internal carotid artery, mean age 64.1±15.3 years, median baseline NIHSS score 16 (12–20), median baseline CT ASPECTS 8 (7–9), mean CV 16.7±24.8 mL). Age, pre-ET NIHSS, CT ASPECTS, CV, hypoperfusion, and perfusion imaging mismatch volumes were predictors of good outcome (mRS score 0–2). There were no differences in prognostic accuracies between reference (age, baseline NIHSS, CT ASPECTS; area under the curve (AUC)=0.76) and additional models incorporating combinations of age, NIHSS, and CTP metrics including CV, total hypoperfusion or mismatch volume (AUCs 0.72–0.75). Predicted outcomes from CT ASPECTS or CTP CV-based models had excellent agreement (R2=0.84, p<0.001).ConclusionsIncorporating CTP measures of core or penumbral volume, instead of CT ASPECTS, did not improve prognostication of 3-month outcomes, suggesting prognostic equivalence of CT ASPECTS and CTP CV.



Author(s):  
Monique de Wit ◽  
Nicola Ann Plastow

Poor quality preschool teacher training is a significant contributor to children not achieving school readiness. With technological development, electronic and mobile learning offer accessible and affordable options for this training, however, there is a lack of design evidence for the African context. This interdisciplinary education- and computer-science study aims to provide evidence-based recommendations for improving the usability of mLearning modules for preschool teachers in Africa. A scoping review guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, the PRISMA reporting guidelines for scoping reviews, and Levac et al. guidelines, was conducted. Databases searched included Africa Wide Information, ERIC, CIHNAL, and Academic Search Premier. Two researchers completed a blind-review process for article inclusion and framework analysis, using 10 usability attributes with inductive grouping of data under each attribute to form sub-categories. Overlapping themes were coded to formulate usability recommendations within WeftQDA. The search yielded 909 articles and, after title and abstract screening, 123 were selected for full text review. Seventeen articles (n=17) met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final review. All studies included an African partner, and largely included part-time learning for degree purposes and professional development using mLearning, eLearning, and videos. Nineteen recommendations were developed to improve the usability of mLearning training applications for preschool teachers in Africa, with contextual relevance emerging as a new usability attribute. Development of mLearning training modules for preschool teachers in Africa should include user centred design, heuristic evaluation and usability assessment, to ensure the sustainability of both mLearning and change in classroom teaching practices.



2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 196-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kessarin Panichpisal ◽  
Kenneth Nugent ◽  
Maharaj Singh ◽  
Richard Rovin ◽  
Reji Babygirija ◽  
...  

Background: Early identification of patients with acute ischemic strokes due to large vessel occlusions (LVO) is critical. We propose a simple risk score model to predict LVO. Method: The proposed scale (Pomona Scale) ranges from 0 to 3 and includes 3 items: gaze deviation, expressive aphasia, and neglect. We reviewed a cohort of all acute stroke activation patients between February 2014 and January 2016. The predictive performance of the Pomona Scale was determined and compared with several National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) cutoffs (≥4, ≥6, ≥8, and ≥10), the Los Angeles Motor Scale (LAMS), the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Severity (CPSS) scale, the Vision Aphasia and Neglect Scale (VAN), and the Prehospital Acute Stroke Severity Scale (PASS). Results: LVO was detected in 94 of 776 acute stroke activations (12%). A Pomona Scale ≥2 had comparable accuracy to predict LVO as the VAN and CPSS scales and higher accuracy than Pomona Scale ≥1, LAMS, PASS, and NIHSS. A Pomona Scale ≥2 had an accuracy (area under the curve) of 0.79, a sensitivity of 0.86, a specificity of 0.70, a positive predictive value of 0.71, and a negative predictive value of 0.97 for the detection of LVO. We also found that the presence of either neglect or gaze deviation alone had comparable accuracy of 0.79 as Pomona Scale ≥2 to detect LVO. Conclusion: The Pomona Scale is a simple and accurate scale to predict LVO. In addition, the presence of either gaze deviation or neglect also suggests the possibility of LVO.



Stroke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharjeel Panjwani ◽  
Julie Shawver ◽  
Syed F Zaidi ◽  
Mouhammad A Jumaa

Back Ground: Rapid Arterial Occlusion Evaluation Scale (RACE) was first instituted in Barcelona and described in 2014 to successfully assess stroke severity and identify patients with acute stroke with large vessel occlusion (LVO) at pre-hospital setting by medical emergency technicians. Objective: We instituted Rapid Arterial Occlusion Evaluation Scale (RACE) hospital bypass protocol (RA) in Lucas county, Ohio since July 2015. Our aim in this study is to evaluate the sensitivity of our RACE protocol in identifying cerebro-vascular accidents and furthermore to identify ischemic CVAs from the cohort. Method: All county EMS personnel (N=464) underwent training in the Rapid Arterial Occlusion Evaluation (RACE) score. The RACE Alert (RA) protocol, whereby patients with stroke symptoms, who were last seen normal less than 12 hours and had a RACE score ≥5 were taken to a facility that has neuro-interventional capacity, was implemented in July 2015. An IRB approved prospective DB was maintained during that period. Patient’s stroke characteristics, type of acute treatment and final diagnosis on discharge were reviewed for the purpose of this abstract. Our results were comparable to the Spanish study done in Barcelona in 2014. Results: Between Jul 2016-Jun 2016 186 RAs were activated. The discharge diagnoses included ischemic stroke N=91 (49%), ICH N=26 (14%) and TIA N=17(9%). The rate of stroke mimic was N=52 (28%) of the total RACE alerts. These included seizures (12%), metabolic encephalotpathy (12%) and others including sepsis and migraines. Of the patients presenting as RA, 33% underwent IV tPA treatment ± mechanical thrombectomy. Conclusion: Results from our prospective county wide data is comparable to prior studies. RACE score may be scalable to other EMS systems to triage potential LVOs for direct transfer to centers with interventional capabilities.



Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sana Somani ◽  
Melissa Gazi ◽  
Michael Minor ◽  
Joe Acker ◽  
Abimbola Fadairo ◽  
...  

Introduction: The Emergency Medical Stroke Assessment (EMSA) is a six point stroke severity scale with one point each for gaze preference, facial droop, arm drift, leg drift, abnormal naming, and abnormal repetition that was developed to help emergency medical services (EMS) providers identify acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO). We hypothesized that the EMSA would detect left hemisphere LVO with a higher sensitivity than right hemisphere LVO. Methods: We trained 24 trauma system-based emergency communication center (ECC) paramedics in the EMSA. ECC-guided EMS in performance of the EMSA on patients with suspected stroke. We compared the sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC), and 95% confidence interval (CI) of ECC-guided prehospital EMSA for right versus left hemisphere ICA or M1 occlusion. Results: We enrolled 569 patients from September 2016 through February 2018, out of which 236 had a discharge diagnosis of stroke and 173 had a diagnosis of AIS. We excluded patients with bilateral (n=21) and brainstem (n=21) AIS. There were 64 patients with left hemisphere AIS including 19 with LVO. There were 67 patients with right hemisphere AIS including 22 with LVO. A score of ≥ 4 points yielded a sensitivity of 84.2 (95% CI = 60.4-96.6) and specificity of 66.7 (51.1-80.0) for left hemisphere LVO compared to a sensitivity of 68.2 (45.1-86.1) and specificity of 73.9 (58.9-85.7) for right hemisphere LVO. For predicting a left hemisphere LVO, the AUC was 0.77 (0.65-0.90) compared to 0.66 (0.50-0.82) for right-sided LVO. Assigning 2 points for abnormal gaze yielded an AUC of 0.78 (0.66-0.91) versus 0.67 (0.52-0.83) for left and right hemisphere LVO, respectively. Conclusions: The EMSA, like the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) upon which it is based, is more sensitive to left compared to right hemisphere LVO. More heavily weighting abnormal gaze did not improve the sensitivity of the EMSA for right hemisphere LVO. There is no comparable data on the right versus left hemisphere performance of other prehospital scales. There is a need to develop sensitive tests of right hemisphere dysfunction that are suitable for use in the field.



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