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Biomedical subjects

Vladimir Hachinski

Publications and source records attributed to Vladimir Hachinski.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Effects of thrombolysis for acute stroke in patients with pre-existing disability.

BACKGROUND: Thrombolysis for acute stroke is beneficial in selected patients. Because clinical trials generally exclude patients with pre-existing disability, this subgroup of patients has not been studied. We examined the outcomes after thrombolysis of patients with and without disability before their stroke. METHODS: We prospectively followed 112 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke who were given intravenous thrombolysis treatment according to published protocols. Three-month outcomes of the patients with pre-existing disability (defined as a prestroke score of 2 or more on the modified Rankin scale [MRS]) were compared with those of patients without pre-existing disability (defined as a prestroke MRS score of 0 or 1) and with those of 168 patients similarly treated in the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke trial. RESULTS: At 3 months after the stroke, patients with pre-existing disability (21% of the 112) had a higher mortality rate than those without (33% v. 14%) (odds ratio 3.2, 95% confidence interval 1.0-10.1) and worse function (median MRS score 3 v. 2, p = 0.03). However, there was little difference between the 2 groups in neurologic impairment among the survivors (median score on the National Institutes of Health stroke scale 4 v. 2, p = 0.41) or in the total proportion of those with an MRS score of 0 or 1 or, for those with a prestroke score greater than 1, a return to the prestroke score (42% v. 41%, p = 0.87). INTERPRETATION: Although the true effectiveness of thrombolysis for acute stroke in patients with pre-existing disability is not known, treated patients appear able to return to their prestroke level of function as often as patients without pre-existing disability, despite a significantly higher mortality rate.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Development and progression of leukoaraiosis in patients with brain ischemia and carotid artery disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Leukoaraiosis (LA) or the presence of white matter changes, a frequent finding on brain CT scans of elderly individuals, is a risk factor for stroke and vascular death. The aim of the study was to seek development and progression of LA and associated risk factors in patients with symptomatic carotid artery disease. METHODS: Presence and extent of LA were determined on entry and follow-up CT scans from 685 patients in the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial. RESULTS: Among 596 patients without LA at entry, 107 (18.0%) developed restricted LA and 18 (3.0%) developed widespread LA during a mean follow-up of 6.1 years (range, 3.0 to 9.6 years). Older age was associated significantly with LA development (P<0.001). History of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and intermittent claudication had weak associations with LA development. During follow-up, 36.0% of patients who developed LA had 1 or more strokes, particularly of the lacunar type, in comparison to 23.5% of patients who did not develop LA (P=0.01). In patients who developed LA, the percentage with small deep infarcts (diameter < or =1.5 cm) increased from 34.4% on entry to 45.6% on follow-up CT scans compared with no increase (20.4% and 20.4%, respectively) in patients who did not develop LA. Among 89 patients who had restricted LA at entry, 28 (31.5%) progressed to widespread LA. Progression was associated with occurrence of strokes. CONCLUSIONS: LA is common in elderly patients with symptomatic cerebrovascular disease. Its development and progression are associated with higher occurrence of strokes, mainly of the lacunar type.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2003

The population approach to stroke prevention: a Canadian perspective.

OBJECTIVES: To contrast the population and clinical approaches to stroke prevention and to review Canadian data relevant to estimating disease burden, assessing risk factors, designing preventive strategies and organizing health services. METHOD: A narrative review of the published literature and statistical data accessible through the Internet. MAIN FINDINGS: Unlike the clinical approach, which emphasizes individual patients at high risk diagnosed and treated intensively, usually by medical or surgical means (or both), a population approach focuses on the entire population and bases interventions on behavioural and environmental changes. Stroke offers a particularly promising target for prevention. It represents a leading cause of serious disability, death and reduced quality of life. The aging of our population threatens to increase the already considerable burden. Stroke shares several risk factors with other chronic diseases, especially ischemic heart disease. These risk factors vary in their impact on Canadians (population attributable risk proportion), which is a function of their prevalence and strength of association with the occurrence of stroke. Although effective preventive measures are available for people at high risk, they are not being applied systematically among potential beneficiaries. Small reductions in the exposure to risk factors in the entire population offer an alternative, where even modest success may translate into major gain. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical and population approaches to stroke prevention are complementary. Existing national strategies directed at promotion of healthy life-styles (especially physical activity) and hypertension control, when fully implemented, will reduce the frequency, severity and impact of stroke on Canadian society.

Canada↗
PubMed2002

Stroke-related dementia.

Three months after a stroke, one quarter to one third of patients meet operationalized criteria for dementia, and an even greater proportion have cognitive impairment short of dementia. A significant number of these patients had mental deterioration before the stroke, implying an underlying neurodegenerative process. Current diagnostic criteria do not reflect these facts, and in addition to artificially using cerebrovascular disease to differentiate Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, they do not allow researchers and clinicians to identify subjects at risk in the early stages of cognitive decline. To be clinically useful, a broader concept of cognitive impairment in the setting of vascular disease needs to be developed based on data collected prospectively using cohorts of stroke patients.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed2002

Idiopathic free-floating thrombus of the common carotid artery.

BACKGROUND: The observation of an intraluminal common carotid artery thrombus overlying a wall defect at ultrasonography or angiography is unusual. To our knowledge, there are no previous reports of a free-floating thrombus in the common carotid artery. CASE REPORT: A 45-year-old woman who was previously healthy and on no medications presented with acute hemiparesis and aphasia. Following testing that included carotid duplex and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, and digital subtraction angiography, the patient underwent emergency open embolectomy. No underlying wall defect was seen at the time of imaging or surgery. No obvious hypercoagulable state could be identified. Her NIH Stroke Scale score improved from 26 at admission to 2 at three months and 1 at one year. CONCLUSIONS: Multimodal imaging may have improved diagnosis and management in this patient with a unique finding. The source of the thrombus remains obscure.

Carotid Artery Diseases↗
PubMed2002

Cochrane corner.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed2002

Extending tissue plasminogen activator use to community and rural stroke patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Guidelines for intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) use in stroke emphasize the importance of limiting its use to facilities with imaging capabilities and stroke expertise. This prospective case series set out to evaluate the safety of tPA use in patients referred from rural communities to a tertiary center. METHODS: Prospective data of 82 consecutive patients treated with tPA in London, Ontario, were reviewed. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients were transferred to London from a rural hospital (non-London patients); 49 were first evaluated in a London emergency room (London ER); and 10 were inpatients in a London hospital at the time of stroke onset. Mean transfer time and distance to London for non-London patients were 89 minutes and 41 miles. Although symptom onset to London ER times were longer for non-London than for London ER patients (123 versus 53 minutes), the door to needle times were significantly shorter for the former (49 versus 95 minutes, P<0.005). Imaging to needle times were longer for London inpatients compared with London ER patients (55 versus 36 minutes, P=0.16). The proportion of patients with >4-point improvement on the NIH Stroke Scale or cure at 24 hours was 57%, with no difference among groups (P=0.46). The overall symptomatic hemorrhage rate at 36 hours was 2%. No significant differences in outcomes were observed at 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study suggests that it is feasible and safe to treat rural patients referred to a tertiary care center with tPA, thus extending the benefits of thrombolysis for acute stroke to a wider population.

Aged↗