NISAN - the National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences

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https://hdl.handle.net/10292/10244

Institute Director: Professor Valery Feigin

Deputy Director: Associate Professor Alice Theadom



The National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences (NISAN) conducts epidemiological studies and clinical trials to improve health and outcomes in people with major neurological disorders. Current research programmes focus on:
  • Stroke
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Neuromuscular disorders
Research with this aim is unique in New Zealand and NISAN is a hub for information sharing and developing a cohesive network between existing research and clinical groups with interests in:
  • Neuroepidemiology
  • Public health
  • Neurorehabilitation
  • Neuropsychology
  • Biostatistics

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Browsing NISAN - the National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences by Subject "3202 Clinical Sciences"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Assessing the Individual Risk of Stroke in Caregivers of Patients with Stroke
    (Georg Thieme Verlag KG, 2024-03-11) Marquez-Romero, Juan Manuel; Romo-Martínez, Jessica; Hernández-Curiel, Bernardo; Ruiz-Franco, Angélica; Krishnamurthi, Rita; Feigin, Valery
    BACKGROUND:  Genetic factors influence the risk of developing stroke. Still, it is unclear whether this risk is intrinsically high in certain people or if nongenetic factors explain it entirely. OBJECTIVE:  To compare the risk of stroke in kin and nonkin caregivers. METHODS:  In a cross-sectional study using the Stroke Riskometer app (AUT Ventures Limited, Auckland, AUK, New Zealand), we determined the 5- and 10-year stroke risk (SR) among caregivers of stroke inpatients. The degree of kinship was rated with a score ranging from 0 to 50 points. RESULTS:  We studied 278 caregivers (69.4% of them female) with a mean age of 47.5 ± 14.2 years. Kin caregivers represented 70.1% of the sample, and 49.6% of them were offspring. The median SR at 5 years was of 2.1 (range: 0.35-17.3) versus 1.73 (range: 0.04-29.9), and of 4.0 (range: 0.45-38.6) versus 2.94 (range: 0.05-59.35) at 10 years for the nonkin and kin caregivers respectively. In linear logistic regression controlled for the age of the caregivers, adding the kinship score did not increase the overall variability of the model for the risk at 5 years (R2 = 0.271; p = 0.858) nor the risk at 10 years (R2 = 0.376; p = 0.78). CONCLUSION:  Caregivers of stroke patients carry a high SR regardless of their degree of kinship.
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    Comparative Effectiveness of Decompressive Craniectomy Versus Craniotomy for Traumatic Acute Subdural Hematoma (CENTER-TBI): An Observational Cohort Study
    (Elsevier BV, 2023) van Essen, TA; van Erp, IAM; Lingsma, HF; Pisică, D; Yue, JK; Singh, RD; van Dijck, JTJM; Volovici, V; Younsi, A; Kolias, A; Peppel, LD; Heijenbrok-Kal, M; Ribbers, GM; Menon, DK; Hutchinson, PJA; Manley, GT; Depreitere, B; Steyerberg, EW; Maas, AIR; de Ruiter, GCW; Peul, WC; Åkerlund, C; Amrein, K; Andelic, N; Andreassen, L; Anke, A; Antoni, A; Audibert, G; Azouvi, P; Azzolini, ML; Bartels, R; Barzó, P; Beauvais, R; Beer, R; Bellander, BM; Belli, A; Benali, H; Berardino, M; Beretta, L; Blaabjerg, M; Bragge, P; Brazinova, A; Brinck, V; Brooker, J; Brorsson, C; Buki, A; Bullinger, M; Cabeleira, M; Caccioppola, A; Calappi, E; Calvi, MR; Cameron, P; Lozano, GC; Carbonara, M; Castaño-León, AM; Cavallo, S; Chevallard, G; Chieregato, A; Citerio, G; Clusmann, H; Coburn, MS; Coles, J; Cooper, JD; Correia, M; Čović, A; Curry, N; Czeiter, E; Czosnyka, M; Dahyot-Fizelier, C; Dark, P; Dawes, H; De Keyser, V; Degos, V; Della Corte, F; Boogert, HD; Đilvesi, Đ; Dixit, A; Donoghue, E; Dreier, J; Dulière, GL; Ercole, A; Esser, P; Ezer, E; Fabricius, M; Feigin, VL; Foks, K; Frisvold, S; Furmanov, A; Gagliardo, P; Galanaud, D; Gantner, D; Gao, G; George, P; Ghuysen, A; Giga, L; Glocker, B; Golubović, J; Gomez, PA; Gratz, J; Gravesteijn, B
    Background: Limited evidence existed on the comparative effectiveness of decompressive craniectomy (DC) versus craniotomy for evacuation of traumatic acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) until the recently published randomised clinical trial RESCUE-ASDH. In this study, that ran concurrently, we aimed to determine current practice patterns and compare outcomes of primary DC versus craniotomy. Methods: We conducted an analysis of centre treatment preference within the prospective, multicentre, observational Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (known as CENTER-TBI) and NeuroTraumatology Quality Registry (known as Net-QuRe) studies, which enrolled patients throughout Europe and Israel (2014–2020). We included patients with an ASDH who underwent acute neurosurgical evacuation. Patients with severe pre-existing neurological disorders were excluded. In an instrumental variable analysis, we compared outcomes between centres according to treatment preference, measured by the case-mix adjusted proportion DC per centre. The primary outcome was functional outcome rated by the 6-months Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended, estimated with ordinal regression as a common odds ratio (OR), adjusted for prespecified confounders. Variation in centre preference was quantified with the median odds ratio (MOR). CENTER-TBI is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02210221, and the Resource Identification Portal (Research Resource Identifier SCR_015582). Findings: Between December 19, 2014 and December 17, 2017, 4559 patients with traumatic brain injury were enrolled in CENTER-TBI of whom 336 (7%) underwent acute surgery for ASDH evacuation; 91 (27%) underwent DC and 245 (63%) craniotomy. The proportion primary DC within total acute surgery cases ranged from 6 to 67% with an interquartile range (IQR) of 12–26% among 46 centres; the odds of receiving a DC for prognostically similar patients in one centre versus another randomly selected centre were trebled (adjusted median odds ratio 2.7, p < 0.0001). Higher centre preference for DC over craniotomy was not associated with better functional outcome (adjusted common odds ratio (OR) per 14% [IQR increase] more DC in a centre = 0.9 [95% CI 0.7–1.1], n = 200). Primary DC was associated with more follow-on surgeries and complications [secondary cranial surgery 27% vs. 18%; shunts 11 vs. 5%]; and similar odds of in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR per 14% IQR more primary DC 1.3 [95% CI (1.0–3.4), n = 200]). Interpretation: We found substantial practice variation in the employment of DC over craniotomy for ASDH. This variation in treatment strategy did not result in different functional outcome. These findings suggest that primary DC should be restricted to salvageable patients in whom immediate replacement of the bone flap is not possible due to intraoperative brain swelling. Funding: Hersenstichting Nederland for the Dutch NeuroTraumatology Quality Registry and the European Union Seventh Framework Program.
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    Frequency and Predictors of Headache in the First 12 Months After Traumatic Brain Injury: Results from CENTER-TBI
    (BMC, 2024-03-25) Howe, Emilie Isager; Andelic, Nada; Brunborg, Cathrine; Zeldovich, Marina; Helseth, Eirik; Skandsen, Toril; Olsen, Alexander; Fure, Silje CR; Theadom, Alice; Rauen, Katrin; Madsen, Benedikte Å; Jacobs, Bram; van der Naalt, Joukje; Tartaglia, Maria Carmela; Einarsen, Cathrine Elisabeth; Storvig, Gøril; Tronvik, Erling; Tverdal, Cathrine; von Steinbüchel, Nicole; Røe, Cecilie; Hellstrøm, Torgeir; CENTER-TBI Participants and Investigators
    BACKGROUND: Headache is a prevalent and debilitating symptom following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Large-scale, prospective cohort studies are needed to establish long-term headache prevalence and associated factors after TBI. This study aimed to assess the frequency and severity of headache after TBI and determine whether sociodemographic factors, injury severity characteristics, and pre- and post-injury comorbidities predicted changes in headache frequency and severity during the first 12 months after injury. METHODS: A large patient sample from the Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) prospective observational cohort study was used. Patients were stratified based on their clinical care pathway: admitted to an emergency room (ER), a ward (ADM) or an intensive care unit (ICU) in the acute phase. Headache was assessed using a single item from the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire measured at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months after injury. Mixed-effect logistic regression analyses were applied to investigate changes in headache frequency and associated predictors. RESULTS: A total of 2,291 patients responded to the headache item at baseline. At study enrolment, 59.3% of patients reported acute headache, with similar frequencies across all strata. Female patients and those aged up to 40 years reported a higher frequency of headache at baseline compared to males and older adults. The frequency of severe headache was highest in patients admitted to the ICU. The frequency of headache in the ER stratum decreased substantially from baseline to 3 months and remained from 3 to 6 months. Similar trajectory trends were observed in the ICU and ADM strata across 12 months. Younger age, more severe TBI, fatigue, neck pain and vision problems were among the predictors of more severe headache over time. More than 25% of patients experienced headache at 12 months after injury. CONCLUSIONS: Headache is a common symptom after TBI, especially in female and younger patients. It typically decreases in the first 3 months before stabilising. However, more than a quarter of patients still experienced headache at 12 months after injury. Translational research is needed to advance the clinical decision-making process and improve targeted medical treatment for headache. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02210221.
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    Pragmatic Solutions to Reduce Global Stroke Burden: World Stroke Organization – Lancet Neurology Commission Report
    (S. Karger AG, 2023-11-23) Krishnamurthi, Rita V; Gall, Seana; Martins, Sheila O; Norrving, Bo; Pandian, Jeyaraj D; Feigin, Valery L; Owolabi, Mayowa O
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    Pragmatic Solutions to Reduce the Global Burden of Stroke: A World Stroke Organization-Lancet Neurology Commission
    (Elsevier, 2023-10-09) Feigin, Valery L; Owolabi, Mayowa O; World Stroke Organization–Lancet Neurology Commission Stroke Collaboration Group
  • Item
    Stroke Is Not an Accident: An Integrative Review on the Use of the Term ‘Cerebrovascular Accident’
    (S. Karger AG, 2024) Burns, Catherine; Sanders, Ailie; Sanders, Lauren M; Dalli, Lachlan L; Feigin, Valery; Cadilhac, Dominique A; Donnan, Geoffrey; Norrving, Bo; Olaiya, Muideen T; Nair, Balakrishnan; Henry, Nathan; Kilkenny, Monique F
    BACKGROUND: Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is an outdated term for describing stroke as it implies stroke is an accident. We conducted an integrative review to determine use of CVA in terms of 1) frequency in major medical journals over time; 2) associated publication characteristics (e.g., number of authors, senior author country, topic); and 3) frequency in medical records. METHODS: We searched Google Scholar for publications in leading neurology and vascular journals (Quartile 1) across two 5-year periods (1998-2002 and 2018-2022) using the terms "cerebrovascular accident" or "CVA." Two reviewers independently reviewed full-text publications and recorded the frequency of CVA use. Rates of use (per 1,000 articles/year) were calculated for each journal and time period. Associations of publication characteristics with CVA use were determined using multivariable logistic regression models. In addition, admission and discharge forms in the Auckland Regional Community Stroke Study (ARCOS V) were audited for frequency of use of the term CVA. RESULTS: Of the 1,643 publications retrieved, 1,539 were reviewed in full. Of these, CVA was used ≥1 time in 676 publications, and ≥2 times in 276 publications (129 in 1998-2002; 147 in 2018-2022). The terms CVA and stroke both appeared in 57% of publications where CVA was used ≥2 times in 1998-2002, compared to 65% in 2018-2022. Majority of publications were on the topic of stroke (22% in 1998-2002; 20% in 2018-2022). There were no associations between publication characteristics and the use of CVA. The highest rate of CVA use in 2018-2022 was in Circulation, and increased over time from 1.3 uses per 1,000 publications in 1998-2002 to 1.8 uses per 1,000 publications in 2018-2022. The largest reduction the use of CVA was in Neuroepidemiology (2.0 uses per 1,000 publications in 1998-2002 to 0 uses in 2018-2022). The term CVA was identified in 0.2% of stroke admission and discharge forms audited (17/7808). CONCLUSION: We found evidence of changes in the use of CVA in the scientific literature over the past two decades. Editors, authors and clinicians should avoid the use of the term CVA as it perpetuates the use of a non-specific, non-diagnostic, and non-scientific term.
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