Objective To investigate the association of the total burden of cerebral small vessel disease （CSVD） with the level of tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α） and prognosis in patients with ischemic stroke （AIS）. Methods A total of 120 patients with AIS who were admitted to our hospital from January 2022 to December 2023 were enrolled as subjects， and all patients underwent cranial MRI scanning. Baseline data and TNF-α level were compared between the patients with different total burden scores of CSVD， and the correlation between TNF-α level and CSVD total burden score was analyzed. TNF-α level and CSVD total burden score were compared between the AIS patients with different prognoses to investigate the influence of TNF-α and CSVD total burden score on the short-term prognosis of AIS， as well as their value in predicting the short-term prognosis of AIS. Results There were significant differences in age， the proportion of patients with hyperlipidemia， the proportion of patients with smoking， and the levels of TNF-α and Hcy between the patients with different CSVD total burden scores （P<0.05）. The level of TNF-α was positively correlated with the number of lacunar cerebral infarcts， Fazekas score of white matter lesions， and EPV score （r=0.654， 0.775， 0.820， P<0.05）， but it had no linear correlation with the number of cerebral microbleeds （r=-0.035，P>0.05）. The logistic regression analysis showed that before correction， age， hyperlipidemia， smoking， TNF-α，and Hcy were significantly correlated with lacunar infarction， white matter lesions， EPV severity， cerebral microbleeds，and CSVD total burden score （P<0.05）， and after correction， TNF-α was still significantly correlated with lacunar infarction， white matter lesions，cerebral microbleeds， EPV severity， and CSVD total burden scores （P<0.05）. There were significant differences in CSVD total burden score and TNF-α between the patients with a good prognosis and those with a poor prognosis（P<0.05）.TNF-α combined with CSVD total burden score had the largest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve（AUC） of 0.912 in predicting the short-term prognosis of AIS，which was significantly higher than the AUC of TNF-α or CSVD total burden score used alone（P<0.05）. Conclusion The increase in TNF-α level has a certain relationship with CSVD total burden score and short-term prognosis in AIS patients， and the combination of TNF-α level and CSVD total burden score has a relatively high clinical application value in predicting the short-term prognosis of AIS patients.
Prognosis

Objective To investigate the association between the pattern of carotid artery calcification and the prognosis of patients with acute cerebral infarction after 3 months of treatment. Methods A total of 112 patients who were diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke （AIS） in our hospital from March 2021 to September 2022 were enrolled as subjects. CT angiography was performed within 24 hours after admission， and the carotid artery was assessed in terms of calcification pattern （no calcification， intimal calcification， and medial calcification） and calcification load （low and high calcification）. After 7 days of treatment， CT reexamination was performed to evaluate hemorrhagic transformation and infarct volume. The patients were followed up for 3 months， and according to the modified Rankin Scale （mRS） score， they were divided into good prognosis group （82 patients with an mRS score of <3 points） and poor prognosis group （30 patients with an mRS score of ≥3 points）. Results Compared with the good prognosis group， the poor prognosis group had a significantly higher proportion of patients with an age of ≥70 years， a mean systolic blood pressure of ≥165 mmHg， a fasting blood glucose level of ≥7.5 mmol/L， an NIHSS score of ≥12 on admission， intimal calcification， medial calcification， high calcification， hemorrhagic transformation， and an infarct volume of ≥50 mm3 （P<0.05）. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that NIHSS score ≥12 on admission， intimal calcification， hemorrhagic transformation， and infarct volume ≥50 mm3 were risk factors for poor prognosis （P<0.05）. Conclusion Intimal calcification of the carotid artery may be associated with the poor short-term prognosis of AIS patients， which can be used as a new noninvasive indicator for predicting prognosis.
Prognosis

摘要 目的 探讨孤立性基底节区腔隙性脑梗死早期神经功能恶化（END）的相关影响因素。方法 连续性收集2020年1月—2023年12月就诊于郑州大学人民医院的孤立性基底节区腔隙性脑梗死患者236例，临床资料完整，根据是否出现END将患者分为END组59例及非END组177例，比较患者一般资料，使用多因素二元Logistic回归分析基底节区腔隙性脑梗死患者发生END的影响因素。结果 急性孤立性基底节区腔隙性脑梗死END发生率为25%（59/236），END组病灶累及内囊后肢患者比例、入院NIHSS评分、HbA1c水平、收缩压、女性均高于非END组，两组比较差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。多因素二元Logistic回归模型分析显示病灶累及内囊后肢（OR=3.167，95%CI 1.305~7.690，P=0.011）是END发生的独立危险因素，HbA1c水平（OR=6.368，95%CI 1.555~26.075，P=0.010）、入院NIHSS评分（OR=2.019，95%CI 1.236~3.299，P=0.005）、收缩压（OR=1.626，95%CI 1.373~1.926，P<0.001）是END发生的相关危险因素。结论 孤立性基底节区腔隙性脑梗死END发生率较高，与病灶累及内囊后肢、入院NIHSS评分高、HbA1c水平升高、收缩压高相关。 Abstract Objective To identify influencing factors for early neurological deterioration （END） in isolated basal ganglia lacunar infarction （iBGLI）. Methods Clinical data were continuously collected from 236 patients with iBGLI confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging between January 2020 and December 2023. The patients were divided into END group （n=59） and non-ED group （n=177） according to the presence or absence of END. General patient information was compared between the two groups， and factors influencing the occurrence of END in patients with iBGLI were identified by multivariate binary logistic regression. Results The incidence of END in acute iBGLI was 25% （59/236）. The percentage of patients with lesions affecting the posterior limb of the internal capsule， admission NIHSS score， HbA1c level， systolic blood pressure， and number of females were significantly higher in the END group than in the non-END group （all P<0.05）. Multivariate binary logistic regression showed that lesions affecting the posterior limb of the internal capsule （odds ratio （OR=3.167，95%CI 1.305~7.690，P=0.011） was an independent risk factor for the development of END，whereas HbA1c level（OR=6.368，95%CI 1.555~26.075，P=0.010）， admission NIHSS score（OR=2.019，95%CI 1.236~3.299， P=0.005）， and systolic blood pressure（OR=1.626，95%CI 1.373~1.926，P<0.001） were associated risk factors for END. Conclusion The higher incidence of END in iBGLI is associated with lesions affecting the posterior limb of the internal capsule， admission NIHSS score， HbA1c level， and systolic blood pressure.
Prognosis

Stroke is a cerebrovascular disease with high fatality and disability rates， which brings heavy psychological burden along with physical disorder to patients. In recent years， transcranial magnetic stimulation （TMS） has attracted great attention in the research on functional prognosis of stroke patients. TMS can reveal the degree of corticospinal tract injury from a neurophysiological point of view and provide key information for functional recovery， and it is widely used in the rehabilitation treatment of post-stroke dysfunction. This article reviews the basic principle， classification， mechanism of TMS in promoting functional recovery of stroke， as well as its application in rehabilitation treatment， so as to lay a foundation for individualized neurological rehabilitation and improve the long-term prognosis of patients to the largest extent.
Stroke ; Prognosis

Objective To investigate the risk factors for early neurological deterioration in mild acute ischemic stroke，to construct a clinical predictive model，and to perform internal validation of this model. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for 739 patients with mild acute ischemic stroke who were admitted to Department of Neurology，Kuntong Hospital of Zunhua，from October 2020 to December 2023，and they were randomly divided into a training set with 534 patients （72.3%） and a validation set with 205 patients （27.7%） at a ratio of 7∶3. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed for the training set to determine the risk factors for early neurological deterioration in mild acute ischemic stroke. A clinical predictive model was constructed，and internal validation was performed in terms of discriminatory ability，calibration，and clinical decision making. A nomogram was plotted. Results The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that female sex （OR=1.87，95% CI 1.14~3.09，P=0.014），time window ≤6 hours （OR=3.10，95%CI 1.56~6.19，P=0.001），a baseline NIHSS score of 2 points （OR=3.72，95%CI 1.30~10.61，P=0.014），a baseline NIHSS score of 3 points （OR=4.24，95%CI 1.45~12.35，P=0.008），a TOAST classification of large artery atherosclerosis （OR=3.88，95%CI 2.20~6.83，P<0.001），and the responsible arteries of the basilar artery，the middle cerebral artery，and the internal carotid artery （OR=8.39，95%CI 2.28~30.85，P=0.001； OR=6.22，95%CI 1.78~21.71，P=0.004； OR=5.38，95%CI 1.15~25.13，P=0.032） were independent risk factors for early neurological deterioration in mild acute ischemic stroke. The clinical predictive model constructed showed a moderate discriminatory ability （AUC>0.7），good calibration （P>0.05） in the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test），and good clinical benefits in both the training set and the validation set. Conclusion This clinical predictive model can effectively predict the onset of early neurological deterioration in mild acute ischemic stroke and guide clinicians to make decisions，and therefore，it holds promise for clinical application.
Nomograms

Objective To investigate the clinical features and treatment of anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-IgG associated disorders （MOGAD） and the risk factors for recurrence and poor long-term prognosis. Methods A total of 91 patients who were diagnosed with MOGAD in The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2018 to March 2023 were enrolled，and their clinical features and auxiliary examinations were analyzed，as well as the risk factors for recurrence and long-term prognosis. Results Among the 91 patients，69 experienced the first attack of MOGAD，and there were 39 female patients and 47 children （aged<18 years）. The proportion of patients with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis among children was significantly higher than that among adults （42.6% vs 18.2%，P=0.012），while the proportion of patients with transverse myelitis among adults was significantly higher than that among children （29.5% vs 2.1%，P<0.001）. The proportion of patients receiving hormones combined with immunoglobulins during hospitalization among children was significantly higher than that among adults （36.2% vs 11.4%，P=0.006），and the children had a significantly better Expanded Disability Status Scale （EDSS） score than the adults at discharge [1（0，1） vs 2（0，4.75），P=0.007]. Visual impairment was an independent risk factor for increased recurrence risk （OR=4.215，95%CI 1.236-14.377，P=0.022）. A higher EDSS score at discharge （OR=5.05，95%CI 1.27-20.07，P=0.021） and a higher number of attacks （OR=9.235，95%CI 1.352-63.10，P=0.023） were independent factors for poor long-term prognosis，while a steroid maintenance time of >5 weeks at initial diagnosis （OR=0.001，95%CI 0.00-0.33，P=0.001） was an independent factor for improving long-term prognosis. Conclusion For patients newly diagnosed with MOGAD，especially those with a high EDSS score at discharge and features indicating a high risk of recurrence （such as visual impairment），it is recommended that they receive an appropriate course of steroid maintenance treatment after acute-stage treatment.
Recurrence ; Prognosis

Objective To investigate the association between beat-to-beat blood pressure variability（BPV）and prognosis in patients with acute ischemic stroke（AIS）undergoing mechanical thrombectomy（MT）. Methods A retrospective study was conducted among 52 AIS patients who underwent MT in Stroke Center of The First Hospital of Jilin University，and beat-to-beat BPV was monitored during hospitalization. The patients were followed up to observe modified Rankin Scale（mRS）score on day 90 after disease onset，and the patients were divided into good prognosis group（mRS≤1）and poor prognosis group（mRS>1）. The two groups were compared in terms of beat-to-beat BPV during hospitalization. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between beat-to-beat BPV and prognosis. Results Compared with the good prognosis group，the poor prognosis group had significantly higher beat-to-beat successive variation（SV）and average real variability（ARV）of systolic blood pressure（SBP）[SBP-SV： 2.63（1.84，3.48）vs 3.28（2.87，4.08），P=0.032； SBP-ARV： 2.06（1.30，2.55）vs 2.59（2.23，3.53），P=0.006]. After adjustment for confounding factors such as age，sex，risk factors for stroke，and baseline NIHSS score，the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that beat-to-beat SBP-SV（OR=2.760，95%CI 1.168-6.522，P=0.021）and SBP-ARV（OR=3.916，95%CI 1.278-12.002，P=0.017）were associated with the poor prognosis of patients. Conclusion Beat-to-beat BPV is independently associated with 90-day poor prognosis in AIS patients undergoing MT，and therefore，it can be used as a predictive factor for prognosis.
Prognosis

Objective Sentinel headache（SH） refers to new-onset headache or existing headache with altered characteristics that occurs within seven days before stroke in patients， and this study aims to investigate the incidence rate and clinical features of SH in stroke patients and its association with prognosis. Methods A total of 145 stroke patients who were admitted to Department of Neurology， The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University， from August 2022 to April 2023 were enrolled based on inclusion/exclusion criteria， and general information was collected. According to the presence or absence of SH， they were divided into headache and control group. The features of SH were summarized， and follow-up was performed after 1 year to analyze the association between SH and prognosis. Results Among the 145 patients with stroke，30（20.7%） developed SH， with the subtypes of intracerebral hemorrhage（9 patients， 25.7%）， cerebral infarction （15 patients，18.9%）， transient ischemic attack（3 patients，14.3%）， and subarachnoid hemorrhage （3 patients， 30.0%）. Conclusion SH may occur in all stroke patients， with a prevalence rate of 20.7%. The manifestations of SH include migraine-like headache， tension-type headache， and cluster-like headache. The results of this study do not establish an association between SH and 1-year prognosis in stroke patients，and further studies are needed in the future.
Stroke ; Prognosis

Objective To investigate the prognosis of patients with brain abscess and related influencing factors. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted for the patients with brain abscess who were consecutively admitted to Department of Neurology， Xijing Hospital of Air Force Medical University， from January 2010 to March 2022， and according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale（GOS） score at discharge， the patients were divided into good prognosis group （GOS score>3 points） and poor prognosis group（GOS score≤3 points）. The t-test， the Wilcoxon rank-sum test， the chi-square test， and the Logistic regression analysis were used to investigate the influencing factors for prognosis. Results Among the 173 patients with brain abscess，69（39.9%） had a poor prognosis， and 104 （60.1%） had a good prognosis. There were significant differences between the two groups in age， headache， seizure， coma events， focal neurological deficits， dexamethasone treatment， and cerebellar abscess （P<0.05）.The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age （OR=0.042，95%CI 1.001‒1.041，P=0.042）， seizure（OR=2.881，95%CI 1.172‒7.083，P=0.021）， and coma events （OR=2.694， 95%CI 1.195‒6.072， P=0.017） were significant predictive factors for poor prognosis. Conclusion Age， seizure， and coma events are major factors associated with poor prognosis. Age is an uncontrollable factor， and therefore， timely prevention and management of seizure and coma events can reduce the incidence rate of poor prognosis.
Prognosis

Objective To investigate the influence of comorbidities on the prognosis of patients with status epilepticus， to develop Improved Comorbidity Burden Index （ICBI） based on Comorbidity Burden Index （CBI）， and to analyze the practicality of ICBI in assessing nonconvulsive status epilepticus in western China.Methods A total of 396 patients with status epilepticus who were treated in Department of Neurology， Intensive Care Unit， and Emergency Department， West China Hospital， Sichuan University， from December 2016 to December 2022 were enrolled， and all patients met the latest diagnostic criteria for status epilepticus issued by the International League Against Epilepsy （2015 edition）. SPSS 22.0 was used to perform a statistical analysis， and a Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors for in-hospital death and poor prognosis （with a Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 1-3）. CBI score was modified into ICBI score， with the addition of three comorbidities （immune system disorder， thyroid dysfunction， and hypoproteinemia） and consolidation of overlapping items， and the total score was calculated with each comorbidity contributing 1 score. The MedCalc-generated receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to analyze predictive value， and the area under the ROC curve （AUC） was used to reflect the diagnostic value of ICBI scale.Results Among the 396 patients with status epilepticus included in the study， 43 （10.9%） died in hospital and 114 （28.8%） had a poor prognosis. Digestive system diseases， respiratory system diseases， kidney and urinary system diseases， electrolyte/acid-base imbalance， infection， and immune system disorders were risk factors for in-hospital death of patients with status epilepticus. Digestive system diseases， respiratory system diseases， kidney and urinary system diseases， electrolyte/acid-base imbalance， hypoglycemia/hyperglycemia， infection， coagulation and blood disorders， nervous system disease， cardiovascular diseases， musculoskeletal disorders， and immune system disorders were risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with status epilepticus. The ROC curve analysis showed that ICBI>3 had an AUC of 0.914 in predicting in-hospital death， with a specificity of 71.37% and a sensitivity of 97.67% （P<0.000 1）， and ICBI>3 had an AUC of 0.882 in predicting poor prognosis， with a specificity of 81.56% and a sensitivity of 79.82% （P<0.000 1）. There were 327 patients with convulsive status epilepticus， among whom 41 patients died， and ICBI>3 had an AUC of 0.915 in predicting in-hospital death （P<0.000 1）. There were 100 patients with a poor prognosis， and ICBI>3 had an AUC of 0.867 in predicting poor prognosis （P<0.000 1）.Conclusion The in-hospital mortality rate is 10.9% in patients with status epilepticus in Sichuan， China， and ICBI>3 has a certain value in predicting in-hospital death and poor prognosis in patients with status epilepticus. There is no significant difference in ICBI score between convulsive status epilepticus and nonconvulsive status epilepticus.
Prognosis