Abstract TP117: NLR Does Not Predict The Development Of Delirium In AIS Stroke Patients With Higher Rates Of Reperfusion Therapies.

Stroke, Volume 53, Issue Suppl_1, Page ATP117-ATP117, February 1, 2022. Introduction:Stroke patients who develop delirium after their stroke can have worse cognitive and functional outcomes. Prior studies suggest that admission Neutrophil Lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is associated with the development of delirium in both ischemic (AIS) and hemorrhagic stroke geriatric patients. In this study we examine AIS patients for laboratory predictors of delirium.Methods:Between September 2019 and June 2021, patients diagnosed with AIS, within 48 hrs of last seen normal or time of onset and had expected mortality >1 month were prospectively evaluated for delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM)-ICU daily for the first 8 days of their hospital stay and at discharge. NLR ratio was derived from patients’ admission blood panel and were both evaluated as continuous variables and in quartiles.Results:During the study period, 213 patients were screened for delirium. Of these, 18 patients could not be evaluated by the CAM-ICU at any point during the first eight days and 99(50.5%) screened positive for delirium. Our patient population was younger and had higher rates of endovascular and thrombolytic therapy than prior studies. Similar to other studies, patients with delirium had more severe NIHSS score (Table 1), longer lengths of stay, were more likely to be discharged to inpatient rehab than home, and trended to higher inpatient mortality. However, there was no apparent association between NLR and the development of delirium.Conclusion:In our patient population of younger patients who were more likely to receive reperfusion therapies, we did not find that NLR is associated with delirium. These results warrant additional study, specifically if reperfusion therapies such as thrombectomy and thrombolysis change how the nature of delirium and its predictive variables.

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Febbraio 2022

Abstract WP118: Characteristics And Short-term Outcomes Of Delirium After Acute Ischemic Stroke

Stroke, Volume 53, Issue Suppl_1, Page AWP118-AWP118, February 1, 2022. Background:Delirium after acute ischemic stroke is a common clinical occurrence, associated with longer hospital admissions, worse functional outcomes, and increased mortality. We aim in a prospective study to assess the characteristics and risk factors for delirium after acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in a US population.Methods:Between September 2019 and June 2021, patients diagnosed with AIS within 48 hrs of stroke onset were prospectively evaluated for delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM)-ICU daily for the first eight days of their hospital stay. Patients with severe stroke and expected mortality within the first month at the time of admission or with severe aphasia unable to follow commands were excluded. Data regarding demographics, co-morbidities, hospital stay, stroke metrics, lab work, and medications were analyzed.Results:Over 12 non-consecutive months (due to pandemic interruptions), we evaluated 213 patients, of which 179 could be assessed with the CAM-ICU. Delirium was present in 89 (49.7%), occurring within the first 24 hours of admission in 33.6% and for longer than one day in 32.0%. There were no statistically significant differences in age, gender, race, co-morbidities, or TOAST etiology among patients with and without delirium (Table 1). Patients with delirium had higher NIHSS and were more likely to receive tPA. Patients with delirium were more likely to be discharged to inpatient rehabilitation facilities than home (p=0.05). Only patients with delirium had unexpected mortality after admission, but this statistic failed to show significance.Conclusion:In a cohort of AIS patients without significant expected mortality on admission, the incidence of delirium is high. Our study confirms prior results demonstrating higher inpatient mortality, longer hospital admissions among patients with delirium, and more delirium in patients receiving tPA.

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Febbraio 2022

Abstract WP116: A Pilot Study Of The Fluctuating Mental Status Evaluation: A Novel Delirium Screening Tool For Patients With Stroke

Stroke, Volume 53, Issue Suppl_1, Page AWP116-AWP116, February 1, 2022. Background:Delirium occurs frequently in patients with stroke but is often underrecognized. We aimed to develop a novel delirium screening tool designed specifically for stroke patients, and to test its feasibility and accuracy in a pilot study.Methods:We designed an easy-to-use 5-point instrument called the Fluctuating Mental Status Evaluation (FMSE) and tested it in a cohort of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) who had daily delirium assessments throughout their admission. Expert ratings were performed by an attending neurointensivist or behavioral neurologist each afternoon using DSM-5 criteria, and were derived from bedside assessments and clinical data from the preceding 24 hours. Paired FMSE assessments were performed by patients’ clinical nurses after brief training on the use of the tool. Nursing assessments were aggregated over 24-hour periods (including day and night shifts), and accuracy of the FMSE was analyzed on both a per-assessment day and per-patient basis.Results:Among the 40 enrolled patients (mean age 71.1±12.2, median initial NIHSS score 16.5 [IQR 12-20]), 34 experienced delirium during their hospitalization. There were 306 total coma-free days with paired assessments, of which 208 (68%) were rated as days with delirium. Compared to expert ratings, an FMSE score ≥1 had 86% sensitivity and 74% specificity on a per-day basis, while a score ≥2 had 68% sensitivity and 83% specificity. On a per-patient basis, a score ≥1 at any point during admission had 97% sensitivity and 67% specificity in identifying patients who experienced delirium, while a score ≥2 had 94% sensitivity and 67% specificity.Conclusion:The FMSE is a feasible delirium screening tool in ICH patients, with high real-world sensitivity and specificity. Based on these results, we plan to validate the tool in a larger, more diverse cohort of stroke patients, using score cutoffs of ≥1 as “possible” delirium and ≥2 as “probable” delirium.

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Febbraio 2022

Brain Network Dysfunction in Poststroke Delirium and Spatial Neglect: An fMRI Study

Stroke, Ahead of Print. Background and Purpose:Delirium, an acute reduction in cognitive functioning, hinders stroke recovery and contributes to cognitive decline. Right-hemisphere stroke is linked with higher delirium incidence, likely, due to the prevalence of spatial neglect (SN), a right-brain disorder of spatial processing. This study tested if symptoms of delirium and SN after right-hemisphere stroke are associated with abnormal function of the right-dominant neural networks specialized for maintaining attention, orientation, and arousal.Methods:Twenty-nine participants with right-hemisphere ischemic stroke undergoing acute rehabilitation completed delirium and SN assessments and functional neuroimaging scans. Whole-brain functional connectivity of 4 right-hemisphere seed regions in the cortical-subcortical arousal and attention networks was assessed for its relationship to validated SN and delirium severity measures.Results:Of 29 patients, 6 (21%) met the diagnostic criteria for delirium and 16 (55%) for SN. Decreased connectivity of the right basal forebrain to brain stem and basal ganglia predicted more severe SN. Increased connectivity of the arousal and attention network regions with the parietal, frontal, and temporal structures in the unaffected hemisphere was also found in more severe delirium and SN.Conclusions:Delirium and SN are associated with decreased arousal network activity and an imbalance of cortico-subcortical hemispheric connectivity. Better understanding of neural correlates of poststroke delirium and SN will lead to improved neuroscience-based treatment development for these disorders.

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Ottobre 2021

Impact of Delirium on Outcomes After Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Stroke, Volume 53, Issue 2, Page 505-513, February 1, 2022. Background and Purpose:Delirium portends worse outcomes after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), but it is unclear if symptom resolution or postacute care intensity may mitigate its impact. We aimed to explore differences in outcome associated with delirium resolution before hospital discharge, as well as the potential mediating role of postacute discharge site.Methods:We performed a single-center cohort study on consecutive ICH patients over 2 years. Delirium was diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria and further classified as persistent or resolved based on delirium status at hospital discharge. We determined the impact of delirium on unfavorable 3-month outcome (modified Rankin Scale score, 4–6) using logistic regression models adjusted for established ICH predictors, then used mediation analysis to examine the indirect effect of delirium via postacute discharge site.Results:Of 590 patients (mean age 70.5±15.5 years, 52% male, 83% White), 59% (n=348) developed delirium during hospitalization. Older age and higher ICH severity were delirium risk factors, but only younger age predicted delirium resolution, which occurred in 75% (161/215) of ICH survivors who had delirium. Delirium was strongly associated with unfavorable outcome, but patients with persistent delirium fared worse (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 7.3 [95% CI, 3.3–16.3]) than those whose delirium resolved (adjusted OR, 3.1 [95% CI, 1.8–5.5]). Patients with delirium were less likely to be discharged to inpatient rehabilitation than skilled nursing facilities (adjusted OR, 0.31 [95% CI, 0.17–0.59]), and postacute care site partially mediated the relationship between delirium and functional outcome in ICH survivors, leading to a 25% reduction in the effect of delirium (without mediator: adjusted OR, 3.0 [95% CI, 1.7–5.6]; with mediator: adjusted OR, 2.3 [95% CI, 1.2–4.3]).Conclusions:Acute delirium resolves in most patients with ICH by hospital discharge, which was associated with better outcomes than in patients with persistent delirium. The impact of delirium on outcomes may be further mitigated by postacute rehabilitation.

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Ottobre 2021