Faculty Bibliography
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255
Olfactory Dysfunction After SARS-CoV-2 Infection in the RECOVER Adult Cohort
IMPORTANCE/UNASSIGNED:Olfactory dysfunction is common after SARS-CoV-2 infection and has been associated with cognitive loss in other conditions. Formal testing is needed to characterize the presence, severity, and patterns of olfactory dysfunction. OBJECTIVE/UNASSIGNED:To characterize long-term olfactory dysfunction after SARS-CoV-2 infection. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS/UNASSIGNED:This prospective cohort study included adults enrolled in the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER)-Adult study. All those with and a random sample of those without self-reported change or loss in smell or taste were offered olfactory testing, performed at 83 sites in 35 US states and territories. Participants included 2956 enrollees with prior infection (1393 with and 1563 without self-reported change or loss) and 569 without prior infection (9 with and 560 without self-reported change or loss in taste) who underwent olfactory testing a mean (SD) of 671.6 (417.8) days after the index date. Data were collected from October 29, 2021, to June 6, 2025. EXPOSURE/UNASSIGNED:SARS-CoV-2 infection. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES/UNASSIGNED:Olfactory function, as defined by age- and sex-standardized performance on the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT), a well-validated test comprising 40 unique odors. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:The study included 3525 participants with a mean (SD) age of 47.6 (15.2) years; of 3520 with data available, 2548 (72.4%) were female or intersex. Among 1393 infected participants with self-reported change or loss, 1111 (79.8%) had hyposmia on the UPSIT, including 321 (23.0%) with severe microsmia or anosmia. Among 1563 infected participants without self-reported change or loss, 1031 (66.0%) had hyposmia, including 128 (8.2%) with severe microsmia or anosmia. Participants with prior infection and self-reported change or loss scored at the 16th age- and sex-standardized UPSIT percentile, compared with the 23rd and 28th percentiles for those without self-reported change or loss with and without prior known infection, respectively. Younger women had scores corresponding to lower mean age- and sex-standardized percentiles. Among participants who self-reported change or loss in smell, those with abnormal UPSIT scores more often reported cognitive problems (742 of 1111 [66.8%]) than those with normal UPSIT scores (179 of 282 [63.5%]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE/UNASSIGNED:In this cohort study of RECOVER-Adult participants, self-reported change or loss in smell or taste was an accurate signal of verified hyposmia, but a high rate of hyposmia among those with no reported change or loss was also observed. Formal smell testing may be considered in those with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection to diagnose occult hyposmia and counsel patients about risks.
PMCID:12464792
PMID: 40996759
ISSN: 2574-3805
CID: 5937712
Factors Associated With Stroke Recurrence After Initial Diagnosis of Cervical Artery Dissection
BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:Patients presenting with cervical artery dissection (CAD) are at risk for subsequent ischemic events. We aimed to identify characteristics that are associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke after initial presentation of CAD and to evaluate the differential impact of anticoagulant versus antiplatelet therapy in these high-risk individuals. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:This was a preplanned secondary analysis of the STOP-CAD study (Antithrombotic Treatment for Stroke Prevention in Cervical Artery Dissection), a multicenter international retrospective observational study (63 sites from 16 countries in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa) that included patients with CAD predominantly between January 2015 and June 2022. The primary outcome was subsequent ischemic stroke by day 180 after diagnosis. Clinical and imaging variables were compared between those with versus without subsequent ischemic stroke. Significant factors associated with subsequent stroke risk were identified using stepwise Cox regression. Associations between subsequent ischemic stroke risk and antithrombotic therapy type (anticoagulation versus antiplatelets) among patients with identified risk factors were explored using adjusted Cox regression. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:=0.01). CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:In this post hoc analysis of the STOP-CAD study, several factors associated with subsequent ischemic stroke were identified among patients with CAD. Furthermore, we identified a potential benefit of anticoagulation in patients with CAD with occlusive dissection. These findings require validation by meta-analyses of prior studies to formulate optimal treatment strategies for specific high-risk CAD subgroups.
PMID: 40143807
ISSN: 1524-4628
CID: 5816392
Clinical Reasoning: A 56-Year-Old Woman With New-Onset Hoarseness and Dysphagia [Case Report]
STATEMENT OF THE CLINICAL PROBLEM ADDRESSED BY THE CASE/UNASSIGNED:We report an atypical clinical presentation of a rapidly progressive neurologic emergency that required prompt investigation and treatment of impending respiratory failure. We discuss the differential diagnosis, evaluation, emergency management, and treatment options of patients with atypical variants of this disorder. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF CASE PRESENTATION/UNASSIGNED:A 56-year-old woman with a history of hypothyroidism, anxiety, and depression presented to the emergency department 3 weeks after an upper respiratory and ear infection with cough, pain with sinus palpation, tingling in her fingers bilaterally and right foot, hives, and an episode of blurry vision on awakening. She was discharged home with antibiotics. That evening, she developed rapidly progressing hoarseness and dysphagia and returned to the emergency department. An initial examination and laryngoscopy revealed complete left vocal cord paralysis, consistent with a left cranial nerve X palsy, which prompted a neurologic evaluation. Her examination progressively worsened over the next day requiring mechanical ventilation and ICU admission. SUMMARY OF THE KEY TEACHING POINT IN THE CASE/UNASSIGNED:New-onset bulbar cranial neuropathies should raise concern for neurologic disorders that can be rapidly progressive and result in respiratory failure. Urgent diagnosis and treatment are warranted.
PMID: 40063858
ISSN: 1526-632x
CID: 5808222
Principles of reversal of anticoagulation in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage related to oral anticoagulants
The incidence of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) associated with oral anticoagulants (OAC) is about one in five cases of ICH and associated with severe clinical presentation, frequently rapid clinical deterioration, and 30-days mortality of app 50%. This narrative review gives an overview of presentation and acute treatment of OAC-ICH. Oral anticoagulants do not cause ICH but lead to prolongation of bleeding and higher risk of hematoma expansion (HE). Clinicoradiological characteristics of oral anticoagulant associated ICH are not different from ICH in general. The therapeutic principle of reversal is to prevent or limit HE. The mode of action of the reversal agents for vitamin K antagonists, direct oral thrombin inhibitor and direct oral factor Xa inhibitors are described in the main text. We also discuss the principles of blood pressure lowering in the setting of acute OAC-ICH as it may be the second driving force of HE. Stroke unit care is needed to prevent further complications. Data from randomized controlled trials and observational data from unselected patients are needed to make stronger and more precise recommendations on acute therapy.
PMCID:12098318
PMID: 40401657
ISSN: 2396-9881
CID: 5853312
Emergent Carotid Stenting During Thrombectomy in Tandem Occlusions Secondary to Dissection: A STOP-CAD Secondary Study
PMID: 39882629
ISSN: 1524-4628
CID: 5781112
Impact of COVID-19 on functional, cognitive, neuropsychiatric, and health-related outcomes in patients with dementia: A systematic review
BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:This systematic review analyzes the impact of COVID-19 on dementia patients' functional, cognitive, neuropsychiatric, and health related outcomes. It hypothesizes that dementia patients infected with SARS-CoV-2experience more pronounced deterioration compared to those who are uninfected. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:Research from 01/03/2020 to 07/10/2023 was conducted using Medline, Web of Science, and Embase databases, and adhering to PRISMA guidelines and the PICO framework. The study aimed to determine if SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with worse outcomes in dementia patients. The protocol is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022352481), and bias was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Among 198 studies reviewed, only three met the criteria. Chen et al. (2023) identified higher mortality in SARS-CoV-2-infected dementia patients, while Merla et al. (2023) observed faster cognitive decline in infected individuals with increased hospital admissions. Additionally, Cascini et al. (2022) reported an increased risk of infection and significantly elevated mortality in dementia patients, highlighting comorbidities and antipsychotic medication use as key risk factors. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:These limited data suggest higher mortality and cognitive decline in dementia patients following COVID-19, underscoring the need for extensive research in this area.
PMCID:11663964
PMID: 39720103
ISSN: 2405-6502
CID: 5767462
Predicting hematoma expansion after intracerebral hemorrhage: a comparison of clinician prediction with deep learning radiomics models
BACKGROUND:Early prediction of hematoma expansion (HE) following nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) may inform preemptive therapeutic interventions. We sought to identify how accurately machine learning (ML) radiomics models predict HE compared with expert clinicians using head computed tomography (HCT). METHODS:We used data from 900 study participants with ICH enrolled in the Antihypertensive Treatment of Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage 2 Study. ML models were developed using baseline HCT images, as well as admission clinical data in a training cohort (n = 621), and their performance was evaluated in an independent test cohort (n = 279) to predict HE (defined as HE by 33% or > 6 mL at 24 h). We simultaneously surveyed expert clinicians and asked them to predict HE using the same initial HCT images and clinical data. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were compared between clinician predictions, ML models using radiomic data only (a random forest classifier and a deep learning imaging model) and ML models using both radiomic and clinical data (three random forest classifier models using different feature combinations). Kappa values comparing interrater reliability among expert clinicians were calculated. The best performing model was compared with clinical predication. RESULTS:The AUC for expert clinician prediction of HE was 0.591, with a kappa of 0.156 for interrater variability, compared with ML models using radiomic data only (a deep learning model using image input, AUC 0.680) and using both radiomic and clinical data (a random forest model, AUC 0.677). The intraclass correlation coefficient for clinical judgment and the best performing ML model was 0.47 (95% confidence interval 0.23-0.75). CONCLUSIONS:We introduced supervised ML algorithms demonstrating that HE prediction may outperform practicing clinicians. Despite overall moderate AUCs, our results set a new relative benchmark for performance in these tasks that even expert clinicians find challenging. These results emphasize the need for continued improvements and further enhanced clinical decision support to optimally manage patients with ICH.
PMID: 39920546
ISSN: 1556-0961
CID: 5784422
Cognitive impairment after hemorrhagic stroke is less common in patients with elevated body mass index and private insurance
BACKGROUND:Hemorrhagic stroke survivors may have cognitive impairment. We sought to identify preadmission and admission factors associated with cognitive impairment after hemorrhagic stroke. DESIGN/METHODS:Patients with nontraumatic intracerebral or subarachnoid hemorrhage (ICH or SAH) were assessed 3-months post-bleed using the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QoL) Cognitive Function short form. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to evaluate the relationship between poor cognition (Neuro-QoL t-score ≤50) and preadmission and admission factors. RESULTS:Of 101 patients (62 ICH and 39 SAH), 51 (50 %) had poor cognition 3-months post-bleed. On univariate analysis, poor cognition was associated with (p < 0.05): age [66.0 years (52.0-77.0) vs. 54.5 years (40.8-66.3)]; private insurance (37.3 % vs. 74.0 %); BMI > 30 (13.7 % vs. 34.0 %); and admission mRS score > 0 (41.2 % vs. 14.0 %), NIHSS score [8.0 (2.0-17.0) vs. 0.5 (0.0-4.0)], and APACHE II score [16.0 (11.0-19.0) vs. 9.0 (6.0-14.3)]. On multivariate analysis, poor cognition was associated with mRS score > 0 [OR 4.97 (1.30-19.0), p = 0.019], NIHSS score [OR 1.14 (1.02-1.28), p = 0.026], private insurance [OR 0.21 (0.06-0.76), p = 0.017] and BMI > 30 [OR 0.13 (0.03-0.56), p = 0.006]. CONCLUSIONS:Cognitive impairment after hemorrhagic stroke is less common in patients with BMI > 30 and private insurance. Heightened surveillance for non-obese patients without private insurance is suggested. Additional investigation into the relationship between cognition and both BMI and insurance type is needed.
PMID: 39933244
ISSN: 1872-6968
CID: 5793362
Guidelines for Seizure Prophylaxis in Patients Hospitalized with Nontraumatic Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Clinical Practice Guideline for Health Care Professionals from the Neurocritical Care Society
BACKGROUND:There is practice heterogeneity in the use, type, and duration of prophylactic antiseizure medications (ASM) in patients hospitalized with acute nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). METHODS:We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis assessing ASM primary prophylaxis in adults hospitalized with acute nontraumatic ICH. The following population, intervention, comparison, and outcome (PICO) questions were assessed: (1) Should ASM versus no ASM be used in patients with acute ICH with no history of clinical or electrographic seizures? (2) If an ASM is used, should levetiracetam (LEV) or phenytoin/fosphenytoin (PHT/fPHT) be preferentially used? and (3) If an ASM is used, should a long (> 7 days) versus short (≤ 7 days) duration of prophylaxis be used? The main outcomes assessed were early seizure (≤ 14 days), late seizures (> 14 days), adverse events, mortality, and functional and cognitive outcomes. We used Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology to generate recommendations. RESULTS:The initial literature search yielded 1,988 articles, and 15 formed the basis of the recommendations. PICO 1: although there was no significant impact of ASM on the outcomes of early or late seizure or mortality, meta-analyses demonstrated increased adverse events and higher relative risk of poor functional outcomes at 90 days with prophylactic ASM use. PICO 2: we did not detect any significant positive or negative effect of PHT/fPHT compared to LEV for early seizures or adverse events, although point estimates tended to favor LEV. PICO 3: based on one decision analysis, quality-adjusted life-years were increased with a shorter duration of ASM prophylaxis. CONCLUSIONS:We suggest avoidance of prophylactic ASM in hospitalized adult patients with acute nontraumatic ICH (weak recommendation, very low quality of evidence). If used, we suggest LEV over PHT/fPHT (weak recommendation, very low quality of evidence) for a short duration (≤ 7 days; weak recommendation, very low quality of evidence).
PMID: 39707127
ISSN: 1556-0961
CID: 5765022
Decompressive craniectomy for people with intracerebral haemorrhage: the SWITCH trial [Letter]
PMID: 39755390
ISSN: 1474-547x
CID: 5781932
