Outcome in Survivors of Middle Cerebral Artery Territory Ischemic Stroke: Can it be predicted?

BACKGROUND

Stroke is the fourth leading cause of disability worldwide. The present study was designed to assess functional disability in middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory ischemic stroke patients by applying standard scales for stroke severity, cognitive impairment, disability, dependency and depression. We also wanted to study whether baseline assessment predicts outcome at 1 month.

METHODOLOGY

After institutional ethics committee approval, patients were enrolled from the inpatients of the Department of Medicine at Topiwala National Medical College and BYL Nair Charitable Hospital, Mumbai from July 2014 to December 2015. Various clinical parameters were recorded on admission. On day 5(±1) the National Institutes of health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Mini Mental state examination (MMSE) were administered. On 1 month follow up, these were repeated along with Modified Rankin scale, Barthel's index (BI) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Presence of certain risk factors for stroke were reviewed at 1 month.

RESULTS

75 patients were enrolled. There was a delay in reaching the hospital and therefore imaging, in a greater majority. Only 4% could be imaged within the first 3 hours. Mean NIHSS score at day-5 was 9 and at day-30 was 6. Thus it had significantly reduced over 1 month. The MMSE remain unchanged at day 5 and at day 30. Lower baseline MMSE scores correlated with poorer outcomes on NIHSS, BI and mRS at 1 month. Both BI and mRS at 1 month indicated that about 60% of the cases had poor outcome. Amongst 48 of the non-aphasic MCA strokes, 11(22.92%) had depression. An NIHSS score of 6 or above on day 5, predicted poor outcome at 1 month. Presence of aphasia, dominant lobe affection and female sex were associated with a higher disability at 1 month. Around 30% cases had at least 1 risk factor uncontrolled at 1 month follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings show that disability assessment late in the first week after onset of stroke using NIHSS accurately forecast outcome at one month after onset of stroke. The MMSE too is not expected to change at 1 month. Those with aphasia are expected to have greater disability. Based on or study we recommend that stroke patients should be assessed with NIHSS and MMSE before discharge, to explain the prognosis of the patient. Also more intense counselling on controlling blood pressure and diabetes as well as abstinence from smoking should be undertaken routinely.