Even Minor Strokes Can Cause Long-Term Disability

In a prospective study, 15% of patients had not recovered full functioning 3 months after transient ischemic attack or minor ischemic stroke.

Most randomized trials of thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke have excluded patients with minor neurological deficits. A substantial proportion of these patients leave the hospital with some form of disability, but whether that disability persists in the long term remains uncertain. To address this uncertainty, researchers conducted a prospective observational study to ascertain 3-month functional outcomes in patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke.

The CATCH study enrolled 510 patients with high-risk TIA (focal weakness or speech dysfunction lasting ≥5 minutes) or minor ischemic stroke (NIH Stroke Scale [NIHSS] score ≤3). Patients who received thrombolysis or had preexisting disability were excluded. All pat…

Reviewing Author

Hooman Kamel, MD

Disclosures

Speaker’s bureauGenentech

Grant / Research supportNational Institutes of Health/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; Michael Goldberg Stroke Research Fund

Editorial boardsPLOS One; Scientific Reports

Leadership positions in professional societiesNeurocritical Care Society (Research Committee Member)