Optimal NIH Stroke Scale Score for Predicting Outcome

For patients with the same functional outcome level, NIHSS scores at evaluation were lower with infratentorial strokes than with supratentorial strokes.

The NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is the most widely used instrument for measuring stroke severity. It is especially recommended when evaluating patients in the acute period who may qualify for thrombolysis with alteplase. However, some have been concerned that the NIHSS is overly dependent on language and that, for example, left-brain lesions will score higher compared with strokes elsewhere in the brain. Researchers have now evaluated the optimal cut-points for determining poor outcome in supratentorial versus infratentorial strokes using data from alteplase-treated patients in the ENCHANTED clinical trial. The authors defined poor outcome as a modified Rankin scale score of 3 to 6 at 90 days after stroke.

There were 2613 patients in the suprat…

Reviewing Author

Seemant Chaturvedi, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardBayer Pharmaceuticals; Novartis

Grant/Research SupportNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Editorial BoardsNeurology; Stroke

Seemant Chaturvedi, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardBayer Pharmaceuticals; Novartis

Grant/Research SupportNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Editorial BoardsNeurology; Stroke

Optimal NIH Stroke Scale Score for Predicting Outcome

Topics

Reviewing Author