TY - JOUR
T1 - Transient ischemic attack results in delayed brain atrophy and cognitive decline
AU - Bivard, Andrew
AU - Lillicrap, Thomas
AU - Marechal, Benedicte
AU - Garcia-Esperon, Carlos
AU - Holliday, Elizabeth
AU - Krishnamurthy, Venkatesh
AU - Levi, Christopher R.
AU - Parsons, Mark
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Background and Purpose-Transient ischemic attack (TIA) initiates an ischemic cascade without resulting in frank infarction and, as such, represents a novel model to study the effects of this ischemic cascade and secondary neurodegeneration in humans. Methods-Patients with suspected TIA underwent acute brain perfusion imaging, and those with acute ischemia were enrolled into a prospective observational study. We collected baseline and 90-day magnetic resonance imaging, including MP-RAGE (high-resolution T1 sequence) and cognitive assessment with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Brain morphometry and within patient statistical analysis were performed to identify changes between baseline and 90-day imaging and clinical assessments. Results-Fifty patients with TIA with acute perfusion lesions were studied. All patients experienced a decrease in global cortical gray matter (P=0.005). Patients with anterior circulation TIA (n=31) also had a significant reduction in the volume of the pons (P<0.001), ipsilesional parietal lobe (P<0.001), occipital lobe (P=0.002), frontal lobe (P<0.001), temporal lobe (P=0.003), and thalamus (P=0.016). Patients with an anterior perfusion lesion on acute imaging also had a significant decrease in Montreal Cognitive Assessment between baseline and day 90 (P=0.027), which may be related to the volume of thalamic atrophy (R2=0.28; P=0.009). Conclusions-In a prospective observational study, patients with TIA confirmed by acute perfusion imaging experienced a significant reduction in global gray matter and focal structural atrophy related to the area of acute ischemia. The atrophy also resulted in a proportional decreased cognitive performance on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Further studies are required to identify the mechanisms of this atrophy.
AB - Background and Purpose-Transient ischemic attack (TIA) initiates an ischemic cascade without resulting in frank infarction and, as such, represents a novel model to study the effects of this ischemic cascade and secondary neurodegeneration in humans. Methods-Patients with suspected TIA underwent acute brain perfusion imaging, and those with acute ischemia were enrolled into a prospective observational study. We collected baseline and 90-day magnetic resonance imaging, including MP-RAGE (high-resolution T1 sequence) and cognitive assessment with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Brain morphometry and within patient statistical analysis were performed to identify changes between baseline and 90-day imaging and clinical assessments. Results-Fifty patients with TIA with acute perfusion lesions were studied. All patients experienced a decrease in global cortical gray matter (P=0.005). Patients with anterior circulation TIA (n=31) also had a significant reduction in the volume of the pons (P<0.001), ipsilesional parietal lobe (P<0.001), occipital lobe (P=0.002), frontal lobe (P<0.001), temporal lobe (P=0.003), and thalamus (P=0.016). Patients with an anterior perfusion lesion on acute imaging also had a significant decrease in Montreal Cognitive Assessment between baseline and day 90 (P=0.027), which may be related to the volume of thalamic atrophy (R2=0.28; P=0.009). Conclusions-In a prospective observational study, patients with TIA confirmed by acute perfusion imaging experienced a significant reduction in global gray matter and focal structural atrophy related to the area of acute ischemia. The atrophy also resulted in a proportional decreased cognitive performance on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Further studies are required to identify the mechanisms of this atrophy.
UR - https://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:63701
U2 - 10.1161/STROKEAHA.117.019276
DO - 10.1161/STROKEAHA.117.019276
M3 - Article
SN - 1524-4628
SN - 0039-2499
VL - 49
SP - 384
EP - 390
JO - Stroke
JF - Stroke
IS - 2
ER -