Up-to-date certification of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) is often required for clinical trials, representing a significant burden on clinical investigators globally.

This systematic review sought to determine if NIHSS or mRS training, re-training, certification or recertification led to improvements in the reliability or accuracy of ratings as well as other relevant user metrics (e.g., user confidence).

Among 4227 studies, 100 passed screening and were assessed for eligibility with full-text review; 23 met inclusion criteria. Among these 23 studies, 22 examined NIHSS training and/or certification, and only a single study included examined the effect of training on mRS performance. Ten of 23 included studies were conference abstracts. The study designs, interventions and outcome measurement of the included studies were heterogeneous. In the case of the NIHSS, two studies found increased accuracy after NIHSS training, and a third study showed statistically significant though clinically trivial decreases in error rate with training. The remaining 19 studies showed no benefit of NIHSS training as it relates to reliability or accuracy outcomes. The single included mRS study did not show the benefit of training.

Although data are sparse with heterogeneous training protocols and outcomes, there is no compelling evidence to suggest benefit of healthcare professionals completing NIHSS or mRS training, certification or recertification. At the very least, recertification/re-training requirements should be reconsidered pending the provision of robust evidence.

The best prehospital transport strategy for patients with suspected stroke due to possible large vessel occlusion varies by jurisdiction and available resources. A foundational problem is the lack of a definitive diagnosis at the scene. Rural stroke presentations provide the most problematic triage destination decision-making. In Alberta, Canada, the implementation and 5-year experience with a rural field consultation approach to provide service to rural patients with acute stroke is described.

The protocols established through the rural field consultation system and the subsequent transport patterns for suspected stroke patients during the first 5 years of implementation are presented. Outcomes are reported using home time and data are summarized using descriptive statistics.

From April 2017 to March 2022, 721 patients met the definition for a rural field consultation, and 601 patients were included in the analysis. Most patients (n = 541, 90%) were transported by ground ambulance. Intravenous thrombolysis was provided for 65 (10.8%) of patients, and 106 (17.6%) underwent endovascular thrombectomy. The median time from first medical contact to arterial access was 3.2 h (range 1.3–7.6) in the direct transfers, compared to 6.5 h (range 4.6–7.9) in patients arriving indirectly to the comprehensive stroke center (CSC). Only a small proportion of patients (n = 5, 0.8%) were routed suboptimally to a primary stroke center and then to a CSC where they underwent endovascular therapy.

The rural field consultation system was associated with shortened delays to recanalization and demonstrated that it is feasible to improve access to acute stroke care for rural patients.

Historically, it has been proposed that functional neurological symptoms occur more frequently on the left side of the body due to a distinct body representation and emotional processing of the right hemisphere, yet objective imaging data to support this are lacking. We aimed to investigate whether patients with acute left-sided symptoms (right hemisphere) suspected of having a minor stroke are more likely to show negative diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) compared to those with right-sided symptoms.

Data are from the SpecTRA (Spectrometry for Transient Ischemic Attack Rapid Assessment) multicenter prospective cohort study conducted between 2013 and 2017. Patients with mild persistent unilateral hemiparesis and/or hemisensory symptoms (National Institute of Health Stroke Scale ≤ 3) and available DWI were included. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with a negative DWI.

Of 1731 patients, 584 (30.8%) were included. Of these, 310 (53.1%) patients presented with left-sided symptoms and 274 (46.9%) with right-sided symptoms. Overall, 214 (36.6%) patients had a negative DWI, 126 (58.9%) with left-sided symptoms and 88 (41.1%) with right-sided symptoms: risk ratio (RR) 1.27 (95% CI = 1.02–1.57). Left-sided hemiparesis was associated with negative DWI (RR 1.42 [95% CI = 1.08–1.87]), while left-sided hemisensory symptoms were not (RR 1.11 [95% CI = 0.87–1.41]). There was no effect modification by age or sex on this association (Pinteraction 0.787 and 0.057, respectively).

Unilateral left-sided neurological symptoms were more frequently associated with negative DWI compared to right-sided symptoms in suspected minor stroke patients. This observation is exploratory, as the final diagnosis in DWI-negative cases was not established.

Tenecteplase has been shown to be non-inferior to alteplase for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke within 4.5 hours of stroke onset. While not formally approved by regulatory authorities, many jurisdictions have transitioned to using tenecteplase for routine stroke treatment because it is simpler to use and has cost advantages.

We report a three-phase time-series analysis over 2.5 years and the process for transition from use of alteplase to tenecteplase for the routine treatment of acute ischemic stroke from a system-wide perspective involving an entire province. The transition was planned and implemented centrally. Data were collected in clinical routine, arising from both administrative sources and a prospective stroke registry, and represent real-world outcome data. Data are reported using standard descriptive statistics.

A total of 1211 patients were treated with intravenous thrombolysis (477 pre-transition using alteplase, 180 transition period using both drugs, 554 post-transition using tenecteplase). Baseline characteristics, adverse events and outcomes were similar between epochs. There were four dosing errors with tenecteplase, including providing the cardiac dose to two patients. There were no instances of major hemorrhage associated with dosing errors.

The transition to using intravenous tenecteplase for stroke treatment was seamless and resulted in identical outcomes to intravenous alteplase.

Dementia affects millions globally, with a subset of cases potentially reversible. This study evaluates the incidence, clinical markers and treatment outcomes of reversible dementias (ReDem).

This retrospective study included 370 ReDem cases from 1810 dementia patients. The ReDem cohort was split into potentially reversible dementias (PRD) and dual etiology (DE) groups. PRD encompassed secondary, potentially treatable dementia conditions, while DE included primary degenerative dementia (DD) with ≥1 uncontrolled comorbidity or new disease that worsened symptoms.

ReDem cases comprised 20.4% (n = 370 out of 1810) of dementia patients, with ReDem patients being younger (mean 56.2 vs. 61.9 years, p < 0.001) and exhibiting shorter illness durations than DD patients (p < 0.001). Key red flags, including young age (<45 years) at onset (DD = 8.6% vs. ReDem = 18.1%), fluctuation in symptoms (DD = 3.4% vs. ReDem = 11.6%), rapid cognitive decline (DD = 6.9% vs. ReDem = 18.4), high-risk exposures (DD = 0.1% vs. ReDem = 0.8%), high-risk behavior (DD = 0.1% vs. ReDem = 2.4%) and incongruent neuropsychological findings(DD = 1.0% vs. 12.7%), were significantly more frequent in ReDem cases (p < 0.05). Odds increased with each red flag present (≥1: OR = 5.94; ≥2: OR = 20.69; ≥3: OR = 25.14, p < 0.05). Reversible etiologies included immune (20.0%), neuroinfectious (6.6%), psychiatric (7.6%), nutritional/metabolic (10.5%), neurosurgical (14.6%) and other causes (12.2%). Of the 41% (152/370) followed, 19 expired, 63.9% (85/133) reported subjective improvement, and 31.6% (42/133) showed clinical dementia rating improvement.

This large-scale study underscores the importance of comprehensive diagnostic evaluations for ReDem. Identifying and treating reversible conditions and comorbidities in DD can improve patient outcomes, emphasizing the need for thorough evaluations in memory clinics and targeted interventions in dementia care.

Knowledge of environmental triggers for migraine attacks is limited and has mostly been acquired by studies using emergency room (ER) visits. However, it is unlikely that ER visits are a random sample of migraine events, even within strata of migraine severity. Additionally, time lags between attack onset and ER visits may vary across the population, posing challenges for assessing causal links of migraine with community-level or ecologic exposures.

Our objective was to assess the relationship between demographic and geographic measures and self-reported migraine-related ER visits.

We analyzed a targeted non-probability survey of ER use related to migraine in Canada and the USA. The 18-question online survey addressed ER use and behaviors related to recording attacks.

The final dataset included 389 respondents (Canada = 164 [42.2%], USA = 225 [57.8%]); 51 (13.1%) were Migraine Buddy app users who shared their diaries. In both countries, participants reported similar migraine symptoms. Barriers to attending the ER included cost and wait times. There was more variability in delays between attack onset and arrival to the ER than between onset and recording in the smartphone app. Younger participants and participants living in Canada were significantly more likely to present to the ER.

The sample of patients presenting to the ER for migraine may be biased toward younger patients and depend on the jurisdiction. Smartphone app records may have fewer barriers to creation and more consistent time lags compared to ER visit records.

Both multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) are chronic progressive immune-mediated peripheral neuropathies without sensory loss. We aimed to explore the different features of ultrasonographic and electrophysiological changes among MMN, motor CIDP and typical CIDP patients.

Nerve ultrasonographic studies were performed in 19 patients with MMN, 15 patients with motor CIDP and 117 patients with typical CIDP. Cross-sectional areas (CSAs) were measured on the bilateral median and ulnar nerves and brachial plexus. Nerve conduction studies (NCSs) were performed on the median and ulnar nerves.

In patients with MMN and typical CIDP, the percentage enlargement in the brachial plexus (MMN 45.7%, typical CIDP 78%) was similar to that in the arm (MMN 42.9%, typical CIDP 76.8%) and forearm (MMN 42.9%, typical CIDP 79.4%). However, in patients with motor CIDP, the percentage enlargement in the brachial plexus (74.1%) was more pronounced than in the arm (65.5%) and forearm (58.6%). The CMAPerb/CMAPaxilla in MMN was significantly higher than in motor CIDP (median nerve, 0.82 ± 0.28 for MMN and 0.60 ± 0.37 for motor CIDP, P = 0.017). The CSA decreased in the order of typical CIDP, motor predominant CIDP (MPred-CIDP), pure motor CIDP (PM-CIDP) and MMN. The motor nerve conduction velocity increased in the order of typical CIDP, MPred-CIDP, PM-CIDP and MMN. A total of 3/6 PM-CIDP and 3/3 MPred-CIDP patients responded to steroid treatment.

Treatment response, nerve ultrasonography and NCS in MMN, PM-CIDP, MPred-CIDP and typical CIDP constitute a spectrum.

Recognizing cervical dystonia (CD) movement patterns for appropriate botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) pattern determination depends on clinical expertise. Kinematic analysis objectively measures dystonic neck movements, and whether BoNT-A patterns determined solely using kinematics can effectively treat CD symptoms was investigated.

Twenty-two BoNT-A-naïve CD participants were randomized to receive three BoNT-A injections determined clinically (“cb”) or by kinematic-based assessment (“kb”). Outcomes included the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale (TWSTRS) and kinematic measures of CD motor symptoms (tonic deviation and dynamic movements) at re-injection (weeks 12, 24) and peak effect (weeks 6, 18, 30) compared to baseline.

Mean tonic deviation that returned to neutral was observed in 47% of “kb” and 31% of “cb” participants between weeks 6 and 30. Mean dynamic movements (root mean square amplitude) were significantly reduced in the “kb” group between weeks 12 and 30 compared to baseline. TWSTRS total score and motor severity were significantly reduced in the “cb” group, and disability sub-score was significantly reduced in both groups for all subsequent injections. Treatment-related side effects occurred in two “cb” and four “kb” participants.

The study indicates that kinematic-based BoNT-A injection patterns can effectively reduce CD symptoms and disability, offering valuable guidance for both novice and experienced injectors.

Neurosurgery is a demanding specialty, and a trainee’s exposure to its tenets is usually achieved through residency. Medical students only access neurosurgical knowledge via brief stints in clerkships/electives and often lack mentorship and early exposure. This study sought to investigate the varying expectations about neurosurgical training held by Canadian medical students, with the goal of determining the impact of early exposure through educational opportunities and mentorship in developing interest and familiarity in the field.

A cross-sectional study across Canada was conducted where students were provided with a 35-point questionnaire pertaining to mentorship, educational opportunities and interests regarding neurosurgery through REDcap. Questions were open-ended, closed-ended (single choice) or five-point Likert scale (matrix format). Interest in pursuing neurosurgery was selected as the primary outcome of this study and was dichotomized into high or low interest. Predictors of interest were determined using multivariable logistic regressions.

A total of 136 students from 14 accredited Canadian medical schools responded to the study. Most (55.9%) had prior exposure, and the most commonly reported deterring factors were work–life balance (94.5%) and family (84.6%). Predictors of interest included participation in relevant case-based discussion (OR = 2.644, 95% CI [1.221–5.847], p = 0.015) and involvement in neurosurgical research encouraged by home institution (OR = 1.619, 95% CI [1.124–2.396], p = 0.012).

Future efforts to improve student interest should focus on early exposure to the field such as developing pre-clerkship neurosurgical electives or medical student groups focused on neurosurgery.

Meningiomas are benign spinal arachnoid tumours, typically presenting as intradural extramedullary (IDEM) lesions that can compress the spinal cord and require surgical intervention. Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques like mini-open, tubular and endoscopic approaches minimize tissue manipulation, reduce pain and accelerate recovery. This systematic review provides insights into current practices regarding MIS for cervical meningioma and presents a case series of eight patients with cervical meningioma effectively managed by MIS.

A comprehensive literature search was conducted across Embase, PubMed and Medline Ovid, focusing on MESH terms related to cervical vertebrae, nervous system neoplasms and minimally invasive surgical procedures. Risk of bias in retained studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools for case series and case reports. A narrative synthesis of our results is presented.

Nine studies with 15 patients undergoing MIS for cervical meningioma were included. Most tumours were at the craniospinal junction. Gross total resection (Simpson grade 2) was achieved in 14 cases, with no reported post-operative complications. The length of stay (LOS) ranged from 2 to 6 days, and no tumour recurrence was observed. Our case series of eight patients confirmed MIS benefits, including shorter operative times, comparable surgical outcomes, and the avoidance of spinal deformities requiring instrumentation.

In well-selected patients, MIS for cervical meningioma is a safe and effective procedure offering direct lateral access, minimal bony resection, limited soft tissue manipulation, and avoidance of cervical fusion, thereby minimizing post-operative complications and LOS.