Abstract
ObjectiveTo analyze the effect of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) alone vs. EVT after an intravenous (IV) alteplase of ischemic stroke on a patient-reported anxiety/depression, and to identify predictors of patient-reported anxiety/depression by analyzing data from Direct Intraarterial Thrombectomy in Order to Revascularize the patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke with a Large Vessel Occlusion Efficiently in Chinese Tertiary Hospitals: a Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial (DIRECT-MT).MethodsPatients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), triggered by a large-vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation, were randomly allocated to undergo an EVT after IV alteplase (combination-therapy group) or an EVT alone (EVT-alone group) at a 1:1 ratio in DIRECT-MT. Patients in both groups were followed up for 90 days (±14 days) after stroke using a structured modified Ranking Scale (mRS), a Barthel Index (BI), and a 5-Dimensional European Quality of Life Scale (EQ-5D-5L). Patients who returned EQ-5D-5L were included. The EQ-5D-5L anxiety/depression dimension was used to analyze the patient-reported anxiety/depression. First, differences in patient-reported anxiety/depression were compared between the combination-therapy group and the EVT-alone group. Then, the baseline and influencing factors between the anxiety/depression group and no anxiety/depression group were analyzed using univariate regression analysis. Finally, variables with p < 0.1 in univariate regression were subjected to multivariable binary regression analysis to screen independent predictors for patient-reported anxiety /depression after ischemic stroke.Results: Five hundred fifteen patients returned the EQ-5D-5L in Direct-MT. Of these patients, 226 (43.88%) reported a level of anxiety/depression, and about 7% reported a severe or extremely severe anxiety/depression. The patient-reported anxiety/depression in the EVT-alone group was significantly higher than that in the combination-therapy group (48.26% vs. 39.45%, p = 0.04). The clinical outcomes were significantly different between the no Anxiety/Depression Group and the anxiety/depression group (mRS at 90 days:2 vs 3, p < 0.001; BI of 95 or 100 at 90 days: 73.36% vs 42.04%, p < 0.001; EQ-5D-5l utility indexes at 90 days:0.96 vs.57, p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that allocation to thrombolysis before EVT strategy was inversely associated with anxiety/depression [0.61(0.40, 0.94), p = 0.03], an insular cortex ischemia, and National Institute of Health Strocke Scale (NIHSS) at 7 days were positively associated with anxiety/depression [2.04(1.07, 3.90), p = 0.03; 1.07(1.03, 1.12), p < 0.001].ConclusionsPatient-reported anxiety/depression may suggest that there is a benefit to administering intravenous alteplase before EVT. It may also indicate that it is better to provide IV alteplase before EVT, rather than EVT alone according to patient-reported anxiety/depression. Future research should consider not only the motor function impairments but also the patient-reported mental problems as measures of treatment efficacy in patients with stroke (DIRECT-MT ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03469206).
Highlights
Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) has been demonstrated to be effective in patients with stroke with large vessel occlusion
This study aims to evaluate whether there is any difference in the patientreported anxiety/depression between a combination-therapy group and an EVT-alone in Direct-MT Trial, with the hope to identify factors affecting the patient-reported anxiety/ depression after a stroke
Of the 656 patients enrolled in Direct-MT Trial, 515 (78.51%) returned the EQ-5D-5L form (259 in EVT-alone group and 256 in combination-therapy group) (Figure 1)
Summary
Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) has been demonstrated to be effective in patients with stroke with large vessel occlusion. There is uncertainty regarding the risk and benefit of administering intravenous alteplase before endovascular thrombectomy. The mRS is largely biased toward motor function impairments and does not reflect other important domains of the health of patients, such as anxiety and depression. They have a mild disability represented in the mRS, patients with post-stroke may have mood disorders that significantly affect quality of life. Anxiety and depression are common after a stroke, occurring in about a third and a quarter of stroke survivors, respectively [2]. Anxiety and depression are associated with a significantly increased risk of mortality in stroke survivors and reduction in their quality of life [3]. Identifying factors affecting the anxiety/ depression after a stroke may provide valuable clues to a better understanding of treatment benefit
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