Thalamic Hemorrhage Research Articles

Abstract 4135279: The Watchman Device needs to be Watched: A Case of Device Related Thrombus

Introduction: Left atrial appendage (LAA) harbors approximately 90% of thrombi in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) for which an anticoagulant (AC) is indicated to prevent cardio-embolic stroke. Alternatively, the benefits of LAA occlusion (LAAO) devices to those patients who encounter life-threating bleeding with AC are also well established. However, the LAAO device comes with the risk of device related thrombus (DRT), which is a real challenge. Case: A 68 year-old-male with history of chronic AF on apixaban and recurrent ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke was evaluated for LAAO device placement procedure. Initially, when the patient was not taking AC, he had an ischemic stroke likely cardio-embolic source, which necessitated the initiation of apixaban. Unfortunately, while he was taking apixaban, he had a right thalamic bleed causing persistent left sided paresis. Subsequently, AC was held for 6 months and he underwent watchman device placement. He remained on apixaban for 45 days post procedure and was continued on aspirin only. After 10 months, on routine cardiac computerized tomographic arteriography (CTA), a large filling defect measuring 1.7 x 1.4 cm on the left atrial side of the watchman device was seen (Figure 1A) which was confirmed with transesophageal echocardiogram. Then, he was re-started on apixaban for a short period of time, which culminated him to have a right temporal bleed. After holding AC for 3 months, repeat CTA showed persistent filling defect suggestive of DRT (Figure 1B). Therefore, AC was permanently discontinued and patient was evaluated for DRT removal procedure. Utilizing a shared decision model, the option of mechanical thrombectomy with cerebral protection device (CPD) was chosen to mitigate the risk of embolic stroke. Post procedure, he was continued on apixaban 2.5 mg twice daily for 3 months and then aspirin forever. Subsequent surveillance CTA did not show DRT (Figures 1C and D). Patient has remained asymptomatic thereafter. Conclusion: 3-7% of patients with Watchman device suffer from DRT. Life threatening bleeding from AC further complicates the management of such patients. Mechanical thrombectomy with CPD is an established procedure for the removal of intra-arterial or intravenous thrombus. However, the feasibility of the routine use of mechanical thrombectomy with CPD for persistent DRT in-patient like ours is yet to be studied in detail.

Association Between the Fetal-Type Posterior Cerebral Artery and Hypertensive Thalamic Hemorrhage.

This study investigated the association between the fetal-type posterior cerebral artery (FTP) and hypertensive thalamic hemorrhage (HTH). Patients with hypertension who met the admission criteria between January 2020 and August 2022 were retrospectively analyzed and divided into the HTH and non-HTH groups based on the presence or absence of thalamic hemorrhage, respectively. In addition to whether the variable was an FTP, other variables with unbalanced distributions between the two groups were used as matching factors for 1:1 propensity score matching, and other variables that were not used as matching factors were used as covariates for conditional logistic regression. A total of 722 patients were included in the study, with 115 in the HTH group and 607 in the non-HTH group. After propensity score matching, 114 patients were included in both groups. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the FTP (p = 0.003, odds ratio [OR]: 2.712, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.407-5.225) and homocysteine levels (p = 0.007; OR: 1.051; 95% CI: 1.014-1.089) were significantly correlated with the occurrence of HTH. The incidence of FTP is not low, and it is an independent risk factor for HTH. Early recognition and appropriate monitoring are warranted for cases of FTP.

The efficacy of neuroendoscopic surgery treating patients with thalamic hemorrhage accompanied by intraventricular hematoma

ObjectiveNeuroendoscopic surgery (NES) has been proven to be safe and effective in hematoma evacuation for cerebral hemorrhage. However, its efficacy for thalamic hemorrhage accompanied by intraventricular hematoma (THAVH) remains unclear. The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of NES in treating THAVH.MethodA retrospective study was carried out. The data of patients diagnosed with THAVH were collected from January 1st, 2019, to January 1st, 2022. Patients received the NES or external ventricle drainage (EVD) treatment were assigned to the NES or EVD group, respectively. As primary outcomes, the hematoma evacuation volume, residual hematoma volume, and hematoma clearance rate were separately calculated based on the hematoma site; and the 180-day-mRS score was assessed. As secondary outcomes, the length of stay in the ICU and hospital, and the adverse events were also compared.ResultsThirty-five patients, aged 66.37 ± 6.62 years, were in the NES group; and 40 patients, aged 68.75 ± 7.22 years, were in the EVD group. The baseline characteristics in the two groups were similar (P > 0.05). The gross hematoma evacuation volume, volume of hematoma evacuated in the thalamus or the ventricle, and the hematoma clearance rate were greater in the NES group than in the EVD group on the 1st day after surgery (P < 0.05). The patients had a better rank of mRS in the NES group (P < 0.05). Compared with patients with mRS > 3, the mean residual hematoma volume in the thalamus of patients with mRS ≤3 on the 1st and 7th day were less in each group (P < 0.05), respectively. A residual hematoma volume in the ventricle of patients with mRS ≤3 was less than that of patients with mRS >3 in the EVD group on the 1st day after surgery (P < 0.05). GCS score on the 3rd day was greater in the NES group (P < 0.05). The incidence of lung infection was lower in the NES group (P < 0.05). The length of stay in the ICU and hospitalization duration were shorter in the NES group (P < 0.05).ConclusionsNeuroendoscopic surgery has a greater hematoma clearance rate, a lower lung infection rate and a shorter duration in the hospital. Neuroendoscopic surgery might improve patients’ prognosis. Neuroendoscopic surgery is a safe and effective procedure for treating thalamic hemorrhage accompanied by intraventricular hematoma.

Treatment of post-thalamic hemorrhage hydrocephalus: ventriculoperitoneal shunt or endoscopic third ventriculostomy? A retrospective observational study

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) and endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) for the treatment of hydrocephalus after thalamic hemorrhage (TH) where external ventricular drainage (EVD) could not be removed after hematoma absorption, and to provide a theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of hydrocephalus after TH.MethodsThe clinical data of patients with hydrocephalus after TH whose EVD could not be removed after hematoma absorption were retrospectively analyzed. According to the patients’ surgical methods, the patients were divided into the VPS group and ETV group. The operative time, length of hospital stay, complications, and reoperation rates of the two groups were compared.ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference in intraoperative bleeding, length of hospital stay between the two groups. The EVD tubes were successfully removed in all patients after surgery. There were 4 (9.5%) complications in the ETV group and 3 (6.7%) complications in the VPS group, with no statistically significant difference in postoperative complications between the two groups. During the 1-year follow-up, 7 patients (16.7%) in the ETV group and 3 patients (6.7%) in the VPS group required reoperation. In the subgroup analysis of TH combined with fourth ventricular hemorrhage, 6 patients (14.3%) in the ETV group and 1 patient (2.2%) in the VPS group required reoperation, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant.ConclusionsETV had good efficacy in treating hydrocephalus caused by TH and TH that broke into the lateral ventricle and the third ventricle. However, if hydrocephalus was caused by TH with the fourth ventricular hematoma, VPS was a better surgical method because the recurrence rate of hydrocephalus in ETV was higher than that in VPS. Therefore, the choice of surgical method should be based on the patient’s clinical features and hematoma location.

The Cytidine N-Acetyltransferase NAT10 Promotes Thalamus Hemorrhage-Induced Central Poststroke Pain by Stabilizing Fn14 Expression in Thalamic Neurons.

The recognition of RNA N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) modification as a significant type of gene regulation is growing; nevertheless, whether ac4C modification or the N-acetyltransferase 10 protein (NAT10, the only ac4C "writer" that is presently known) participates in thalamus hemorrhage (TH)-induced central poststroke pain (CPSP) is unknown. Here, we observed NAT10 was primarily located in the neuronal nuclei of the thalamus of mice, with Fn14 and p65. An increase of NAT10 mRNA and protein expression levels in the ipsilateral thalamus was observed from days 1 to 14 after TH. Inhibition of NAT10 by several different approaches attenuated Fn14 and p65 upregulation of TH mice, as well as tissue injury in the thalamus on the ipsilateral side, and the development and maintenance of contralateral nociceptive hypersensitivities. NAT10 overexpression increased Fn14 and p65 expression and elicited nociceptive hypersensitivities in naïve mice. Our findings suggest that ac4C modification and NAT10 participate in TH-induced CPSP by activating the NF-κB pathway through upregulating Fn14 in thalamic neurons. NAT10 could serve as a promising new target for CPSP treatment.

Bilateral Spontaneous Thalamic Hemorrhage: A Case Report

Bilateral Spontaneous Thalamic Hemorrhage: A Case Report

Increasing hypertensive thalamic haemorrhage. An 18-year retrospective single-centre study of changes over time in hypertensive intracerebral haemorrhages

Increasing hypertensive thalamic haemorrhage. An 18-year retrospective single-centre study of changes over time in hypertensive intracerebral haemorrhages

Clinical features and treatment of apoplectic intratumoral hemorrhage of glioma

ObjectiveThe primary objective of this study was to explore the clinical characteristics of apoplectic intratumoral hemorrhage in gliomas and offer insights for improving the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.MethodsWe analyzed the clinical data of 35 patients with glioma and hemorrhage. There were eight cases of multiple cerebral lobe involvement, and 22 cases involved a single lobe. Twenty-one patients had a preoperative Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of ≥ 9 and had a craniotomy with tumor resection and hematoma evacuation after undergoing preoperative preparation. A total of 14 patients with GCS < 9, including one with thalamic hemorrhage breaking into the ventricles and acute obstructive hydrocephalus, underwent craniotomy for tumor resection after external ventricular drainage (EVD). One patient had combined thrombocytopenia, which was surgically treated after platelet levels were normalized through transfusion. The remaining 12 patients received immediate intervention in the form of craniotomy hematoma evacuation and tumor resection.ResultsWe performed subtotal resection on three tumors of thalamic origin and two tumors of corpus callosum origin, but we were able to successfully resect all the tumors in other locations that were gross total resection Pathology results showed that 71.43% of cases accounted for WHO-grade 4 tumors. Among the 21 patients with a GCS score of ≥ 9, two died perioperatively. Fourteen patients had a GCS score < 9, of which eight patients died perioperatively.ConclusionsPatients with a preoperative GCS score ≥ 9 who underwent subemergency surgery and received aggressive treatment showed a reasonable prognosis. We found their long-term outcomes to be correlated with the pathology findings. On the other hand, patients with a preoperative GCS score < 9 required emergency treatment and had a high perioperative mortality rate.

The P2X7 Hypothesis of Central Post-Stroke Pain.

The present study examined how P2X7 receptor knockout (KO) modulates central post-stroke pain (CPSP) induced by lesions of the ventrobasal complex (VBC) of the thalamus in behaviors, molecular levels, and electrical recording tests. Following the experimental procedure, the wild-type and P2X7 receptor KO mice were injected with 10 mU/0.2 μL type IV collagenase in the VBC of the thalamus to induce an animal model of stroke-like thalamic hemorrhage. Behavioral data showed that the CPSP group induced thermal and mechanical pain. The P2X7 receptor KO group showed reduced thermal and mechanical pain responses compared to the CPSP group. Molecular assessments revealed that the CPSP group had lower expression of NeuN and KCC2 and higher expression of GFAP, IBA1, and BDNF. The P2X7 KO group showed lower expression of GFAP, IBA1, and BDNF but nonsignificant differences in KCC2 expression than the CPSP group. The expression of NKCC1, GABAa receptor, and TrkB did not differ significantly between the control, CPSP, and P2X7 receptor KO groups. Muscimol, a GABAa agonist, application increased multiunit numbers for monitoring many neurons and [Cl-] outflux in the cytosol in the CPSP group, while P2X7 receptor KO reduced multiunit activity and increased [Cl-] influx compared to the CPSP group. P2X4 receptor expression was significantly decreased in the 100 kDa but not the 50 kDa site in the P2X7 receptor KO group. Altogether, the P2X7 hypothesis of CPSP was proposed, wherein P2X7 receptor KO altered the CPSP pain responses, numbers of astrocytes and microglia, CSD amplitude of the anterior cingulate cortex and the medial dorsal thalamus, BDNF expression, [Cl-] influx, and P2X4 expression in 100 kDa with P2X7 receptors. The present findings have implications for the clinical treatment of CPSP symptoms.

Stereotactic puncture surgery combined with early hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be better for long-term functional recovery in patients with moderate amounts of thalamic-inner capsule region haemorrhage

BackgroundThe prognosis of patients with thalamic hemorrhage is poor, and their long-term neurological impairment is heavy, which seriously affects their work and life.To comparatively analyse the efficacy and prognosis of patients with moderate hemorrhage in the thalamic region who underwent conservative treatment, stereotactic puncture surgery and neuroendoscopic surgery. MethodThis study retrospectively analyzed hospitalization data from 139 adult patients with moderate-volume cerebral hemorrhage in the thalamo-endocapsular region. They were categorized into a stereotactic group (39cases), a neuroendoscopic group (36cases), and a conventional conservative group (64cases). Logistic regression analysis was used to assess risk factors for severe neurological deficits in patients. Multivariate regression modeling was used to compare the correlation of severe neurological deficits among the three groups of patients. ResultsPatients with thalamic moderate-volume cerebral hemorrhage had statistically significantly higher Assessment of Daily Living (ADL) scores in the stereotactic surgery group than in the conservative treatment group and the neuroendoscopic surgery group after 6 months of treatment (p< 0.001).The amount of residual hematoma was significantly lower in the surgery groups than in the conservative treatment group at 3 days, 7 days, and 2 weeks after the onset of the disease (P< 0.001).In multivariate logistic regression analyses, after adjusting for all covariates, the odds ratios for severe neurologic dysfunction in the stereotactic group and the neuroendoscopy group were, respectively, OR: 0.37 (0.12–0.87), P< 0.001 and 0.42 (0.23–1.13), P=0.361). ConclusionIn patients with moderate volume cerebral hemorrhage in the thalamus-inner capsule region cerebral hemorrhage, patients treated with stereotactic surgery combined with early hyperbaric oxygen therapy may have better long-term neurological recovery compared with conservative and neuroendoscopic surgical treatments.

Repressing iron overload ameliorates central post-stroke pain via the Hdac2-Kv1.2 axis in a rat model of hemorrhagic stroke.

JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202412000-00027/figure1/v/2024-04-08T165401Z/r/image-tiff Thalamic hemorrhage can lead to the development of central post-stroke pain. Changes in histone acetylation levels, which are regulated by histone deacetylases, affect the excitability of neurons surrounding the hemorrhagic area. However, the regulatory mechanism of histone deacetylases in central post-stroke pain remains unclear. Here, we show that iron overload leads to an increase in histone deacetylase 2 expression in damaged ventral posterolateral nucleus neurons. Inhibiting this increase restored histone H3 acetylation in the Kcna2 promoter region of the voltage-dependent potassium (Kv) channel subunit gene in a rat model of central post-stroke pain, thereby increasing Kcna2 expression and relieving central pain. However, in the absence of nerve injury, increasing histone deacetylase 2 expression decreased Kcna2 expression, decreased Kv current, increased the excitability of neurons in the ventral posterolateral nucleus area, and led to neuropathic pain symptoms. Moreover, treatment with the iron chelator deferiprone effectively reduced iron overload in the ventral posterolateral nucleus after intracerebral hemorrhage, reversed histone deacetylase 2 upregulation and Kv1.2 downregulation, and alleviated mechanical hypersensitivity in central post-stroke pain rats. These results suggest that histone deacetylase 2 upregulation and Kv1.2 downregulation, mediated by iron overload, are important factors in central post-stroke pain pathogenesis and could serve as new targets for central post-stroke pain treatment.

Safety of Concomitant Cortical and Thalamic Stereoencephalography Explorations in Patients With Drug-Resistant Epilepsies.

Intracranial electrophysiology of thalamic nuclei has demonstrated involvement of thalamic areas in the propagation of seizures in focal drug-resistant epilepsy. Recent studies have argued that thalamus stereoencephalography (sEEG) may aid in understanding the epileptogenic zone and treatment options. However, the study of thalamic sEEG-associated hemorrhage incidence has not been investigated in a cohort study design. In this article, we present the largest retrospective cohort study of sEEG patients and compare hemorrhage rates between those with and without thalamic sEEG monitoring. Retrospective chart review of clinical and epilepsy history, electrode implantation, rationale, and outcomes was performed for 76 patients (age 20-69 years) with drug-resistant epilepsy who underwent sEEG monitoring at our institution (2019-2022). A subset of 38% of patients (n = 30) underwent thalamic monitoring of the anterior thalamic nucleus (n = 14), pulvinar nucleus (n = 25), or both (n = 10). Planned perisylvian orthogonal sEEG trajectories were extended to 2- to 3-cm intraparenchymally access thalamic area(s).The decision to incorporate thalamic monitoring was made by the multidisciplinary epilepsy team. Statistical comparison of hemorrhage rate, type, and severity between patients with and without thalamic sEEG monitoring was made. Our approach for thalamic monitoring was not associated with local intraparenchymal hemorrhage of thalamic areas or found along extended cortical trajectories, and symptomatic hemorrhage rates were greater for patients with thalamic coverage (10% vs 0%, P = .056), although this was not found to be significant. Importantly, patients with perisylvian electrode trajectories, with or without thalamic coverage, did not experience a higher incidence of hemorrhage ( P = .34). sEEG of the thalamus is a safe and valuable tool that can be used to interrogate the efficacy of thalamic neuromodulation for drug-resistant epilepsy. While patients with thalamic sEEG did have higher incidence of hemorrhage at any monitoring site, this finding was apparently not related to the method of perisylvian implantation and did not involve any trajectories targeting the thalamus.

Outcome Prediction by Combining Corticospinal Tract Lesion Load with Diffusion-tensor Fractional Anisotropy in Patients after Hemorrhagic Stroke.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the predictive precision of combining the corticospinal tract lesion load (CST-LL) with the diffusion-tensor fractional anisotropy of the corticospinal tract (CST-FA) in the lesioned hemispheres regarding motor outcomes. Patients with putaminal and/or thalamic hemorrhage who had undergone computed tomography (CT) soon after onset in our hospital were retrospectively enrolled. The CST-LL was calculated after registration of the CT images to a standard brain. Diffusion-tensor imaging was performed during the second week after onset. Standardized automated tractography was employed to calculate the CST-FA. Outcomes were assessed at discharge from our affiliated rehabilitation facility using total scores of the motor component of the Stroke Impairment Assessment Set (SIAS-motor total; null to full, 0 to 25). Multivariate regression analysis was performed with CST-LL and CST-FA as explanatory variables and SIAS-motor total as a target value. Twenty-five patients participated in this study. SIAS-motor total ranged from 0 to 25 (median, 17). CST-LL ranged from 0.298 to 7.595 (median, 2.522) mL, and the lesion-side CST-FA ranged from 0.211 to 0.530 (median, 0.409). Analysis revealed that both explanatory variables were detected as statistically significant contributory factors. The estimated t values indicated that the contributions of these two variables were almost equal. The obtained regression model accounted for 63.9% of the variability of the target value. Incorporation of the CST-LL with the lesion-side CST-FA enhances the precision of the stroke outcome prediction model.

A stroke patient with persistently intermittent fever treated with gabapentin: A clinical case.

Fever is one of the most common complications in stroke patients and can generally be classified as either infectious or non-infectious. Infectious fevers are commonly caused by pulmonary infections, urinary tract infections, and secondary infections associated with medical interventions such as endotracheal intubation, urinary catheterization, and nasogastric tubes. Non-infectious fevers primarily manifest as central fevers, although in rare cases, they may also result from drug-induced causes. Existing research indicates that the most common cause of central fever is brainstem hemorrhage, followed by hemorrhage in the basal ganglia and thalamus, then cerebellar hemorrhage, large cortical infarction, and basilar artery occlusion, with intraventricular hemorrhage being relatively rare. Stroke patients' body temperatures can rise to 39°C within 12 hours after onset and peak within 24 hours. In this case, a stroke patient with acute cerebral infarction and secondary thalamic hemorrhage developed new sensory abnormalities in the left limbs and intermittent fever during hospitalization. Despite the use of antibiotics targeting a pulmonary infection, the patient's fever did not show significant improvement. Gabapentin was added to the treatment regimen to address the sensory abnormalities. Surprisingly, within four hours of gabapentin administration, the patient's body temperature normalized and remained stable during subsequent monitoring. This observation led us to hypothesize that gabapentin may have a potential role in alleviating central fever.

Patient with Diffuse Midline Glioma, H3 K27-altered, Carrying an &lt;i&gt;FGFR1&lt;/i&gt; Mutation Who Experienced Thalamic Hemorrhage: A Case Report and Literature Review

Patient with Diffuse Midline Glioma, H3 K27-altered, Carrying an &lt;i&gt;FGFR1&lt;/i&gt; Mutation Who Experienced Thalamic Hemorrhage: A Case Report and Literature Review

32 Pediatric traumatic brain injury and the interruption of premorbid hallucinations: a case study

Objective:Research has shown that a small, yet significant minority of individuals with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) experience psychotic symptoms post-TBI. TBI has also been associated with earlier onset schizophrenia in individuals with a genetic risk for psychosis.The current case presents a 15-year-old female with pre-existing psychotic symptoms (auditory and visual hallucinations [AVH] and delusions) who stopped experiencing AVH a few weeks post-injury. The, at least temporary, cessation of her hallucinations raises several important questions about the neuroanatomy of pediatric psychosis and the impact of TBI on a potentially divergently developing brain.Participants and Methods:Patient is a 15-year-old female who identifies as Hispanic (adopted, of Central American origin). Prior to her injury her developmental history was notable probable neglect prior to adoption, and her psychiatric history was notable for major depressive disorder, anxiety, chronic insomnia, and AVH. AVH were religious in nature and involved command hallucinations. AVH had been attributed to her chronic insomnia, per medical records. Participant was in a motorcycle accident with her caregiver and sustained a severe traumatic brain injury (GCS=3-8). Medical workup, including MRI, indicated a right basal ganglia hemorrhage, right thalamic hemorrhage, as well as injury of the brain stem at the pons, resulting in left-sided hemiparesis. She was ultimately diagnosed with traumatic right-sided intracerebral hemorrhage, traumatic subdural hematoma, traumatic hemorrhage of basal ganglia, traumatic encephalopathy, and a left homonymous hemianopia (left visual field cut) from her right temporal parietal injury. She received a neuropsychological evaluation 10 months post-TBI. Testing included: subtests of the WISC-V, measures of sustained attention and executive functioning, tasks of orientation and memory, and questionnaire measures assessing social-emotional, executive, and adaptive functioning. Parent and adolescent clinical interviews were conducted.Results:Results indicated appropriate orientation, broadly intact intelligence presumed consistent with premorbid functioning, average sustained attention, and deficits in aspects executive functioning, visual-motor processing speed, and fine motor skills. Although she performed well on objective measures of memory, she reported significant long term social memory loss (e.g., difficulties remembering friends and memories of emotional connectedness) during the clinical interview. Interview and questionnaire measures also indicated continued challenges with depression and anxiety, as well as post-traumatic personality changes, tics, and symptoms of trauma. Patient reported that her hallucinations, both visual and auditory, stopped early in her recovery post-TBI; patient’s premorbid delusions were still present post-TBI.Conclusions:This case raises questions related to the impact of structural or axonal injury to regions or networks in the brain that may be associated with psychosis. It also adds to a minimal literature examining AVH in pediatric TBI. Using the current literature as a framework we will explore 1) the injury to this patient’s thalamus as it relates to both her emotional memory deficits as well as the interruption of her AVH hallucinations, and 2) the relationship between her visual field cut and the interruption of her visual hallucinations. Overall, this case study highlights the unique nature of the developing brain both in terms of the TBI and psychosis.

Radiosurgical Thalamotomy for Essential Tremor: A Prospective Study with Blinded Assessment by a Movement Disorder Neurologist

To prospectively evaluate the effectiveness and safety of radiosurgical thalamotomy in patients with Essential Tremor (ET). Patients underwent stereotactic radiation VIM thalamotomy by a dedicated Cobalt 60 intracranial radiosurgery platform in a fixed headframe. 130 Gy was prescribed to the 100% isodose point with single 4mm collimator. Effectiveness was evaluated using validated tremor rating scale: upper limb CRST Part B ratings (CRST) in comparison to baseline. To be eligible minimal CRST score of 2 in writing or drawing was required. Writing and drawing score assessments were conducted by a single movement disorder neurologist in a blinded fashion. Mean writing and drawing scores were statistically compared with paired t-test. A total of 213 cases (203 patients) were enrolled in the study, 7 cases (and individual patients) withdrew prior to treatment. The total number of thalamotomies performed was 206. Ten patients had right and left thalamotomies on study. Eleven patients underwent a contralateral thalamotomy but their initial thalamotomy was not a case in this study. 30 patients withdrew or were lost to follow-up, 2 patients were withdrawn due to not meeting medication criteria after treatment, 12 patients were withdrawn not meeting CRST rating criteria. Two patients were lost to follow-up immediately following the procedure (one of whom was a patient who underwent right and left staged procedures - no follow-up was obtained after the second procedure). 177 cases completed 6-month follow-up; 169 cases completed 1 year follow-up; 113 cases completed 2-year follow-up. For 189 total evaluable cases pre-treatment, drawing score mean was 2.86 +/- 0.84, pre-treatment writing score mean was 2.96 +/- 0.86. WRITING At one year: 143 cases (writing side targeted) mean writing score 1.28 +/-1.11 P<.01. 77% of cases improved by 1 point or greater. At two years: 102 cases 1.48+/-1.11, P<.01. 78% of cases improved by 1 point or greater. DRAWING At one year: 169 cases mean drawing score 1.42 +/-0.97, P<.01. 71% of cases improved by 1 point or greater. At two years: 113 cases mean drawing score 1.49+/-0.98, P<.01. 71% of cases improved by 1 point or greater. Cumulative side effects at 6 months and 1 year were seen in 17 of 175 of patients. 12 mild, 3 moderate and 2 severe. Mild side effects included numbness of the fingers, lip or hand and mild dysarthria. Severe side effects were 1 thalamic hemorrhage resulting in contralateral weakness. 1 patient developed foot drop and slurring of speech. Cumulative 2-year side effects were 15 mild, 3 moderate and 3 severe (1 additional thalamic hemorrhage). Stereotactic radiosurgical thalamotomy provided a significant reduction in tremor at 1 and 2 years. The treatment is an effective noninvasive treatment option worthy of consideration in many patients. The treatment has a low but non-zero risk of significant SEs.

Neuroanatomical correlates of cognitive impairment following basal ganglia-thalamic post-hemorrhagic stroke: Uncovering network-wide alterations in hemispheric gray matter asymmetry

Cognitive impairment and recovery are central issues in hemorrhagic stroke. This study aimed to investigate whether post-hemorrhagic stroke cognitive impairment (PhSCI) is associated with cortical gray matter (GM) loss and hemispheric asymmetry changes and whether these changes could predict improvements in cognitive function during the recovery. Nineteen patients with PhSCI, comprising 10 with basal ganglia hemorrhage and 9 with thalamic hemorrhage, were recruited. Among them, 9 completed a course of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Additionally, 19 demographically and comorbidity-matched healthy controls were also included. Structural brain MRI and cognitive assessments were performed. Voxel-wise GM volume and hemispheric asymmetry were analyzed. The PhSCI patients exhibited bilateral, yet asymmetric, GM losses in the hippocampus, fusiform, lateral temporal, prefrontal, somatomotor, and inferior parietal regions. The analysis of GM asymmetry revealed that patients showed rightward GM in the lateral temporal, somatomotor, and inferior parietal regions. Among the 9 PhSCI patients who completed rTMS, there was a marginal trend of regional GM increase and leftward GM, and these changes were in parallel with the improvements in cognitive tests. Further lesion connectivity and metanalytic mapping identified two interconnected systems linked to the lesions, which were anchored in the default mode, somatomotor, and salience/cognitive control networks and in the cognitive domains of memory, language, decision-making, and executive function. In conclusion, PhSCI patients exhibited network-wide cortical GM losses, distal to subcortical hemorrhagic lesions, and hemisphere asymmetry changes. These changes appear to predict rTMS-related cognitive improvements, suggesting that even subcortical focal lesions can lead to alterations in distal cortical neuroanatomical architecture. Our preliminary findings provide new insights into the neuroanatomical basis of PhSCI.

Secular trends and features of thalamic hemorrhages compared with other hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhages: an 18-year single-center retrospective assessment.

Trends regarding the locations of hypertensive cerebral hemorrhages are unclear. To clarify hypertensive hemorrhage trends, we investigated intracerebral hemorrhages (ICHs) over an 18-year period, focusing on thalamic hemorrhages compared with other sites of hemorrhages. We reviewed the cases of patients hospitalized for hypertensive ICH in 2004-2021 at our hospital; 1,320 eligible patients were registered with a primary ICH/intraventricular hemorrhage. After exclusion criteria were applied, we retrospectively analyzed 1,026 hypertensive ICH cases. The proportions of thalamic and subcortical hemorrhages increased over the 18-year period, whereas putaminal hemorrhage decreased. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that for thalamic hemorrhage, ≥200 mmHg systolic blood pressure (p = 0.031), bleeding <15 mL (p = 0.001), and higher modified Rankin scale (mRS) score ≥ 4 at discharge (p = 0.006) were significant variables in the late period (2013-2021) versus the early period (2004-2012), whereas for putaminal hemorrhage, significant factors in the late period were triglyceride <150 mg/dL (p = 0.006) and mRS score ≥ 4 at discharge (p = 0.002). Among the features of the thalamic hemorrhages in the late period revealed by our group comparison with the putaminal and subcortical hemorrhages, the total and subcortical microbleeds were more notable in the thalamic hemorrhages than in the other two types of hemorrhage, whereas cerebellar microbleeds were more prominent when compared only with subcortical hemorrhages. Our findings revealed an increasing trend for thalamic hypertensive hemorrhage and a decreasing trend for putaminal hemorrhage. The thalamic hemorrhage increase was observed in both young and older patients, regardless of gender. The main features of thalamic hemorrhage in the late period versus the early period were decrease in larger hemorrhage (≥15 mL) and an increase in cases with higher systolic blood pressure (at least partially involved a small number of untreated hypertensive patients who developed major bleeding). The total and subcortical microbleeds were more notable in the thalamic hemorrhages of the late period than in the putaminal and subcortical hemorrhages. These results may contribute to a better understanding of the recent trends of hypertensive ICHs and may help guide their appropriate treatments for this condition.

Blocking Pannexin-1 Channels Alleviates Thalamic Hemorrhage-Induced Pain and Inflammatory Depolarization of Microglia in Mice.

Central post-stroke pain (CPSP) is a neuropathic pain syndrome that frequently occurs following cerebral stroke. The pathogenesis of CPSP is mainly due to thalamic injury caused by ischemia and hemorrhage. However, its underlying mechanism is far from clear. In the present study, a thalamic hemorrhage (TH) model was established in young male mice by microinjection of 0.075 U of type IV collagenase into the unilateral ventral posterior lateral nucleus and ventral posterior medial nucleus of the thalamus. We found that TH led to microglial pannexin (Panx)-1, a large-pore ion channel, opening within the thalamus accompanied with thalamic tissue injury, pain sensitivities, and neurological deficit, which were significantly prevented by either intraperitoneal injection of the Panx1 blocker carbenoxolone or intracerebroventricular perfusion of the inhibitory mimetic peptide 10Panx. However, inhibition of Panx1 has no additive effect on pain sensitivities upon pharmacological depletion of microglia. Mechanistically, we found that carbenoxolone alleviated TH-induced proinflammatory factors transcription, neuronal apoptosis, and neurite disassembly within the thalamus. In summary, we conclude that blocking of microglial Panx1 channels alleviates CPSP and neurological deficit through, at least in part, reducing neural damage mediated by the inflammatory response of thalamic microglia after TH. Targeting Panx1 might be a potential strategy in the treatment of CPSP.