Objective: Stroke treatment is often hampered by delayed Emergency Medical Services activation. Public campaigns to improve the response to stroke symptoms are either costly or not working. We evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based HOBIT program in improving Emergency Medical Services activation. Methods: This cluster randomized trial was conducted from May to June 2023 at 13 schools in the South Moravian region of Czechia. Schools were randomized to the HOBIT intervention or control group with a 3:1 ratio. Both groups had knowledge assessments at baseline and follow-up. The primary outcome was the percentage change from the pretest to the follow-up test in the intervention group compared to the control group in 4 domains: 1) knowledge, 2) self-efficacy, 3) outcome expectations, 4) behavioral intentions. Results: The baseline knowledge was greater than 50 % in most metrics except for knowledge of the FAST test, which was only 16 %. The intervention effect was 16 % (95 % CI 12-21) for knowledge, 10 % (95 % CI 4-15) for self-efficacy,10 % (95 % CI 5-15) for outcome expectations, 8 % (95 % CI 2-11) for behavioral intentions. Conclusions: In school children, even those with high baseline, "HOBIT" intervention can improve determinants and behavioral intentions of Emergency Medical Services activation for suspected stroke.

• Keywords
• Children, Cluster randomized trial, Health education, Intervention, School, Stroke awareness,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Neurological disorders constitute a significant portion of the global disease burden, affecting >30% of the world's population. This prevalence poses a substantial threat to global health in the foreseeable future. A lack of awareness regarding this high burden of neurological diseases has led to their underrecognition, underappreciation, and insufficient funding. Establishing a strategic and comprehensive research agenda for brain-related studies is a crucial step towards aligning research objectives among all pertinent stakeholders and fostering greater societal awareness. METHODS: A scoping literature review was undertaken by a working group from the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) to identify any existing research agendas relevant to neurology. Additionally, a specialized survey was conducted among all EAN scientific panels, including neurologists and patients, inquiring about their perspectives on the current research priorities and gaps in neurology. RESULTS: The review revealed the absence of a unified, overarching brain research agenda. Existing research agendas predominantly focus on specialized topics within neurology, resulting in an imbalance in the number of agendas across subspecialties. The survey indicated a prioritization of neurological disorders and research gaps. CONCLUSIONS: Building upon the findings from the review and survey, key components for a strategic and comprehensive neurological research agenda in Europe were delineated. This research agenda serves as a valuable prioritization tool for neuroscientific researchers, as well as for clinicians, donors, and funding agencies in the field of neurology. It offers essential guidance for creating a roadmap for research and clinical advancement, ultimately leading to heightened awareness and reduced burden of neurological disorders.

• Keywords
• Europe, neurological disorders, research agenda, research gaps, research priorities,
• MeSH
• Global Burden of Disease MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Nervous System Diseases * epidemiology   therapy   MeSH
• Neurology * MeSH
• Research MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Europe epidemiology   MeSH

BACKGROUND: Disparities in the availability of reperfusion services for acute ischemic stroke are considerable globally and require urgent attention. Contemporary data on the availability of reperfusion services in different countries are used to provide the necessary evidence to prioritize where access to acute stroke treatment is needed. AIMS: To provide a snapshot of published literature on the provision of reperfusion services globally, including when facilitated by telemedicine or mobile stroke unit services. METHODS: We searched PubMed to identify original articles, published up to January 2023 for the most recent, representative, and relevant patient-level data for each country. Keywords included thrombolysis, endovascular thrombectomy and telemedicine. We also screened reference lists of review articles, citation history of articles, and the gray literature. The information is provided as a narrative summary. RESULTS: Of 11,222 potentially eligible articles retrieved, 148 were included for review following de-duplications and full-text review. Data were also obtained from national stroke clinical registry reports, Registry of Stroke Care Quality (RES-Q) and PRE-hospital Stroke Treatment Organization (PRESTO) repositories, and other national sources. Overall, we found evidence of the provision of intravenous thrombolysis services in 70 countries (63% high-income countries (HICs)) and endovascular thrombectomy services in 33 countries (68% HICs), corresponding to far less than half of the countries in the world. Recent data (from 2019 or later) were lacking for 35 of 67 countries with known year of data (52%). We found published data on 74 different stroke telemedicine programs (93% in HICs) and 14 active mobile stroke unit pre-hospital ambulance services (80% in HICs) around the world. CONCLUSION: Despite remarkable advancements in reperfusion therapies for stroke, it is evident from available patient-level data that their availability remains unevenly distributed globally. Contemporary published data on availability of reperfusion services remain scarce, even in HICs, thereby making it difficult to reliably ascertain current gaps in the provision of this vital acute stroke treatment around the world.

• Keywords
• Stroke, mobile stroke unit, reperfusion, telemedicine, worldwide,
• MeSH
• Stroke * epidemiology   therapy   MeSH
• Ischemic Stroke * MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Reperfusion MeSH
• Ambulances MeSH
• Thrombectomy MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Registry of Stroke Care Quality (RES-Q) is a worldwide quality improvement data platform that captures performance and quality measures, enabling standardized comparisons of hospital care. The aim of this study was to determine if, and how, RES-Q data are used to influence stroke quality improvement and identify the support and educational needs of clinicians using RES-Q data to improve stroke care. METHODS: A cross-sectional self-administered online survey was administered (October 2021-February 2022). Participants were RES-Q hospital local coordinators responsible for stroke data collection. Descriptive statistics are presented. RESULTS: Surveys were sent to 1463 hospitals in 74 countries; responses were received from 358 hospitals in 55 countries (response rate 25%). RES-Q data were used "always" or "often" to: develop quality improvement initiatives (n = 213, 60%); track stroke care quality over time (n = 207, 58%); improve local practice (n = 191, 53%); and benchmark against evidence-based policies, procedures and/or guidelines to identify practice gaps (n = 179, 50%). Formal training in the use of RES-Q tools and data were the most frequent support needs identified by respondents (n = 165, 46%). Over half "strongly agreed" or "agreed" that to support clinical practice change, education is needed on: (i) using data to identify evidence-practice gaps (n = 259, 72%) and change clinical practice (n = 263, 74%), and (ii) quality improvement science and methods (n = 255, 71%). CONCLUSION: RES-Q data are used for monitoring stroke care performance. However, to facilitate their optimal use, effective quality improvement methods are needed. Educating staff in quality improvement science may develop competency and improve use of data in practice.

• Keywords
• clinical quality registry, data, quality improvement, stroke,
• MeSH
• Stroke * therapy   MeSH
• Quality of Health Care MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Hospitals MeSH
• Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
• Registries MeSH
• Routinely Collected Health Data MeSH
• Quality Improvement * MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

INTRODUCTION: We assessed best available data on access and delivery of acute stroke unit (SU) care, intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and endovascular treatment (EVT) in the European region in 2019 and 2020. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We compared national data per number of inhabitants and per 100 annual incident first-ever ischaemic strokes (AIIS) in 46 countries. Population estimates and ischaemic stroke incidence were based on United Nations data and the Global Burden of Disease Report 2019, respectively. RESULTS: The estimated mean number of acute SUs in 2019 was 3.68 (95% CI: 2.90-4.45) per one million inhabitants (MIH) with 7/44 countries having less than one SU per one MIH. The estimated mean annual number of IVTs was 21.03 (95% CI: 15.63-26.43) per 100,000 and 17.14% (95% CI: 12.98-21.30) of the AIIS in 2019, with highest country rates at 79.19 and 52.66%, respectively, and 15 countries delivering less than 10 IVT per 100,000. The estimated mean annual number of EVTs in 2019 was 7.87 (95% CI: 5.96-9.77) per 100,000 and 6.91% (95% CI: 5.15-8.67) of AIIS, with 11 countries delivering less than 1.5 EVT per 100,000. Rates of SUs, IVT and EVT were stable in 2020. There was an increase in mean rates of SUs, IVT and EVT compared to similar data from 2016. CONCLUSION: Although there was an increase in reperfusion treatment rates in many countries between 2016 and 2019, this was halted in 2020. There are persistent major inequalities in acute stroke treatment in the European region. Tailored strategies directed to the most vulnerable regions should be prioritised.

• Keywords
• Europe, acute stroke treatment, endovascular treatment, health care resources, intravenous thrombolysis, stroke care implementation, stroke unit,
• MeSH
• Stroke * epidemiology   MeSH
• Endovascular Procedures * MeSH
• Ischemic Stroke * epidemiology   MeSH
• Brain Ischemia * epidemiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Thrombolytic Therapy MeSH
• Treatment Outcome MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

INTRODUCTION: Poor adoption of stroke guidelines is a problem internationally. The Quality in Acute Stroke Care (QASC) trial demonstrated significant reduction in death and disability with facilitated implementation of nurse-initiated. METHODS: This was a multi-country, multi-centre, pre-test/post-test study (2017-2021) comparing post implementation data with historically collected pre-implementation data. Hospital clinical champions, supported by the Angels Initiative conducted multidisciplinary workshops discussing pre-implementation medical record audit results, barriers and facilitators to FeSS Protocol implementation, developed action plans and provided education, with ongoing support co-ordinated remotely from Australia. Prospective audits were conducted 3-month after FeSS Protocol introduction. Pre-to-post analysis and country income classification comparisons were adjusted for clustering by hospital and country controlling for age/sex/stroke severity. RESULTS: Data from 64 hospitals in 17 countries (3464 patients pre-implementation and 3257 patients post-implementation) showed improvement pre-to-post implementation in measurement recording of all three FeSS components, all p < 0.0001: fever elements (pre: 17%, post: 51%; absolute difference 33%, 95% CI 30%, 37%); hyperglycaemia elements (pre: 18%, post: 52%; absolute difference 34%; 95% CI 31%, 36%); swallowing elements (pre: 39%, post: 67%; absolute difference 29%, 95% CI 26%, 31%) and thus in overall FeSS Protocol adherence (pre: 3.4%, post: 35%; absolute difference 33%, 95% CI 24%, 42%). In exploratory analysis of FeSS adherence by countries' economic status, high-income versus middle-income countries improved to a comparable extent. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our collaboration resulted in successful rapid implementation and scale-up of FeSS Protocols into countries with vastly different healthcare systems.

• Keywords
• FeSS, QASC, Stroke, dysphagia, fever, hyperglycaemia, implementation, nurses, swallow, translation,
• MeSH
• Stroke * diagnosis   MeSH
• Fever diagnosis   MeSH
• Hyperglycemia * diagnosis   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Deglutition MeSH
• Deglutition Disorders * diagnosis   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Australia MeSH

PURPOSE: To synthesize the body of knowledge on the factors influencing the quality of life (QoL) after ischemic stroke (IS) in young adults. METHODS: Guidelines regarding the scoping review methodology developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute, and the PRISMA-ScR checklist for a scoping review was used in this paper. A total of 1197 studies were identified through a bibliographic search in Web of Science, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and ProQuest Science Database. Articles published between the years 2000-2021 were included. RESULTS: A total of nine papers were finally selected to respond to the research question. Three studies were prospective longitudinal studies compared QoL between young stroke and age-matched controls from the general population. Across all the analysed studies, 14 variables potentially associated with QoL were identified. QoL in young patients is mainly affected by clinical outcomes after IS (scored by the modified Rankin scale and the Barthel index-favourable initial functional status and higher independence in ADL leads to higher QoL) and psychological factors (post-stroke fatigue and depression-higher levels of fatigue and depression lead to lower QoL). The reviewed studies emphasized the importance of functional outcomes, post-stroke depression, fatigue and anxiety and early return to work. CONCLUSION: Further longitudinal studies are needed to identify the trajectory of post-stroke psychosocial symptoms over time and other potential predictors of unfavourable long-term QoL, thus specific young stroke rehabilitation and stroke self-management support programmes should be developed (address physical, psychological factors which influence the psychosocial adaptation post-stroke and the perception of the QoL).

• Keywords
• Fatigue, Functional outcome, Health-related quality of life, Post-stroke depression, Quality of life, Young ischemic stroke,
• MeSH
• Stroke * psychology   MeSH
• Depression psychology   MeSH
• Ischemic Stroke * MeSH
• Quality of Life psychology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Prospective Studies MeSH
• Fatigue complications   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Scoping Review MeSH

BACKGROUND: Although fall prevention in patients after stroke is crucial, the clinical validity of fall risk assessment tools is underresearched in this population. The study aim was to determine the cut-off scores and clinical validity of the Sensory Organization Test (SOT), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and the Fall Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I) in patients after stroke. METHODS: In this prospective cross-sectional study, we analyzed data for patients admitted to a rehabilitation unit after stroke from 2018 through 2021. Participants underwent SOT, BBS, and FES-I pre-discharge, and the fall incidence was recorded for 6 months. We used an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) to calculate predictive values. RESULTS: Of 84 included patients (median age 68.5 (interquartile range 67-71) years), 32 (38.1%) suffered a fall. All three tests were significantly predictive of fall risk. Optimal cut-off scores were 60 points for SOT (AUC 0.686), 35 and 42 points for BBS (AUC 0.661 and 0.618, respectively), and 27 and 29 points for FES-I (AUC 0.685 and 0.677, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Optimal cut-off scores for SOT, BBS, and FES-I were determined for patients at risk for falls after a stroke, which all three tools classified with a good discriminatory ability.

• Keywords
• balance, fall risk assessment, stroke,
• MeSH
• Stroke * MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Postural Balance MeSH
• Prospective Studies MeSH
• Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
• Stroke Rehabilitation * MeSH
• ROC Curve MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

Physical activity is an important factor for primary and secondary stroke prevention. The process of stroke rehabilitation includes early and late physical activity and exercise, which prevents further stoke and improve patients' quality of life. MY WAY project, an ERASMUS+ SPORT program, is aimed at analyzing and developing or transferring best innovative practices related to physical activity and exercise enhancing health in poststroke patients. The aim of the study was to identify, analyze, and present the good practices and strategies to encourage participation in sport and physical activity and engage and motivate chronic stroke patients to perform physical activity changing their lifestyle and to maintain a high adherence to long-term exercise-based rehabilitation programs. Our results demonstrated that unified European stroke long-term exercise-based rehabilitation guidelines do not exist. It seems that low training frequency with high aerobic exercise intensity may be optimal for improved physical performance and quality of life in combination with a high adherence. It is important to optimize the training protocols suitable for each patient. The continuous education and training of the specialized professionals in this field and the presence of adequate structures and cooperation between different healthcare centers are important contributors. The clear objective for each country should be to systematically make the necessary steps to enhance overall exercise-based stroke rehabilitation attendance in the long term. Long-term interventions to support the importance of physical exercise and lifelong exercise-based rehabilitation in chronic stroke patients should be created, what coincides with the goal of the MY WAY project.

• MeSH
• Stroke physiopathology   therapy   MeSH
• Exercise MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic MeSH
• Stroke Rehabilitation * MeSH
• Exercise Therapy * MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

INTRODUCTION: Knowledge of the implementation gap would facilitate the use of intravenous thrombolysis in stroke, which is still low in many countries. The study was conducted to identify national implementation targets for the utilisation and logistics of intravenous thrombolysis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Multicomponent interventions by stakeholders in health care to optimise prehospital and hospital management with the goal of fast and accessible intravenous thrombolysis for every candidate. Implementation results were documented from prospectively collected cases in all 45 stroke centres nationally. The thrombolytic rate was calculated from the total number of all ischemic strokes in the population of the Czech Republic since 2004. RESULTS: Thrombolytic rates of 1.3 (95%CI 1.1 to 1.4), 5.4 (95%CI 5.1 to 5.7), 13.6 (95%CI 13.1 to 14.0), 23.3 (95%CI 22.8 to 23.9), and 23.5% (95%CI 23.0 to 24.1%) were achieved in 2005, 2009, 2014, 2017, and 2018, respectively. National median door-to-needle times were 60-70 minutes before 2012 and then decreased progressively every year to 25 minutes (IQR 17 to 36) in 2018. In 2018, 33% of both university and non-university hospitals achieved median door-to-needle time ≤20 minutes. In 2018, door-to-needle times ≤20, ≤45, and ≤60 minutes were achieved in 39, 85, and 93% of patients. DISCUSSION: Thrombolysis can be provided to ≥ 20% of all ischemic strokes nationwide and it is realistic to achieve median door-to-needle time 20 minutes. CONCLUSION: Stroke 20-20 could serve as national implementation target for intravenous thrombolysis and country specific implementation policies should be applied to achieve such target.

• Keywords
• Thrombolytic rate, acute stroke care, implementation of thrombolysis, stroke care management,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH