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Variability of the Modified Rankin Scale Score between Day 90 and 1 Year after Ischemic Stroke

De Havenon, Adam ; Tirschwell, David L. ; Heitsch, Laura ; Cramer, Steven C. ; Braun, Robynne ; Cole, John ; Reddy, Vivek ; Majersik, Jennifer J. ; Lindgren, Arne LU and Worrall, Bradford B. (2021) In Neurology: Clinical Practice 11(3). p.239-244
Abstract

Objective Studies indicate that the functional outcome evolves in the year after ischemic stroke onset. However, the traditional outcome measure in stroke trials is the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days from onset. To determine mRS fluctuations in the first year after stroke, we examined data from 3 major stroke trials.MethodsIn a secondary analysis, we evaluated intrapatient mRS between 90 days and 1 year from stroke onset, the mRS shift (ΔmRS = 1 year-day 90), and the trials' primary outcome at day 90 and 1 yearResultsWe included 624 patients from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke rt-PA Stroke Study, 587 from Albumin Treatment for Acute Ischaemic Stroke, and 611 from Interventional Management of Stroke... (More)

Objective Studies indicate that the functional outcome evolves in the year after ischemic stroke onset. However, the traditional outcome measure in stroke trials is the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days from onset. To determine mRS fluctuations in the first year after stroke, we examined data from 3 major stroke trials.MethodsIn a secondary analysis, we evaluated intrapatient mRS between 90 days and 1 year from stroke onset, the mRS shift (ΔmRS = 1 year-day 90), and the trials' primary outcome at day 90 and 1 yearResultsWe included 624 patients from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke rt-PA Stroke Study, 587 from Albumin Treatment for Acute Ischaemic Stroke, and 611 from Interventional Management of Stroke III, for which the proportion of patients with a ΔmRS change between day 90 and 1 year was 36.5%, 41.7%, and 36.0%. However, the trials' primary outcomes did not differ at 1 year vs 90 days. Similar findings were seen in a second cohort where we pooled the trials and excluded patients with recurrent stroke or death during the follow-up. In those 1,314 patients, 544 (41.4%) had a ΔmRS change, of which 379 (28.9%) had improvement and 165 (12.5%) had worsening, apart from death.ConclusionWe describe the patient-level spectrum of mRS change from day 90 to 1 year after ischemic stroke in 3 high-quality randomized trials. The patient-level shifts consisted of a sufficiently counterbalanced number of mRS improvements and declines, which masked clinical evolution occurring in over one-third of patients. These results may have important implications, both for clinical trial design and outcome adjudication in stroke research and duration of rehabilitative therapy.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Neurology: Clinical Practice
volume
11
issue
3
pages
239 - 244
publisher
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
external identifiers
  • scopus:85164604144
ISSN
2163-0402
DOI
10.1212/CPJ.0000000000000954
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
80fe4f25-00a5-4679-9f6a-bab6f01fcae7
date added to LUP
2023-10-30 11:57:39
date last changed
2023-10-30 11:57:39
@article{80fe4f25-00a5-4679-9f6a-bab6f01fcae7,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objective Studies indicate that the functional outcome evolves in the year after ischemic stroke onset. However, the traditional outcome measure in stroke trials is the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days from onset. To determine mRS fluctuations in the first year after stroke, we examined data from 3 major stroke trials.MethodsIn a secondary analysis, we evaluated intrapatient mRS between 90 days and 1 year from stroke onset, the mRS shift (ΔmRS = 1 year-day 90), and the trials' primary outcome at day 90 and 1 yearResultsWe included 624 patients from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke rt-PA Stroke Study, 587 from Albumin Treatment for Acute Ischaemic Stroke, and 611 from Interventional Management of Stroke III, for which the proportion of patients with a ΔmRS change between day 90 and 1 year was 36.5%, 41.7%, and 36.0%. However, the trials' primary outcomes did not differ at 1 year vs 90 days. Similar findings were seen in a second cohort where we pooled the trials and excluded patients with recurrent stroke or death during the follow-up. In those 1,314 patients, 544 (41.4%) had a ΔmRS change, of which 379 (28.9%) had improvement and 165 (12.5%) had worsening, apart from death.ConclusionWe describe the patient-level spectrum of mRS change from day 90 to 1 year after ischemic stroke in 3 high-quality randomized trials. The patient-level shifts consisted of a sufficiently counterbalanced number of mRS improvements and declines, which masked clinical evolution occurring in over one-third of patients. These results may have important implications, both for clinical trial design and outcome adjudication in stroke research and duration of rehabilitative therapy.</p>}},
  author       = {{De Havenon, Adam and Tirschwell, David L. and Heitsch, Laura and Cramer, Steven C. and Braun, Robynne and Cole, John and Reddy, Vivek and Majersik, Jennifer J. and Lindgren, Arne and Worrall, Bradford B.}},
  issn         = {{2163-0402}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{239--244}},
  publisher    = {{Lippincott Williams & Wilkins}},
  series       = {{Neurology: Clinical Practice}},
  title        = {{Variability of the Modified Rankin Scale Score between Day 90 and 1 Year after Ischemic Stroke}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1212/CPJ.0000000000000954}},
  doi          = {{10.1212/CPJ.0000000000000954}},
  volume       = {{11}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}