ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the effect of insular involvement on the outcomes of patients with acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke.Methods:Patients with acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke admitted to the Department of Neurology, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University from January 2015 to December 2020 were retrospectively included. Demographic data, vascular risk factors, clinical and laboratory data, as well as treatment and outcomes were collected. Firstly, the correlation between the insular involvement and the outcomes was investigated, and then the bootstrap method was used to clarify the mediating role of infarct volume between the insular involvement and the poor outcomes.Results:A total of 450 patients with acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke were enrolled, among whom 79 cases (17.6%) had insular involvement and 41 (9.1%) had left insular involvement. There were 111 (24.7%) with poor outcomes, including 5 (1.1%) died. Compared to the non-insular involvement group, the insular involvement group had a higher proportion of patients with atrial fibrillation, shorter onset to door time, higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at admission, larger infarct volume, and higher proportion of patients with poor outcomes (all P<0.05). In addition, patients with left insular involvement were younger than those with right insular involvement, had a higher baseline NIHSS score, a lower proportion of patients with minor stroke (NIHSS score ≤8), and had a longer onset to door time (all P<0.05). Compared to the good outcome group, the poor outcome group was older, with a higher proportion of female patients, higher systolic blood pressure, blood glucose, NLR, and NIHSS scores at admission, larger infarct volume, and a higher proportion of patients with insular involvement (all P<0.05). Mediation analysis suggested that the mediating effect of infarct volume between the insular involvement and the poor outcomes was significant (95% confidence interval 0.033-0.230; P=0.008). Conclusions:insular involvement in patients with acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke is associated with the poor outcomes, and this association may be mediated by infarct volume. Patients with left insular involvement may have more severe symptoms than those with right insular involvement, but there is no significant difference in the outcomes.