ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is standard care for intracranial stenting to prevent thrombotic complications. Clopidogrel resistance has resulted in patients receiving newer P2Y12 inhibitors like Prasugrel, which may reduce thrombotic complications but could increase haemorrhagic complications. This study, utilising platelet reactivity testing, compared thrombotic and haemorrhagic complications associated with Clopidogrel or 20 mg Prasugrel loading in patients treated with flow diverters (FD) for intracranial aneurysms. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed prospectively collected data from 225 consecutive FD procedures. All patients received aspirin. 147 cases received Clopidogrel and 82 received Prasugrel. All patients had VerifyNow testing before the procedure. RESULTS: P2Y12 non-responders were significantly more likely to have thrombotic complications than responders and hyper-responders (7% vs. 2%, p = 0.01). Low-dose Prasugrel resulted in a significantly lower rate of non-responders when compared with Clopidogrel (7% vs. 25%, p < 0.01). We found no statistically significant difference in rates of haemorrhage between the Clopidogrel and Prasugrel groups (2.4% vs. 3.9%, p = 0.47). There were 12 complications (≤7 days) in the Clopidogrel group versus 6 in the Prasugrel group (9% vs. 7.8%, respectively, p = 0.91) and a non-significant reduction in thrombotic complications in the Prasugrel group (5.2% vs. 3.9%, p = 0.88). No significant difference was shown in long-term complications between the groups (p = 0.33). CONCLUSION: These results support the use of platelet reactivity testing and the safety of low-dose Prasugrel for FD treatment of intracranial aneurysms.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The neural basis of mental retardation is poorly understood. This study aimed to characterize structural anomalies of the brain in mental retardation and the relationship between them and the degree of mental retardation. METHODS: Eighty adolescents receiving educational support and 40 controls underwent MR brain imaging and intelligence quotient (IQ) assessment. MR images were evaluated according to a checklist of qualitative brain anomalies by a neuroradiologist blind to group membership. All scans were assessed by a second neuroradiologist to measure interobserver agreement. Ten percent of the studies were randomly selected for assessment of intraobserver agreement. RESULTS: Evaluation of MR images by using the checklist generated results with a high degree of interobserver and intraobserver agreement. Intraclass correlations were 0.93 and 0.75 for interobserver agreement on the total abnormality score and the entire checklist, respectively, and 0.97 and 0.85 for intraobserver agreement on the total abnormality score and the entire checklist, respectively. IQ is negatively correlated with the total abnormality score (P < .001). Subjects with an IQ <70 have a significantly greater total score (P = .003) and a significantly greater score for 12 specific anomalies, including thinning of the corpus callosum (P = .001) and abnormalities of the lateral ventricles. CONCLUSION: Mental retardation is associated with demonstrable brain anomalies, particularly thinning of the corpus callosum and ventricular abnormalities, and with a high total abnormality score. Greater levels of brain anomalies are associated with greater levels of mental retardation as evidenced by IQ.
