TY - JOUR
T1 - Prehospital Detection of Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke With EEG
T2 - Results of the ELECTRA-STROKE Study
AU - van Stigt, Maritta N
AU - Groenendijk, Eva A
AU - van Meenen, Laura C C
AU - van de Munckhof, Anita A G A
AU - Theunissen, Monique
AU - Franschman, Gaby
AU - Smeekes, Martin D
AU - van Grondelle, Joffry A F
AU - Geuzebroek, Geertje
AU - Siegers, Arjen
AU - Visser, Marieke C
AU - van Schaik, Sander M
AU - Halkes, Patricia H A
AU - Majoie, Charles B L M
AU - Roos, Yvo B W E M
AU - Koelman, Johannes H T M
AU - Koopman, Miou S
AU - Marquering, Henk A
AU - Potters, Wouter V
AU - Coutinho, Jonathan M
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © American Academy of Neurology.
PY - 2023/12/12
Y1 - 2023/12/12
N2 - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is standard treatment for anterior large vessel occlusion stroke (LVO-a stroke). Prehospital diagnosis of LVO-a stroke would reduce time to EVT by allowing direct transportation to an EVT-capable hospital. We aim to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of dry electrode EEG for the detection of LVO-a stroke in the prehospital setting.METHODS: ELECTRA-STROKE was an investigator-initiated, prospective, multicenter, diagnostic study, performed in the prehospital setting. Adult patients were eligible if they had suspected stroke (as assessed by the attending ambulance nurse) and symptom onset <24 hours. A single dry electrode EEG recording (8 electrodes) was performed by ambulance personnel. Primary endpoint was the diagnostic accuracy of the theta/alpha frequency ratio for LVO-a stroke (intracranial ICA, A1, M1, or proximal M2 occlusion) detection among patients with EEG data of sufficient quality, expressed as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Secondary endpoints were diagnostic accuracies of other EEG features quantifying frequency band power and the pairwise derived Brain Symmetry Index. Neuroimaging was assessed by a neuroradiologist blinded to EEG results.RESULTS: Between August 2020 and September 2022, 311 patients were included. The median EEG duration time was 151 (interquartile range [IQR] 151-152) seconds. For 212/311 (68%) patients, EEG data were of sufficient quality for analysis. The median age was 74 (IQR 66-81) years, 90/212 (42%) were women, and the median baseline NIH Stroke Scale was 1 (IQR 0-4). Six (3%) patients had an LVO-a stroke, 109/212 (51%) had a non-LVO-a ischemic stroke, 32/212 (15%) had a transient ischemic attack, 8/212 (4%) had a hemorrhagic stroke, and 57/212 (27%) had a stroke mimic. AUC of the theta/alpha ratio was 0.80 (95% CI 0.58-1.00). Of the secondary endpoints, the pairwise derived Brain Symmetry Index in the delta frequency band had the highest diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.91 [95% CI 0.73-1.00], sensitivity 80% [95% CI 38%-96%], specificity 93% [95% CI 88%-96%], positive likelihood ratio 11.0 [95% CI 5.5-21.7]).DISCUSSION: The data from this study suggest that dry electrode EEG has the potential to detect LVO-a stroke among patients with suspected stroke in the prehospital setting. Toward future implementation of EEG in prehospital stroke care, EEG data quality needs to be improved.TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03699397.CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that prehospital dry electrode scalp EEG accurately detects LVO-a stroke among patients with suspected acute stroke.
AB - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is standard treatment for anterior large vessel occlusion stroke (LVO-a stroke). Prehospital diagnosis of LVO-a stroke would reduce time to EVT by allowing direct transportation to an EVT-capable hospital. We aim to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of dry electrode EEG for the detection of LVO-a stroke in the prehospital setting.METHODS: ELECTRA-STROKE was an investigator-initiated, prospective, multicenter, diagnostic study, performed in the prehospital setting. Adult patients were eligible if they had suspected stroke (as assessed by the attending ambulance nurse) and symptom onset <24 hours. A single dry electrode EEG recording (8 electrodes) was performed by ambulance personnel. Primary endpoint was the diagnostic accuracy of the theta/alpha frequency ratio for LVO-a stroke (intracranial ICA, A1, M1, or proximal M2 occlusion) detection among patients with EEG data of sufficient quality, expressed as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Secondary endpoints were diagnostic accuracies of other EEG features quantifying frequency band power and the pairwise derived Brain Symmetry Index. Neuroimaging was assessed by a neuroradiologist blinded to EEG results.RESULTS: Between August 2020 and September 2022, 311 patients were included. The median EEG duration time was 151 (interquartile range [IQR] 151-152) seconds. For 212/311 (68%) patients, EEG data were of sufficient quality for analysis. The median age was 74 (IQR 66-81) years, 90/212 (42%) were women, and the median baseline NIH Stroke Scale was 1 (IQR 0-4). Six (3%) patients had an LVO-a stroke, 109/212 (51%) had a non-LVO-a ischemic stroke, 32/212 (15%) had a transient ischemic attack, 8/212 (4%) had a hemorrhagic stroke, and 57/212 (27%) had a stroke mimic. AUC of the theta/alpha ratio was 0.80 (95% CI 0.58-1.00). Of the secondary endpoints, the pairwise derived Brain Symmetry Index in the delta frequency band had the highest diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.91 [95% CI 0.73-1.00], sensitivity 80% [95% CI 38%-96%], specificity 93% [95% CI 88%-96%], positive likelihood ratio 11.0 [95% CI 5.5-21.7]).DISCUSSION: The data from this study suggest that dry electrode EEG has the potential to detect LVO-a stroke among patients with suspected stroke in the prehospital setting. Toward future implementation of EEG in prehospital stroke care, EEG data quality needs to be improved.TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03699397.CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that prehospital dry electrode scalp EEG accurately detects LVO-a stroke among patients with suspected acute stroke.
KW - Adult
KW - Aged
KW - Arterial Occlusive Diseases
KW - Brain Ischemia/diagnostic imaging
KW - Emergency Medical Services/methods
KW - Female
KW - Humans
KW - Ischemic Stroke
KW - Male
KW - Prospective Studies
KW - Stroke/diagnostic imaging
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85180007644&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85180007644&origin=inward
UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37848336
U2 - 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207831
DO - 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207831
M3 - Article
C2 - 37848336
SN - 0028-3878
VL - 101
SP - E2522-E2532
JO - Neurology
JF - Neurology
IS - 24
ER -