About this Research Topic
More than half of acute ischemic stroke patients present with minor symptoms (NIHSS score <6). However, this seemingly mild presentation is misleading because the prognosis is not benign, with up to one-third of these patients dying or being left disabled 3-months later. Several factors may explain poor outcomes, such as underappreciated baseline disability, and clinical deterioration because of original infarct growth, or recurrent ischemic stroke. Both reperfusion therapies and early thrombotic therapies for secondary prevention are currently controversial, with important variations in day-to-day practice.
The aim of this Research Topic is to cover all aspects of acute minor ischemic stroke, such as underlying risk factors, etiologies, diagnosis, imaging, reperfusion therapy, early secondary prevention, and outcomes. For example, while intravenous thrombolysis is recommended in acute stroke with moderate and severe symptoms, its efficacy and safety is not proven in acute minor ischemic stroke. Furthermore, the benefit of mechanical thrombectomy in acute minor ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion is also highly debated, as these patients were excluded from the pivotal thrombectomy trials. Also, the clinical interest of advanced imaging (such as thrombus, perfusion, collaterals, or vessel wall imaging) to 1) predict early clinical course or 3-month functional outcome, or 2) modify the effect of acute stroke therapies, are insufficiently deciphered.
We call upon this Research Topic to improve our understanding of acute minor ischemic stroke and to explore novel treatment strategies. Manuscripts with the following themes are especially welcome:
- Etiologies and risk factors of acute ischemic stroke
- Pre-hospital or in-hospital management of acute minor ischemic stroke
- Intravenous thrombolysis for minor acute ischemic stroke
- Mechanical thrombectomy for minor acute ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion
- Imaging of acute minor ischemic stroke, in particular, advanced imaging
- Early clinical evolution of acute minor ischemic stroke
- Mid and long term functional outcome of acute minor ischemic stroke
- Medical and interventional secondary prevention therapy for acute minor ischemic stroke
The aim of this Research Topic is to cover all aspects of acute minor ischemic stroke, such as underlying risk factors, etiologies, diagnosis, imaging, reperfusion therapy, early secondary prevention, and outcomes. For example, while intravenous thrombolysis is recommended in acute stroke with moderate and severe symptoms, its efficacy and safety is not proven in acute minor ischemic stroke. Furthermore, the benefit of mechanical thrombectomy in acute minor ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion is also highly debated, as these patients were excluded from the pivotal thrombectomy trials. Also, the clinical interest of advanced imaging (such as thrombus, perfusion, collaterals, or vessel wall imaging) to 1) predict early clinical course or 3-month functional outcome, or 2) modify the effect of acute stroke therapies, are insufficiently deciphered.
We call upon this Research Topic to improve our understanding of acute minor ischemic stroke and to explore novel treatment strategies. Manuscripts with the following themes are especially welcome:
- Etiologies and risk factors of acute ischemic stroke
- Pre-hospital or in-hospital management of acute minor ischemic stroke
- Intravenous thrombolysis for minor acute ischemic stroke
- Mechanical thrombectomy for minor acute ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion
- Imaging of acute minor ischemic stroke, in particular, advanced imaging
- Early clinical evolution of acute minor ischemic stroke
- Mid and long term functional outcome of acute minor ischemic stroke
- Medical and interventional secondary prevention therapy for acute minor ischemic stroke
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
