A new study has explored the use of cranial accelerometry (CA) headsets for the prehospital detection of large-vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes.
LVO strokes, which represent one-third of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) cases in the United States, are responsible for two-thirds of poststroke dependence and 90 per cent of poststroke mortality.
The introduction of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) over the past decade has significantly advanced the management of LVO strokes, emphasising the importance of rapid recognition and transport to EVT-capable hospitals. However, timely and accurate prehospital detection of LVO strokes remains a significant challenge.
The study evaluated the feasibility of a CA headset device for detecting LVO strokes in prehospital settings and also aimed to develop an algorithm to distinguish LVO strokes from other conditions.
“The EPISODE-PS-COVID study is, to our knowledge, the first to evaluate the use of a cranial accelerometry device for LVO stroke detection in prehospital settings,” said study lead James Paxton of Wayne State University School of Medicine.
Cranial accelerometry leverages cranial forces generated by cardiac contractions to identify patterns indicative of LVO strokes.
The tested device, a headband equipped with three leads and a handheld screen, has already shown high sensitivity and specificity in emergency department and neuro-interventional suite settings.
The researchers say that the findings of the study demonstrate that obtaining adequate recordings with this CA device is highly feasible in prehospital environments, marking an important step forward in stroke management.
