Neurology
The associations between personal air pollution exposures and cognitive function for post-thrombectomy patients. Yisi Liu* Yisi Liu Elise Dahlke Jacqueline Frank Jordan Harp Justin Fraser Keith Pennypacker
Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability and the fifth cause of death in USA. Emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO), as one of the most severe types of stroke (account for around 340,000 patients in USA each year) are responsible for higher dependence or death than other types of ischemic stroke. Thrombectomy, a standard procedure for some stroke patients, significantly lowers the risk of disability. However, patients still suffer from cognitive effect from the brain injury and the recovery vary widely between patients. This study aims to expand understandings on the impact of PM2.5 on cognitive recovery for post thrombectomy stroke patients.
This is a panel study nested in a prospective cohort at Kentucky that collect numerous neurocognitive test data and blood samples from 3-month to 2-year post thrombectomy. We employed the one-week personal air monitoring and the one-month at-home indoor air monitoring among stroke patients between three to six months post thrombectomy. We also collected information on cognitive function and nearly 200 different plasma proteins for each study participants at three months and six months post-thrombectomy, respectively.
We will present the spatial and temporal distribution of personal and indoor particulate matter (PM) exposures among stroke patients in Kentucky. Importantly, we will show the impact of PM exposures on cognitive function changes between 3-month and 6-month post thrombectomy based on mixed-effect linear regression models. Additionally, we will discuss associations between PM exposure and protein response post thrombectomy.
The study site (Kentucky) is located in the US Stroke Belt with some of the most medically underserved rural counties in the nation. Results from this study advance our understanding of the role of PM exposures on brain health in the stroke population and will inform potential new interventions to ameliorate the adverse effects of air pollution.