Dysphasia is associated with diffusion-weighted MRI abnormalities in patients with transient neurological symptoms

• Published in: Neurological sciences Vol. 41; no. 7; pp. 1765 - 1771
• Main Authors: Jia, Zejin, Song, Yangguang, Hu, Wenli
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.07.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aphasia - diagnostic imaging; Aphasia - etiology; Diagnosis; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Female; Humans; Ischemia; Ischemic Attack, Transient - complications; Ischemic Attack, Transient - diagnostic imaging; Lesions; Magnetic resonance imaging; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Neurosurgery; Original; Original Article; Psychiatry; Regression analysis; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; ROC Curve; Stroke - complications; Stroke - diagnostic imaging; Transient ischemic attack; Diffusion-weighted imaging; The Diagnosis of TIA score; Acute ischemic lesions; Dawson score; Transient neurological symptoms
• ISSN: 1590-1874; 1590-3478
• DOI: 10.1007/s10072-020-04258-z

Background The clinical characteristics of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) abnormalities after transient neurological symptoms are of great significance for the early diagnosis and urgent intervention of transient ischemic attack (TIA). This study was aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics associated with acute DWI lesions in transient neurological symptoms. Methods We retrospectively recruited 302 patients with transient neurological symptoms. According to DWI findings, they were divided into DWI positive and DWI negative group. The clinical characteristics and the TIA-related scores such as ABCD2, ABCD3, ABCD3I, Dawson score, and the Diagnosis of TIA (DOT) score were compared between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to identify the independent factors and compare the predictive value of different TIA scores for acute DWI lesions. Results A total of 302 patients were enrolled in this study. The mean age was 61.8 years, and 67.2% were male. We found 89 (29.5%) patients with DWI positivity. Logistic regression analysis showed the characteristic associated with DWI lesions was dysphasia (OR 2.226, 95% CI 1.220–4.062). The area under the curve for Dawson score and the DOT score was 0.610 (95% CI 0.543–0.678) and 0.625 (95% CI 0.559–0.691), respectively. Conclusion We found that DWI lesions were detected in 29.5% of patients with transient neurological symptoms and were associated with dysphasia. Dawson score and DOT score could have a higher predictability of DWI lesions in patients with transient neurological symptoms.