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Higher attack rates for left motor deficit among men with cerebrovascular events
D Devroey1, F Buntinx, V Van Castere
1Department of Epidemiology, Scientific Institute Public Health, Brussels, Belgium. dirk.devroey@iph.fgov.be
Insights
Men experiencing left-sided motor deficits from stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) were more common than right-sided deficits. This suggests handedness may influence stroke presentation, warranting further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) are significant public health concerns.
- Understanding demographic and clinical variations in stroke presentation is crucial for targeted prevention and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential differences in the incidence of left versus right motor deficits in stroke and TIA patients.
- To explore the relationship between sex, handedness, and the side of motor deficit in stroke and TIA.
Main Methods:
- Prospective data collection from a Belgian sentinel network of 178 family physicians.
- Analysis of stroke and TIA cases recorded between 1998 and 1999.
- Calculation of age-adjusted attack rates stratified by sex and side of motor deficit.
Main Results:
- A significantly higher yearly age-adjusted attack rate of left motor deficit (109/100,000) compared to right motor deficit (75/100,000) was observed in men (p = 0.011).
- This significant difference in motor deficit laterality was not found in women or the overall study population.
- The findings highlight a potential sex-specific association between handedness and stroke/TIA presentation.
Conclusions:
- Handedness may play a role in the laterality of motor deficits following stroke and TIA, particularly in men.
- Systematic recording of handedness alongside sex and the side of neurological events is recommended for future research.
- Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying sex differences in stroke presentation and handedness.
Abstract:
The authors report the findings of a prospectively collected database of stroke and TIA recorded from 1998 through 1999 by the 178 family physicians of the Belgian sentinel network. The yearly age-adjusted attack rate per 100,000 men was estimated as 109 (95% CI = 86 to 137) for left motor deficit and 75 (95% CI = 56 to 99) for right motor deficit (p = 0.011). This difference was not observed among women nor in the entire sample population. The authors suggest that handedness should be systematically recorded and compared to both sex and the side of the event.