Developing patient-centered outcome measures for evaluating vasospasm in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Medical Imaging
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Patient-centered outcome measures are increasingly vital in research, posing challenges in imaging technology assessment.
• Establishing a universally applicable reference standard is crucial for translating research findings into clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, patient-centered reference standard for diagnosing cerebral vasospasm.
• To evaluate computed tomographic perfusion imaging in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients.

Main Methods:

• A multistage hierarchical design was employed for the reference standard.
• The design integrates both clinical and imaging criteria for vasospasm diagnosis.
• Computed tomographic perfusion imaging was utilized in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients.

Main Results:

• A flowchart illustrating the reference standard levels is presented.
• Potential limitations and biases associated with the reference standard are discussed.

Conclusions:

• The developed reference standard is applicable to the entire study population.
• It accommodates patients with varying symptoms and imaging results, including digital subtraction angiography.