Elevated body temperature in ischemic stroke associated with neurological improvement.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Stroke Medicine
• Thermoregulation in Stroke

Background:

• Emerging evidence suggests a potential benefit of elevated body temperature in the early hours following ischemic stroke.
• Previous research indicates a possible correlation between hyperthermia and improved stroke outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between admission body temperature and early neurological improvement in ischemic stroke patients.
• To test the hypothesis that higher body temperature on admission predicts better outcomes within 6-9 hours of stroke onset.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 315 ischemic stroke patients was analyzed.
• National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores were recorded within 3 hours and between 6-9 hours post-stroke.
• Body temperature was measured upon patient admission.

Main Results:

• An inverse association was observed between admission body temperature and NIHSS scores at 6-9 hours post-stroke, even after adjusting for baseline NIHSS scores.
• This inverse relationship remained significant in patients with proximal middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Conclusions:

• Admission body temperature showed an inverse association with neurological improvement within the initial hours after stroke.
• The findings suggest that higher body temperature may be beneficial for clot lysis, particularly in the first three hours, especially in cases of middle cerebral artery occlusion.