Early vascular embolization improves neurological function in patients with intracranial aneurysm

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Vascular Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Intracranial aneurysms pose significant risks, and timely intervention is crucial for patient outcomes.
• The role of inflammatory markers like matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in aneurysm progression and nerve function is an area of ongoing research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of early versus delayed vascular embolization in treating intracranial aneurysms.
• To investigate the impact of embolization timing on neurological function and inflammatory markers (MMP-9 and NF-κB).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 90 patients with intracranial aneurysms, divided into early (within 72h) and delayed (after 72h) embolization groups.
• Comparison of complete embolization rates, postoperative complications, neurological function (Modified Barthel Index), serum and protein levels of MMP-9 and NF-κB, and 3-month prognosis between the groups.
• All patients received antiplatelet therapy (clopidogrel bisulfate and enteric-coated aspirin) post-operation.

Main Results:

• Higher complete embolization rate (90.70%) in the early embolization group compared to the delayed group (72.34%).
• Significantly lower postoperative complications in the early group (9.30%) versus the delayed group (27.66%).
• Improved neurological function and reduced serum/protein levels of MMP-9 and NF-κB were observed in the early embolization group.

Conclusions:

• Early vascular embolization is an effective treatment for intracranial aneurysms.
• This approach leads to better neurological recovery and reduced inflammation.
• Early intervention is associated with a more favorable prognosis for patients with intracranial aneurysms.