Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40830511›Full record

ArticleNeurological research and practice2025

Localized network damage related to white matter hyperintensities is linked to worse outcome after severe stroke.

Samuel C Olszówka, Benedikt M Frey, Jan F Feldheim, Lukas Frontzkowski, Paweł P Wróbel, Winifried Backhaus, Focko L Higgen, Hanna Braaß, Silke Wolf, Chi-Un Choe and 7 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Neurological research and practice, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Samuel C OlszówkaDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Benedikt M FreyDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Jan F FeldheimDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Lukas FrontzkowskiDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Paweł P WróbelDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Winifried BackhausDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Focko L HiggenDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Hanna BraaßDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Silke WolfDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Chi-Un ChoeDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Marlene BönstrupDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Bastian ChengDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Götz ThomallaDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Philipp J KochDepartment of Neurology, Charite University Medical Center Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Fanny QuandtDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Christian GerloffDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Robert SchulzDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany. rschulz@uke.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0913-899X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

White matter hyperintensities of presumed vascular origin (WMH) are associated with various clinical sequelae. In stroke patients, the total WMH burden is linked to recurrent cerebrovascular events and worse clinical outcomes. As WMH also affect the integrity of large-scale structural brain networks, we hypothesize that the extent of WMH-related network damage carries relevant information to explain outcome variability in addition to global WMH volume. Clinical and structural brain imaging data of 33 severely affected acute stroke patients were analyzed from two independent cohorts. Imaging data were acquired within the first two weeks after stroke. WMH-related localized and global network damage was derived. WMH network effects were differentially assessed for total, periventricular (pWMH), and deep WMH (dWMH). Using ordinal logistic regression analyses, network damage was associated with functional outcome at follow-up after three to six months. WMH were linked to a significant disconnection of multiple cortical and subcortical brain regions. Global and localized pWMH-related network damage affecting distinct brain regions of both hemispheres were independently associated with a worse outcome after adjustment for baseline symptom burden, age, brain infarct volume, and total WMH volume. Total and dWMH-related network disturbances did not show similar associations. This study indicates that pWMH-related network damage affecting specific brain regions is linked to functional outcome in acute stroke patients. It underscores the potential significance of pre-existing WMH-related network damage as a crucial factor in comprehending outcome variability after severe stroke.

Indexed as

Brain reserveCerebral small vessel diseaseFunctional outcomeRehabilitationWMH

Identifiers

PMID40830511
PMCPMC12366146

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.