Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41631765›Full record

ArticleJournal of the American Heart Association2026

Exploring Sex Differences in Stroke Outcomes: A Comprehensive Analysis From the SPAN 1 Trial.

Anjali Chauhan, Eunyoung Angela Lee, Rakesh B Patel, Mariia Kumskova, Enrique C Leira, Anil Chauhan, Yanrong Shi, Suyi Cao, Raymond C Koehler, Krishnan M Dhandapani and 18 more

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the American Heart Association, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

28 authors.

Anjali ChauhanDepartment of Neurology McGovern Medical School, University of Texas HSC Houston TX USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9825-8100
Eunyoung Angela LeeDepartment of Neurology McGovern Medical School, University of Texas HSC Houston TX USA.
Rakesh B PatelDepartment of Internal Medicine University of Iowa Iowa City IA USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9727-9738
Mariia KumskovaDepartment of Internal Medicine University of Iowa Iowa City IA USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2477-3011
Enrique C LeiraDepartments of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Epidemiology University of Iowa Iowa City IA USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3695-2946
Anil ChauhanDepartments of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Epidemiology University of Iowa Iowa City IA USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8554-0898
Yanrong ShiDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Johns Hopkins University Baltimore MD USA.
Suyi CaoDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Johns Hopkins University Baltimore MD USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0230-1232
Raymond C KoehlerDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Johns Hopkins University Baltimore MD USA.ORCID 0000-0002-5890-9992
Krishnan M DhandapaniDepartment Neurosurgery Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University Augusta GA USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7044-1117
Mohammad Badruzzaman KhanDepartment Neurosurgery Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University Augusta GA USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8231-1256
Pradip K KamatDepartment Neurosurgery Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University Augusta GA USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0376-2284
Ali ArbabDepartment Neurosurgery Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University Augusta GA USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2902-3671
David C HessDepartment Neurosurgery Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University Augusta GA USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8345-9153
Alison L HermanDepartment of Neurology Yale University School of Medicine New Haven CT USA.ORCID 0000-0002-5824-3924
Ligia BoisserandDepartment of Neurology Yale University School of Medicine New Haven CT USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0058-2894
Lauren H SansingDepartment of Neurology Yale University School of Medicine New Haven CT USA.ORCID 0000-0002-6898-1680
Andreia MoraisDepartment of Neurology Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital Boston MA USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9351-2552
Xuyan JinDepartment of Neurology Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital Boston MA USA.ORCID 0009-0003-1923-4923
Sanem AykanDepartment of Neurology Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital Boston MA USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7335-5556
Takahiko ImaiDepartment of Neurology Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital Boston MA USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4422-2946
Cenk AyataDepartment of Neurology Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital Boston MA USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3644-6042
Karisma A NagarkattiDepartment of Physiology and Neuroscience Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine at USC Los Angeles CA USA.ORCID 0009-0007-3526-1365
Jessica LambDepartment of Physiology and Neuroscience Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine at USC Los Angeles CA USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0342-9983
Márcio A DinizDepartment of Population Health Science and Policy Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai New York NY USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2427-7843
Patrick D LydenDepartment of Physiology and Neuroscience Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine at USC Los Angeles CA USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6170-4042
Jaroslaw AronowskiDepartment of Neurology McGovern Medical School, University of Texas HSC Houston TX USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9256-7973
Louise D McCulloughDepartment of Neurology McGovern Medical School, University of Texas HSC Houston TX USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8050-1686

Funding

Sex Differences in Inflammation Across the LifespanR35NS132265 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · PI Louise D. McCullough · 2023 to 2026
$4.5M
Michigan Medical Scientist Training Program 2025-2030T32GM156550 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Kathleen L. Collins · 2025 to 2026
$3.2M
Stroke Preclinical Assessment Network (SPAN) – Tacilizumab for treatment of acute ischemic strokeU01NS113451 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · PI ARONOWSKI, JAROSLAW · 2019 to 2021
$1.1M
NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM156550NINDS NIH HHS R35 NS132265NINDS NIH HHS U01 NS113451
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundStroke is a sexually dimorphic disease, with different risk factors, incidence, outcomes, and treatment responses in men and women. While sex differences have been documented in preclinical studies, these findings often come from single-site studies with small sample sizes and require validation across diverse research settings.

methodsWe used data from the SPAN (Stroke Preclinical Assessment Network), a randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded, multilaboratory trial, to determine if sex differences in neurological outcomes are present in preclinical stroke models. We analyzed data from 665 stroke animals treated with saline, including young mice, diet-induced obese mice, aging mice, young rats, and spontaneously hypertensive rats. We compared the corner test index and brain morphology between the sexes using linear random effect models and assessed the mortality rate using Cox proportional hazard regression models.

resultsNo significant sex differences were found in neurological outcome measured with the corner test on either day 7 or day 30 after stroke, regardless of the mouse or rat stroke model used. Additionally, female and male mice exhibited similar infarct sizes on day 2 magnetic resonance imaging and on brain atrophy measures on day 30 after stroke, indicating a lack of sex differences in brain injury. Similarly, no sex differences were observed in acute or chronic sensorimotor or tissue outcomes in young rats. In 1 subanalysis, sex differences were seen in the spontaneously hypertensive rats cohort. Female rats exhibited a higher corner test index on day 30 than males, indicating more severe sensorimotor injury.

conclusionsIn this multicenter preclinical study, we did not detect sex differences in stroke outcomes in mice, although sex differences in behavioral outcomes were observed in spontaneously hypertensive rats. These findings highlight that sex differences may be model-specific and subtle, emphasizing the need for methodological consistency and thoughtful inclusion of diverse animal models in translational stroke research to better understand if sex-specific responses contribute to stroke outcomes.

Indexed as

BrainStrokeAge FactorsAnimalsBehavior, AnimalDisease Models, AnimalFemaleInfarction, Middle Cerebral ArteryMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLRatsRats, Inbred SHRRisk FactorsSex Factorsmiddle cerebral artery occlusionmulticentric preclinical trialpreclinical ischemic strokesex differences

Identifiers

PMID41631765
PMCPMC13055782

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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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.