Brain frailty and small vessel disease for stroke outcome prediction

In patients with acute stroke, early prognostication and prediction of treatment response are key components of routine care and form an important part of communication with patients and their families. Traditionally, the prognostic factors that drive this clinical process can be roughly classified into stroke-specific factors such as stroke severity, infarct volume, or intracerebral hematoma volume and patient-specific factors such as age, comorbid medical conditions, and premorbid disability. In addition to these considerations, a prognostic tool that measures brain resilience or vulnerability to stroke would have clear clinical utility.