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Abstract Details

Association Between Spontaneous Cervical Artery Dissection and Changes in Barometric Pressure
Cerebrovascular Disease and Interventional Neurology
P10 - Poster Session 10 (5:30 PM-6:30 PM)
4-016
We hypothesized that fluctuations in barometric pressure within a 24-hour period are associated with incidence of spontaneous cervical artery dissection (sCeAD).
Spontaneous cervical artery dissection (sCeAD) is a common cause of stroke in young adults. The pathophysiology of sCeAD remains poorly understood.  Similar to other vascular disorders with seasonal or meteorological variability, sCeAD appears to present with higher incidence in fall and winter months. Migraine, which shares both epidemiologic and genetic features with sCeAD, is associated with daily changes in barometric pressure. 
We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients from a single-center database of sCeAD to determine time and location of first presenting symptom (e.g. neck pain, stroke/TIA). Geographic range spanned 81,590 square miles over six states in the mid-Atlantic region. Cases with well-defined location (city, county, zip code) and timing of symptoms were included for analysis (n=100). We performed a one-sample, two-tailed t-test on change in barometric pressure (?P) in inches of mercury (inHg) between day of symptom onset and day prior. Significance was defined by a p-value < 0.05.
Mean ?P between day of symptom onset and day prior was 0.0048 (median = -0.0050, range (-0.66 – 0.89). Figure 1. Overall, ?P was not associated with incidence of sCeAD (p = 0.822). 
In this single-center, retrospective study, fluctuations in barometric pressure were not associated with incident sCeAD.  While this is the first study to investigate meteorological associations in sCeAD, interpretation is limited by the possibility of confounding and recall bias.  Further research is needed to explore environmental factors in the pathophysiology of sCeAD. 
Authors/Disclosures
Ilana Green, MD
PRESENTER 		Dr. Green has nothing to disclose.
No disclosure on file
No disclosure on file
Bradford B. Worrall, MD, MSc, FÂ鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ (University Of Virginia Health System) The institution of Dr. Worrall has received personal compensation in the range of $10,000-$49,999 for serving as an Editor, Associate Editor, or Editorial Advisory Board Member for Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­. The institution of Dr. Worrall has received research support from NIH. The institution of Dr. Worrall has received research support from AHA/ASA.
Andrew M. Southerland, MD, FÂ鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ (University of Virginia, Dept of Neurology) Dr. Southerland has received personal compensation in the range of $10,000-$49,999 for serving as an Expert Witness for Plaintiffs and Defense Cases related to Stroke and Vascular Neurology.. The institution of Dr. Southerland has received research support from American Heart Association. The institution of Dr. Southerland has received research support from NIH. The institution of Dr. Southerland has received research support from Abbvie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.. Dr. Southerland has received intellectual property interests from a discovery or technology relating to health care. Dr. Southerland has received intellectual property interests from a discovery or technology relating to health care.