4. Discussion
death, Cerebral ischemia, SAH, vasospasm, aneurysmal SAH, cerebral infarction, DCI, infarction
CEREBRAL ISCHEMIA, VASOSPASM, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, DCI, CEREBRAL INFARCTION, INFARCTION
Cerebral ischemia following SAH is a complex entity involving delayed narrowing of the intracranial arteries (vasospasm) that may lead to clinical deterioration, infarction and death. The pathophysiology of vasospasm and DCI is not fully understood, rendering the prediction, detection, prevention and treatment challenging. Crucially, no prevention alternatives have as of yet satisfactorily reduced morbidity and mortality in patients after SAH. Research into this issue is challenging as the study population is limited and findings on animal models may not always be confirmed in humans. Our study focused on determining whether transcutaneous external stimulation of the trigeminal nerve (ophthalmic branch) compared with sham stimulation decreases the risk of vasospasm-related cerebral infarction in patients with aneurysmal SAH.