Table 1.
Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of included participants.
| Variable | Mimic (N = 84) | Ischemic (N = 291) | p-value* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex (male) | 29 (34.5%) | 169 (58.1%) | < 0.001 |
| Age, years | |||
| <45 | 32 (38.1%) | 15 (5.2%) | < 0.001 |
| 45–65 | 45 (53.6%) | 64 (22%) | < 0.001 |
| >65 | 7 (8.3%) | 212 (72.9%) | < 0.001 |
| Education, years | |||
| <8 | 2 (2.4%) | 47 (16.2%) | 0.008 |
| 8–13 | 52 (61.9%) | 195 (67%) | 0.150 |
| >13 | 11 (13.1%) | 36 (12.4%) | 0.523 |
| Missing data | 19 (22.6%) | 13 (4.5%) | |
| Retired | 2 (2.4%) | 191 (65.6%) | < 0.001 |
| Missing data | 14 (16.7%) | 8 (2.7%) | |
| Healthcare professional | 14 (16.7%) | 21 (7.2%) | 0.003 |
| Missing data | 15 (17.9%) | 8 (2.7%) | |
| Hemiparesis, right | 23 (27.4%) | 126 (43.3%) | 0.012 |
| Hemiparesis, left | 40 (47.6%) | 98 (33.7%) | 0.028 |
| Language disturbances | 9 (10.7%) | 15 (5.2%) | 0.114 |
| Dizziness/imbalances | 4 (4.8%) | 28 (9.6%) | 0.245 |
| Facial weakness | 1 (1.2%) | 3 (1.0%) | 1.000 |
| Visual disturbances | 1 (1.2%) | 21 (7.2%) | 0.071 |
| Multiple symptoms | 6 (7.1%) | ** | |
| CT perfusion | 43 (51.2%) | 199 (69.1%) | 0.004 |
| Psychiatric disorders | 27 (32.1%) | 18 (6.2%) | < 0.001 |
| Stroke risk factors/previous neurological pathology | 41 (48.8%) | 260 (89.3%) | < 0.001 |
| Intravenous thrombolysis | 26 (31.0%) | 150 (51.5%)*** | 0.002 |
Data are median (IQR) or n (%). n = number of patients. This table clarifies the meaning of both absolute and relative frequencies for each categorical variables to highlights the differences between the two groups of patients (Mimic and Ischemic). *These p-values were calculated using the Chi-squared test to assess the statistical significance (p < 0.05) of the difference between the “Mimic” and “Ischemic” groups for each variable. **The classification of “multiple symptoms” which are very often not identifiable in the context of a specific damaged brain area appears not to be applicable in patients with ischemic stroke (where instead in most cases the site of the lesion is well identifiable based on the neurological examination and the neuroimaging). ***150 patients underwent reperfusive treatment: 130 intravenous thrombolysis, 18 intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy, 3 mechanical thrombectomy alone. Mimic patients underwent thrombolysis only.