Time-dependence of NIHSS in predicting functional outcome of patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with intravenous thrombolysis.

NIHSS is time-dependent in predicting AIS prognosis with increasing predictive power over time. Since patients whose NIHSS score ≥ 12 are likely to have unfavourable functional outcome with rt-PA treatment only, mechanical thrombectomy should be largely taken into consideration for these patients.