International journal of stroke : official journal of the International Stroke Society
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Atrial fibrillation is one of the most important causes of ischemic stroke. The purposes of this study were to recognize the incidence of ischemic stroke, the use of antithrombotic agents, the predictors of ischemic stroke, and prescription of warfarin during the three-years after atrial fibrillation was diagnosed. ⋯ It is important in prevention of ischemic stroke to give antithrombotic therapy to newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation patients. Underuse of antithrombotic therapy and warfarin were more severe in our study than in Western countries.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
A multicentre, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled Phase III study to investigate EXtending the time for Thrombolysis in Emergency Neurological Deficits (EXTEND).
Thrombolytic therapy with tissue plasminogen activator is effective for acute ischaemic stroke within 4·5 h of onset. Patients who wake up with stroke are generally ineligible for stroke thrombolysis. We hypothesized that ischaemic stroke patients with significant penumbral mismatch on either magnetic resonance imaging or computer tomography at three- (or 4·5 depending on local guidelines) to nine-hours from stroke onset, or patients with wake-up stroke within nine-hours from midpoint of sleep duration, would have improved clinical outcomes when given tissue plasminogen activator compared to placebo. ⋯ The primary outcome measure will be modified Rankin Scale 0-1 at day 90. Clinical secondary outcomes include categorical shift in modified Rankin Scale at 90 days, reduction in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Score by 8 or more points or reaching 0-1 at day 90, recurrent stroke, or death. Imaging secondary outcomes will include symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage, reperfusion and or recanalization at 24 h and infarct growth at day 90.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
A cluster randomized controlled trial of a structured training programme for caregivers of inpatients after stroke (TRACS).
The majority of stroke patients are discharged home dependent on informal caregivers, usually family members, to provide assistance with activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, and toileting. Many caregivers feel unprepared for this role, and this may have a detrimental effect on both the patient and caregiver. ⋯ The primary outcomes are extended activities of daily living for the patient and caregiver burden measured at six-months after recruitment. Secondary outcomes include mood and cost-effectiveness, with final follow-up at 12 months.
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Review
Cerebral small vessel disease: a review of clinical, radiological, and histopathological phenotypes.
Cerebral small vessel disease is difficult to directly visualize in vivo. Therefore, we rely on radiological phenotypes as surrogate markers of disease. ⋯ The causes or mechanisms underlying these phenotypes are understood in varying degrees of detail. This review aims to summarize recent knowledge regarding these phenotypes and place it in context with classical clinicopathological observations to provide mechanistic, clinical, and therapeutic insights into small vessel disease.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
SPREAD-STACI study: a protocol for a randomized multicenter clinical trial comparing urgent with delayed endarterectomy in symptomatic carotid artery stenosis.
In patients with >50% carotid artery stenosis (as measured by North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) criteria) suffering a transient ischemic attack or a minor ipsilateral stroke, carotid endarterectomy exerts maximum benefits, when performed within the first 15 days from the initial ischemic symptom. It is also known that the probability of a major stroke spikes within the first few days after a transient ischemic attack/minor stroke and then flattens out in the following days and weeks. It could be hypothesized that urgent carotid endarterectomy has greater benefit than delayed procedure. ⋯ Primary end-point is reduction in all types of stroke, AMI or death in urgent endarterectomy groupo compared to delayed ones. Secondary end-points are: Reduction of ipsilateral ischemic stroke in group 1 with respect to Group 2 Identification of predictive risk factors and Confirmation of no different rate for hemorragic/ischemiccomplications between groups.