Why Does Aspirin Fail in Secondary Cerebrovascular Prevention? A Multicenter Prospective Case -...
Cerebrovascular DiseaseMulticenter prospective observational case-control study aimed at characterizing the possible determinants of treatment failure in patients with cerebrovascular disease on secondary prevention with ASA, who are hospitalized in Internal Medicine departments for a recurrent atherothrombotic stroke.
Cerebrovascular Health and Resilience in Midlife
Psychological StressCardiovascular Diseases1 moreThis study examines cardiovascular responses to a brief psychological challenge under laboratory conditions among adult volunteers. The study volunteers are asked to complete two study sessions. In one session, the volunteers are asked to provide demographic and health-related information via questionnaires and an interview. In that session, volunteers would then be asked to undergo evaluations of their body composition, blood pressure, heart rate, and other signs of cardiovascular function and health. Lastly, volunteers would be asked to take part in a brief and challenging psychological task after a period of rest while cardiovascular activity is measured. In the other session, volunteers are asked to undergo magnetic resonance imaging and to complete neuropsychological tests of memory, attention, and processing speed. In addition to these two sessions, volunteers are asked to complete online questionnaires. The study is designed to examine associations between transient changes in cardiovascular activity induced by the psychological task, measures of overall cardiovascular health, and measures of cerebrovascular health measured by magnetic resonance imaging. Study results are expected to provide new information about the relationships between cardiovascular activity changes to psychological challenges and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health in adults.
The Imperial Comprehensive Cognitive Assessment in Cerebrovascular Disease (IC3)
StrokeStroke (CVA) or TIA5 moreStroke is a major cause of death and disability worldwide, frequently resulting in persistent cognitive deficits among survivors. These deficits negatively impact recovery and therapy engagement, and their treatment is consistently rated as high priority by stakeholders and clinicians. Although clinical guidelines endorse cognitive screening for post-stroke management, there is currently no gold standard approach for identifying cognitive deficits after stroke, and clinical stroke services lack the capacity for long-term cognitive monitoring and care. Currently available assessment tools are either not stroke-specific, not in-depth or lack scalability, leading to heterogeneity in patient assessments. To address these challenges, a cost-effective, scalable, and comprehensive screening tool is needed to provide a stroke-specific assessment of cognition. The current study presents such a novel digital tool, the Imperial Comprehensive Cognitive Assessment in Cerebrovascular Disease (IC3), designed to detect both domain-general and domain-specific cognitive deficits in patients after stroke with minimal input from a health professional. To ensure its reliability, we will utilise multiple validation approaches, and aim to recruit a large normative sample of age-, gender-, and education-matched UK-based controls. Moreover, the IC3 assessment will be integrated within a larger prospective observational longitudinal clinical trial, where post-stroke cognition will be examined in tandem with brain imaging and blood biomarkers to identify novel multimodal biomarkers of recovery after stroke. By leveraging this rich dataset, our study will allow more precise targeting of cognitive rehabilitation to stroke survivors that are most at risk of progressive cognitive decline and have the greatest potential for recovery.
The Effect of Acute Exercise on Cardiac Autonomic, Cerebrovascular, and Cognitive Function in Spinal...
Spinal Cord InjuriesCardiovascular Abnormalities2 moreThe aims of this proposal are to: 1) investigate whether individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) demonstrate cardiac autonomic, cerebrovascular, and cognitive dysfunctions compared to non-injured age- and sex-matched controls in the following conditions: supine rest and head-up tilt/face-cooling test; 2) examine if autonomic completeness/ incompleteness, physical activity, and psychological distress are predictors for dysfunctions during supine rest and head-up tilt/face cooling conditions in SCI individuals; 3) examine if one bout of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise temporarily improves cardiac autonomic and cerebrovascular functions and thereby improves cognition when in supine rest and head- up tilt/face cooling conditions. The study will include an initial visit and an experimental visit to our lab. Three groups of participants will be included in this study: Group 1, SCI with acute exercise; group 2, SCI with rest-control; and group 3, age- and sex-matched non-injured individuals. Cardiovascular variables, such as heart rate variability, blood pressure variability, and cerebrovascular variables, such as cerebral blood flow velocity and oxygenated hemoglobin, and cognitive performance will be examined. The investigator hypothesizes that individuals with SCI will have impaired cardiac autonomic, cerebrovascular, and cognitive functions compared to the non-injured controls, and an acute exercise can improve those functions. Autonomic completeness/incompleteness, physical activity, and psychological distress are significant factors that predict cardiac autonomic, cerebrovascular, and cognitive functions in individuals with SCI.
Natural History of Stroke: Cause and Development
Brain DiseaseIschemic Attack4 moreThe purpose of this study is to learn more about stroke and obtain information that may serve as the basis for future investigations. It will 1) establish a registry of patients with cerebrovascular disease (stroke); 2) characterize the natural history of acute stroke and transient ischemic attacks (TIA) an interruption of blood flow to the brain that causes stroke symptoms for a short period of time); and 3) evaluate the data to generate ideas for future studies. Patients 18 years of age or older with suspected acute stroke or TIA may be eligible for this study. Subjects will be recruited from patients who present with stroke at the emergency department of Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. The study will gather data collected from diagnostic and laboratory tests the patient undergoes as part of standard medical care, including findings of medical and neurological examinations and other tests. In addition, studies will be done for research purposes only to gather data about stroke and TIA. These may include the following: Blood and urine tests not more than 2 tablespoons of blood will be drawn for various tests. Electrocardiogram (EKG) (heart tracing) electrodes placed on the chest wall detect the heartbeat and heart rhythm. Computed tomography (CT) scan of the head specialized X-rays are used to obtain images of the brain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain a strong magnetic field and radio waves are used to produce images that provide information about the brain tissue and blood vessels. Transcranial Doppler (TCD) sound waves are used to image the arteries of the brain and neck. Echocardiogram sound waves are used to image the heart and evaluate heart function. Patients may be asked to return to Suburban Hospital for follow-up testing in 1, 3, and/or 12 months, when some of these tests may be repeated to assess changes over time
Coexistence of Cerebral and Coronary Atherosclerosis in Acute Ischemic Cerebrovascular Disease Patients...
Coexistence of Cerebral and Coronary AtherosclerosisAcute Ischemic Cerebrovascular DiseaseCoexistence of Cerebral and Coronary Atherosclerosis in Acute Ischemic Cerebrovascular Disease Patients Registry (CoCCA) is a single-center observational registry of patients hospitalized for acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease (AICVD) with atherosclerotic changes in both cerebral and coronary arteries. This registry aims to establish quantified risk stratification and prognostic models, as well as suggest effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Observational Dutch Young Symptomatic StrokE studY - nEXT
Ischemic StrokeStroke in the Young5 moreBACKGROUND: Worldwide, 2 million patients aged 18-50 years suffer an ischemic stroke each year with an increasing trend over the past decade due to yet unknown reasons. Whereas prognosis and antithrombotic treatment in older patients with cardiovascular disease are among the best studied topics in clinical medicine, this does not hold true for patients at young age. It is of great importance to treat these patient groups correctly to prevent recurrence and bleeding complications. However, previous research have shown that there is a long-term increased risk of recurrent ischemic events despite the secondary prevention and a subsequent increased bleeding risk. To tailor effective antithrombotic therapy to the individual patient, it is essential to understand the underlying pathogenesis and identify modifiable risk factors in young patients for recurrence or bleeding. It is thought that abnormalities of hemostasis may play a key role in early-onset ischemic stroke. First, prothrombotic conditions are associated with an increased risk for ischemic stroke at young age. In addition, disturbance of the hemostatic balance due to one or several triggers can activate the coagulation cascade, which on its turn can lead or contribute to clot formation and subsequent arterial occlusion. In previous study, there were indications that trigger factors such as fever and/or an infection in the days prior to the stroke may play a role in the pathogenesis. This suggests that an interaction between inflammation, endothelial damage and coagulation may lead to the formation of a clot. In this observational study we aim to investigate the role of the immune system, endothelial damage and coagulation in the pathogenesis and prognosis of stroke in young patients. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of hemostasis, inflammation and endothelial activation in the etiology and prognosis in an acute ischemic stroke (or TIA) in young stroke patients. STUDY DESIGN: Multicentre prospective observational study STUDY POPULATION: All patients aged between 18 and 50 years old with a first-ever ischemic stroke or TIA who are admitted to the neurology ward or seen at the outpatient clinic of one of the participating centers. Main exclusion criteria are: history of clinical TIA, ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage. A intracerebral hemorrhage resulting from trauma, known aneurysm or underlying intracerebral malignancy. A venous infarction, retinal infarction and amourosis fugax. Inadequate control of the Dutch language to reliably sign an informed consent from and/or participate in the follow-up. Patients are excluded if they have a contra indication for 3T MRI. In addition 60 healthy controls (18-50 years old) will be included. MAIN STUDY ENDPOINTS: Baseline and 3 months coagulation profile: Whole blood and platelet poor plasma thrombin generation, platelet function tests, and coagulation biomarkers, screening for thrombophilia. Baseline and 3 months inflammation/endothelial activation profile: Cytokines/chemokines, expression of receptors/cofactors related to hemostasis on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), stimulation tests of PBMC's to assess trained immunity. Vessel wall enhancement on 3 Tesla MRI Questionnaire trigger factors
Aspirin Treatment for Small Unruptured InTracranial Aneurysms With Ischemic cereBrovascuLar diseasE...
Intracranial AneurysmCerebrovascular DiseaseThe management of small unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIA) with ischemic cerebrovascular disease (ICVD) has been a very controversial topic in neurosurgery. Thus, we initiated a multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial (PROBE) design to elucidate in UIA patients with ICVD who do not qualify for preventive endovascular or neurosurgical intervention whether aspirin treatment decreases the risk of aneurysm growth and rupture.
Post-thrombectomy Intra-arterial Tenecteplase for Acute manaGement of Non-retrievable Thrombus and...
Ischemic StrokeAcute3 moreMulticentre, prospective, Multi-arm Multi-stage (MAMS) seamless phase 2b/3 interventional randomized placebo-controlled double-blinded parallel-assignment (2 arms with 1:1 randomization) efficacy and safety trial to test intra-arterial tenecteplase at the completion of thrombectomy versus best practice in participants with anterior circulation LVO receiving mechanical thrombectomy within 24 hours of symptoms onset.
Change of Hemodynamics and Cerebral Functions After Carotid Artery Revascularization
Carotid Artery DiseasesCarotid Artery Stenosis4 moreThe majority (>80%) of strokes are of ischemic etiology, of which ≈15% to 20% are attributable to atherosclerosis of the extracranial carotid arteries. The primary goal in carotid artery revascularization is to prevent stroke in patients with carotid artery stenosis. Treatment options including carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS). Hence, the investigators aim to compare carotid artery stenting (CAS) with carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in terms of long-term prognostic endpoints. Also, CEA and CAS result in different postoperative geometric features of carotid arteries that entail relevant modifications of rheological parameters, that may be associated with the risk of local complications and carotid artery restenosis. Finally, long-term and sustained cognitive benefits after carotid artery revascularization need further research and evidence.