Active clinical trials for "Ischemic Stroke"

Telemedicine is an incipient resource to support the stroke system of care in Colombia. Several studies had demonstrated that patients benefit by implementing telestroke, for instance, providing timely and appropriate neurological consultation, diminishing accessible barriers, improving medication adherence for secondary prevention and facilitating linkages between patient and physician, especially for those in rural or neurologically underserved areas. Hypothesis: The use of Telemedicine improves medication adherence in Post-ischemic Stroke. Study Design: This is a randomized, single-blind, clinical trial to assess the efficacy of Telemedicine, over medication adherence in Post-ischemic Stroke subjects from Colombia. Population: Eighty-four Post-ischemic Stroke subjects, subjects of both genders, over 18 years old, with a first stroke will be included. Ethical Aspects: The study will be conducted according to the Helsinki declaration, the good clinical practices guidelines and the Colombian legislation. Prior to entering the study, patients must sign a written or oral informed consent that has been approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia. Overall objective: this study aims to determine the efficacy of telemedicine on pharmacological adherence in post-ischemic Stroke Participants. Focus of study: Adherence to secondary stroke prevention medication.

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability in Europe and United States and the second leading cause of death worldwide and affects more than 10,000 Danes each year. Studies in a late and stationary phase after stroke have shown that physical rehabilitation is of great importance for survival and physical ability of these patients, however many studies show that patients lie or sit next to their bed under hospitalization for more than 88.5 % of the daily hours. Physical activity in stroke patients has never previously been measured immediately after debut of symptoms; furthermore there is no knowledge about the optimal dose of physical rehabilitation for these patients. Accelerometers, small measuring devices, are a relatively new way to measure physical activity precisely, and hence it is possible to obtain an objective measure of how active stroke patients are in the first week after admission. The accelerometers measure a variable voltage, depending on the range and intensity of movement. They can measure movement dependent of the placement of the accelerometer, for instance over the hip, arm or leg. Studies confirm their reliability, even in patients with abnormal gait, such as stroke patients. Another approach of studying the effects of physical activity and rehabilitation is through the examination of biomarkers. Studies have shown that biomarkers released during physical activity can inhibit biomarkers released after tissue injury in the brain, as seen after stroke. These brain biomarkers cause further damage and studies show that the higher the levels, the higher the damage. It is therefore obvious to examine whether physical activity rehabilitation can down regulate this destructive process in patients with stroke. Clarification of the optimal dose of physical activity in stroke patients immediately after debut of symptoms and examination of both the biochemical aspects of physical rehabilitation as well as the optimal dose of physical rehabilitation is of great importance for many patients, their relatives as well as of a great socioeconomic importance. The purpose of the project is to investigate feasibility of treadmill training on a weight-bearing treadmill in the acute phase after admission after an ischemic stroke. Furthermore we wish to investigate the acute inflammatory response after ischemic stroke and whether it changes with treadmill training.

In this study the investigators want to test the hypotheses that, serotonergic neuromodulation increases perilesional neuroplasticity, leading to improved behavioural outcomes through a more efficient allocation of functional resources, greater structural reorganization and less remapping via alternative circuits.

A randomized clinical trial for the comparison of the efficacy and safety of moderate-intensity rosuvastatin plus ezetimibe versus high-intensity rosuvastatin for target LDL-C goal achievement in patients with recent ischemic stroke

The study is the second phase of Endovascular Treatment Key Technique and Emergency Work Flow Improvement of Acute Ischemic Stroke (ANGEL-ACT). During the first phase of the ANGEL-ACT (NCT03370939, a prospective multi-center registry study), problems and difficulties in the emergency work flow of acute ischemic stroke care in China have been identified, such as inadequate pre-hospital notification, delay of in-hospital diagnosis and treatment, difficulty in treatment consent, lack of professional training of endovascular treatment,etc., especially in the delay of in-hospital diagnosis and treatment. ANGEL-ACT II is a cluster randomized, parallel controlled study. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of multi-modal medical quality improvement measures on the delay of hospital-level emergency work flow of acute ischemic stroke management as well as its impact on patient prognosis. The interventional measures include emergency work flow management app on smartphone, specialized training, assessment of quality improvement outcomes and feedback on a regular basis.

Background and Rationale: Cerebrovascular disease is always ranked at the top causes of death and most of hospitalized acute stroke patients have ischemic stroke [1]. Although the mortality rate of acute ischemic stroke is less than that of hemorrhagic stroke [1], it still results in patient disabilities and complications that often lead to significant costs to individuals, families, and society. Traditional treatment for acute ischemic stroke includes thrombolytic therapy by injecting tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) within three hours after onset of symptoms [2], antiplatelets and/or anticoagulant agents administered within the first 48 hours. Clinically, the narrow time window of thrombolytic therapy and coexisting contraindications limit the use of t-PA [2]. Thus, searching for an effective supplemental treatment for acute ischemic stroke is imperative. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is valuable in treating acute carbon monoxide poisoning [3,4], air or gas embolism [5], facilitating wound healing [6] and has been used as an adjuvant treatment for many neurological disorders that need further study as concussion [7] , stroke [8,9], cerebral palsy [ 10],traumatic brain injury [ 11], cerebral air embolism [12], Autism [13] and multiple sclerosis [14]. Indications of hyperbaric oxygen therapy recommended by undersea and hyperbaric medical society (UHMS) [15] are 1.air or gas embolism [5], 2.carbon monoxide poisoning [3,4], 3.clostridial myositis and myonecrosis [16], 4.crush injury, compartment syndrome and other acute traumatic ischemias [17], 5.decompression sickness [18], 6.arterial insufficiencies [19], 7.severe anemia [20], 8.intracranial abscess [21], 9.necrotizing soft tissue infections [22],10. refractory osteomyelitis [23], 11.delayed radiation injury [24], 12.compromised grafts and flaps [25], 13.acute thermal burn injury [26] and 14.idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss [27]. Known mechanisms of HBOT-induced neuroprotection include enhancing neuronal viability via increased tissue oxygen delivery to the area of diminished blood flow, reducing brain edema, and improving metabolism after ischemia [28,29]. Furthermore, a recent study performed on a rat suggested that upregulation of the expression of glial derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) might underlie the effect of HBOT [30]. The effectiveness of use of Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in human ischemic stroke is still controversial that need further evaluation.

Positioning of the patient with hyperacute large artery ischemic stroke (IS) is an important, yet understudied aspect of care that could impact the course of treatment and ultimately clinical outcome. Positioning with the head of bed (HOB) at 0-degree has been shown in small studies to increase cerebral blood flow across arterial occlusion in hyperacute large artery IS, leading to clinical improvement in stroke symptoms. However, this position is believed to increase the risk of aspiration pneumonia. In this randomised clinical trial, the investigators aim to evaluate whether use of 0-degree HOB positioning is associated with clinical stability in hyperacute IS. Investigators hypothesise that patients with large artery occlusions placed in a 0-degree HOB position will experience less early neurologic deterioration within the first 24 hours, than those in the 30-degree or more HOB elevation group. The study aims to confirm the safety of 0-degree-HOB positioning in a large, generalizable sample of hyperacute large artery IS patients. In this randomised trial, patients presenting to the study centers and eligible for intravenous thrombolysis, with (if presenting within 4.5 hours of symptom-onset) or without (presenting between 4.5 to 16 hours of symptom-onset) mechanical thrombectomy. Eligible patients would be randomised to either a zero-degree HOB or an HOB of 30-degree or more. Impact of HOB position on neurological status would be evaluated with serial NIHSS scores. Cerebral hemodynamics would be monitored by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. Validated criteria would be used to diagnose pneumonia. Functional outcome would be measured by modified Rankin scale (mRS) where the score of 0-2 describe good functional recovery. SPSS version 20 would be used to analyse the data. The trial would provide clinical and hemodynamic data to determine the optimal HOB position in patients with large artery acute ischemic stroke.

Rehabilitation after stroke improves motor functions by promoting plastic changes however, after completing standard rehabilitation, 50-60% of patients still exhibit some degree of motor impairment and require at least partial assistance in activities of day living. Therefore, the exploration of other approaches to promote recovery is compulsory. Non invasive brain stimulation and motor rehabilitation are thought to share similar mechanisms in inducing neuroplastic changes in the human cortex and an emerging field of research is focusing on the possibility of coupling both therapies in order to achieve an additive effect and improve outcome. We hypothesize that coupling bihemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with simultaneous physical/occupational therapy in the subacute phase of ischemic stroke patients may improve upper limb motor recovery in humans. This is a randomized, controlled, double blind, cross-over, multicentre, clinical trial. Thirty-six ischemic stroke patients in the subacute phase will be recruited in three centers of neurorehabilitation in Switzerland. After stratification based on the Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity according to the severity of the deficit, the patient will be randomized to receive besides standardized physical/occupational treatment according to the Impairment-Oriented Training, tDCS of themotor cortex (1.5 mA, 30 minutes) (group 1: 12 patients) or sham stimulation (without current) (group 2: 12 patients). After three weeks of treatment group 1 and 2 will cross-over and will be treated for other three weeks. Group 3 (12 patients) will receive routine physical/occupational treatment and sham tDCS for six weeks. Assessment will be performed before starting tDCS, at week 3, 6 and at 6 months. Outcome measures are the Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity, the extended Barthel Index, the Ashworth scale, the Test of Upper Limb Apraxia (only baseline, week 6, month6), the grip strength evaluated by the Jamar Hydraulic Hand dynamometer. At baseline at week 6 and at month 6 depression will be assessed by the Hamilton depression Rating Scale.

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) affects over 700,000 Americans every year and is the leading cause of long-term disability. Early neurological deterioration after AIS typically occurs within 72 hours of stroke onset and affects 30% of all stroke patients, who have a higher rate of death or poor outcome. Several mechanisms account for early neurological deterioration, including hemorrhagic conversion, systemic illness, cerebral edema, and seizure, but the most common cause is extension of the stroke into the "penumbra," a region of salvageable brain tissue surrounding the core of irreversible ischemic infarct. The penumbra is tenuously perfused by collateral blood vessels. AIS management is primarily focused on recanalizing the occluded artery causing the stroke, but an alternative and relatively unexplored approach is optimization of collateral blood flow. Over 60% of AIS patients present with a transient acute hypertensive response, which is theorized to be the result of either increased sympathoadrenal tone, poorly controlled underlying hypertension, or an unknown stroke-specific mechanism related to augmenting cerebral perfusion through collateral blood flow. Epidemiological data suggests worse stroke outcomes are associated with extremes of sustained hypo- or hypertension, which has led to dozens of clinical trials involving over 20,000 patients to determine if pharmacologically lowering blood pressure after AIS is beneficial. The results have been persistently neutral or negative. In contrast, there have been no major clinical trials on the efficacy of using vasopressor medications to maintain or increase baseline blood pressure after AIS, despite promising preclinical data and pilot studies that showed no increase in cerebral hemorrhage or edema. The only randomized trial of vasopressor use after AIS demonstrated an improvement in clinical outcomes, but there was no difference in mean blood pressure between the control and intervention arms, suggesting the beneficial effect was not exclusively related to induced hypertension. One possibility is that the vasopressor reduced blood pressure variability, which preliminary data has shown to be detrimental after AIS, although that aspect of neurovascular coupling has not been adequately studied in the acute phase after AIS. The reliance on IV vasopressors, which are only administered in the intensive care unit, is a fundamental limitation of prior research. An alternative, but untested, approach is to use the oral vasopressor midodrine hydrochloride. We hypothesize that frequent midodrine dosing after AIS can optimize collateral blood flow and help salvage the ischemic penumbra. The objective of this study is to develop tools to quantify midodrine's effect on blood pressure and the ischemic penumbra.

To analyze the real situation of intravenous thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke in China