Active clinical trials for "Stroke"

We undertook the STROKE-CARD trial (NCT02156778) between 2014 and 2018 with follow-up until 2019 to evaluate the efficacy of the Post-Stroke disease-management program STROKE-CARD care. To further investigate the long-term efficacy of STROKE-CARD care all participants of the original trial will be invited for a Long-term in Person follow-up (3 - 6 years).

The aim of this trial is to investigate whether endovascular treatment can improve the 90-day functional outcome of acute large vessel occlusion in the posterior circulation.

Background: Recanalization strategies have radically changed the outcome in a significant part of stroke patients. The unpredictable occurrence of cerebral edema (CE) and hemorrhagic transformation (HT) are frequent events in patients affected by ischemic stroke, even when an effective vessel recanalization has been achieved. These complications, related with blood brain barrier (BBB) disruption, remain difficult to prevent or treat, and antagonize the beneficial effect of successful recanalization, leading to poor outcome. Aim: to shed light on the reperfusion injury biological bases, this study aims at evaluating the effects of circulating and imaging biomarkers in relation to CE and HT both in stroke patients and in a coherent murine stroke model. A close interaction between clinical and preclinical research could lead to a broader understanding of the results deriving from the individual lines of activity, allowing a deeper interpretation of the underlying phenomena. Methods: The clinical setting is a retrospective observational study enrolling consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke in the anterior circulation territory, treated with reperfusion therapies, at Careggi University Hospital in Florence (Italy) from October 1, 2015 to May 31, 2020. In this cohort, the investigators will apply a new approach to assess the presence of CE and HT after stroke in CT scans, through the quantification of anatomical distortion (AD) (induced by fluid extravasation in brain tissue) at 24 hours. A large panel of blood biomarkers related to inflammation, endothelial dysfunction , and fibrin resistance to lysis, will be measured as blood samples are taken from each patient before and 24 hours after thrombolysis or thrombectomy. The role of both AD and blood biomarkers as predictors of 3 months functional outcome, assessed by modified Rankin Scale (mRS), will be estimated. Using a translational approach the investigators will develop a new mouse model of light-induced occlusion/reperfusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) to better reproduce the human setting. Then, the investigators will assess functional impairment induced by stroke with and without recanalization at different time points and the investigators will assess through ex vivo experiments the insurgence of BBB alterations 24 hours after the lesion. Finally, the investigators will characterize the stroke volume and the inflammation one week after stroke.

The overall objective of the Stroke Minimization through Additive Anti-atherosclerotic Agents in Routine Treatment II (SMAART-II) is to deploy a hybrid study design to firstly, demonstrate the efficacy of a polypill (Polycap ®) containing fixed doses of antihypertensives, a statin, and antiplatelet therapy taken as two capsules, once daily orally in reducing composite vascular risk over 24 months vs. usual care among 500 recent stroke patients encountered at 12 hospitals in Ghana. Secondly, SMAART II seeks to develop an implementation strategy for routine integration and policy adoption of this polypill for post-stroke cardiovascular risk reduction in an under-resourced system burdened by suboptimal care and outcomes.

Verifying whether remote ischemic adaptation can reduce the occurrence of stroke related pneumonia in acute stroke patients within 24 hours of onset

This study is the first and largest secondary prevention trial about lipid-lowering therapy for acute ischemic stroke patients at high-risk of intracranial hemorrhage. The primary hypothesis of this study is: excessive reduction in serum lipid levels by intensive statin therapy in acute ischemic stroke patients with cerebral microbleeds can increase the risk of intracranial hemorrhage. This study will shed light on new clinical decisions regarding the long-term serum lipid management in these patients with dilemma in clinical practice.

Scientific Background: In secondary prevention of ischemic stroke, detection of atrial fibrillation (AFib) and subsequent anticoagulation therapy reduce the risk of recurrent stroke by approximately 60%. Prolonged electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring up to 6 months significantly increases detection of AFib in cryptogenic stroke. Wearables like smartwatches have recently been shown to adequately detect AFib in the general population. Thus, prolonged ECG monitoring after cryptogenic ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) using a smartwatch could lead to a reduction of recurrent stroke by prompting adequate anticoagulation therapy and may constitute a cost-effective, non-invasive, and broadly-available alternative to the current standard of care. Hypothesis: The investigators hypothesize that AFib detection via smartwatch in patients with cryptogenic TIA or ischemic stroke is accurate compared to an implantable event recorder. Methods: The investigators introduce a prospective, intraindividual-controlled, multicentre clinical study in patients with cryptogenic ischemic stroke or TIA. In addition to an implanted event recorder as indicated by clinical standard, included patients receive a smartwatch for detection of AFib. ECG-data from smartwatches will be continuously monitored by two independent cardiologists. As soon as AFib is confirmed, a doctoral appointment is set to evaluate start of anticoagulation. The follow-up period will be six months. The study consists of four study visits: a baseline visit, two phone visits at one and three months, and an end of trial visit at six months. Primary Objective: To compare smartwatch and event recorder based analysis for sensitivity and specificity of AFib detection per patient after six months

The GangTrainer GT I and the Lokomat have proven their effectiveness on stroke Patients, but a comparison on the same controlled study population has not been made so far. Aim of the study will not only be to establish which device will work better on acute, non ambulatory stroke Patients in terms of regain of gait ability and motor function, but also clinical matters, like the efficacy of the treatment period. As a result of the trial it should be highlighted which kind of therapy has to be suggested for Patients comparable to the study population. A significant better outcome of one device in regard to the other will suggest to use one device more than the other for future treatments.

The primary object of this study is to demonstrate the continued safety and performance of the PFx Closure System when utilized for patients with PFOs suffering from cryptogenic stroke, transient ischemic attack, migraine or decompression illness.

The CBI registry is a prospective, interdisciplinary, multimodal observational registry of patients with covert brain infarction. Methods: A standardized workup in analogy to manifest ischemic stroke including cerebral MRI, long-term rhythm monitoring (3 x 7 days ECG), echocardiography, laboratory work-up and risk factor assessment as well as noninvasive angiography of the cervical and intracranial arteries will be performed.