Active clinical trials for "Stroke"

To investigate the efficacy and safety of multi-doses Compound Edaravone Injection versus Edaravone Injection for acute ischemic stroke patients; To provide evidence for the design of Compound Edaravone Injection Phase III trial.

Stroke is the leading case of neurologic swallow dysfunction, or dysphagia. Post stroke dysphagia is associated with approximately 50% increase in the rate of pneumonia diagnoses; aspiration pneumonia is the most common respiratory complication in all stroke deaths, accounting for a three-fold increase in the 30-day post stroke death rate. The long-term goal of this systematic line of research is to decrease the morbidity, mortality, and health care costs associated with disordered airway protection following stroke. The overall hypothesis central to this proposal is that the ability to protect the airway is dependent upon a continuum of multiple behaviors, including swallowing and cough. Safe, efficient swallowing prevents material from entering the larynx and lower airway, and effective cough ejects aspirate or mucus material. Currently, only one end of the continuum, swallowing, is rigorously assessed in stroke patients. However, ineffective or disordered cough is indicative of the inability to eject aspirate material or clear mucus and secretions from the lower airway. Ineffective clearance and subsequent accumulation of material in the lower airway increases the risk of chest infection. Hence, patients at the greatest risk for chest infection would not only have disordered swallowing (dysphagia) but also disordered cough (dystussia), meaning they are more likely to aspirate material and then cannot effectively eject the aspirate from the airway. There is a high likelihood that swallowing and cough are simultaneously disordered following stroke. To date, there is a treatment that targets both swallowing and cough function in stroke patients. Expiratory muscle strength training (EMST) increases expiratory muscle strength (Baker et al., 2005) and there is evidence that supports its use to improve both swallow and cough functions in patients with Parkinson's disease (Troche et al., in press). This cross-system, device-driven approach to rehabilitating multiple contributors to airway protection deficits is highly desirable in the stroke population due to the likelihood of the co-occurrence of both swallow and cough disorders. To date, EMST has not been tested in stroke patients. We propose that by including cough in the screening, evaluation and treatment processes for disorders of airway protection, we will be able to better identify and treat patients most at risk for airway compromise and associated sequelae.

The stroke as cerebrovascular disease is the leading cause of permanent neurological disability and the third death in the Western world. Their affected often have motor and sensory disturbances in the form of hemiparesis with a possible influence on the balance be altered trunk muscles, important components of postural control. The treatment of stroke, covers a wide range of different strategies and approaches physiotherapy, including, specific exercises on the trunk called "core stability", performed by the patient with the help and supervision of a physiotherapist specializing in neurology, that are based on coordination, motor and proprioceptive work, especially the lumbar-pelvic. The effectiveness of these last years has been demonstrated empirically, but until now there is no sufficient evidence of the effects of these exercises on sitting balance in respect, and standing up in the subacute phase post-stroke patients. To prove the evidence raises a randomized, multicenter, blinded and where the evaluator will not participate in the analysis and processing is done by intention to treat. Patients will be divided into two groups: control (usual physiotherapy center made ) and experimental (made also 15 minutes workout "core stability"). The intervention will have a frequency of 5 days a week for 5 weeks and up to 12 weeks. The expected effect is that the experimental group patients develop better postural control at the trunk and this influences the balance in sitting, standing and walking.

Task-oriented exercises combined with strengthening have been shown effective in improving walking functions in patients with chronic stroke. However, similar approaches of therapeutic exercises have not been applied to subacute stroke with long-term follow-up, using outcome measures across the three levels of functioning (body functions/structure, activities, and participation) of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) model. Therefore, this study will be conducted to fulfill three purposes: To investigate the long-term effects of a four-week task-oriented lower extremity strengthening training (TOLEST) program in patients with subacute stroke; To investigate the interrelationships among functional connectivity of the brain, lower extremity motor functions, physical activity level, and quality of life in patients with stroke who have received this four-week TOLEST program in the subacute phase of stroke; and To identify prognostic factors for recovery in functional connectivity of the brain, lower extremity motor functions, physical activity level, and quality of life in patients with stroke who have received this four-week TOLEST program in the subacute phase of stroke.

The aim of this study is to investigate whether a 4-week physical fitness training (target intervention) in stroke patients (subacute stage) increase the walking speed and activities of daily living compared with a control intervention (relaxation exercises). The target or control intervention is performed in addition to standard rehabilitation treatment.

This pilot study intends to evaluate whether stroke patients can complete ballistic strength exercises for thirty minutes, three times per week over a six week training period in addition to their existing rehabilitation program. It will evaluate whether using ballistic training principles, is superior in improving mobility compared with usual care exercises to improve mobility and leg strength in stroke patients. In this study there will be 15 participants per group, a total of 30 participants. The control group will receive usual care consistent with existing rehabilitation practice and literature. The experimental group will perform task specific strength training in a ballistic fashion.

The primary objective of the study is to determine whether one 300 mg dose of intravenous (IV) natalizumab reduces change in infarct volume from Baseline to Day 5 on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in participants with acute ischemic stroke when given at ≤6 hours or at >6 to ≤9 hours from when they were last known normal (LKN). The secondary objectives of this study in this study population are as follows: to assess the efficacy of natalizumab on change in infarct volume from Baseline to Day 30; to assess efficacy of natalizumab on change in infarct volume from 24 hours to Day 5 and Day 30; to assess the efficacy of natalizumab on clinical measures of stroke outcome; to assess the safety of natalizumab in participants with acute ischemic stroke.

Study objective To evaluate the effect of robotic-assisted gait training combined with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as compared to that of robotic-assisted gait training on gait function of chronic stroke patients Subjects chronic stroke patients with gait impairment Methods Group 1: Robotic-assisted gait training with anodal tDCS (45 min) Group 2: Robotic-assisted gait training with sham tDCS (45 min) Duration of treatment: 2 weeks, 5 times a week Evaluation: Baseline, 1 day after the treatment, 4 weeks after the treatment

Stroke is the leading cause of physical disability, particularly due to the presence of spasticity. Different needling techniques, including the use of Botulinum Toxin A are proposed for the management of spasticity. The presence of spasticity in the lower extremity implies several impairments for standing and walking inducing high disability. No study has investigated the effects of deep dry needling inserted into the targeted spastic musculature in patients with stroke. The investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of a single session of deep dry needling over the musculature of the leg on spasticity, widespread pressure pain sensitivity and plantar pressures (baropodometry) in individuals with chronic stroke. The investigators hypothesize that patients receiving a single session of dry needling would exhibit a greater reduction in spasticity and pressure sensitivity than those who will not receive the intervention.

This trial will be a phase 2 randomized safety study in which ischemic stroke patients will be randomly assigned within 24 hours of symptom onset to placebo or standard dose lovastatin versus short-term high-dose lovastatin 640 mg per day for 3 days. The primary outcome of this Phase 2 study will be musculoskeletal and hepatic toxicity, defined by clinical and laboratory criteria, with a 3-month follow-up period (± 1 week). Secondary outcomes will include neurological outcome (National Institute of Health (NIH) Stroke Scale), functional outcomes (Barthel Index), and handicap (modified Rankin scores). Effects on inflammatory markers and lipid levels will also be assessed.