Active clinical trials for "Stroke"

The AXIS study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalating phase IIa trial to investigate treatment with AX200 (granulocyte-colony stimulating factor; G-CSF) for acute ischemic stroke. The primary objective of the present phase IIa study is to assess the safety and tolerability of AX200 compared to placebo in subjects suffering from acute stroke. The secondary objective is to assess the effect of AX200 on subject outcome in comparison to placebo.

This study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of two types of blood thinners, abciximab (ReoPro) and reteplase (Retavase) for restoring normal brain blood flow after ischemic stroke (stroke resulting from a blood clot in the brain). The only therapy approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke is the clot buster drug rt-PA. This treatment, however, is effective only if begun within 3 hours of onset of the stroke and most patients do not get to the hospital early enough to benefit from it. There is thus a pressing need to develop effective stroke treatments that can be initiated more than 3 hours after onset. Patients between 18 and 80 years of age who have experienced a mild or moderate acute stroke between 3 and 24 hours before starting study drugs may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a physical examination, blood tests and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan (if an MRI was not done during the stroke evaluation). All participants will receive ReoPro. Some will also receive Retavase, which may boost the effectiveness of ReoPro. Retavase is administered in a single dose through a needle in the vein over 2 minutes. ReoPro is infused into the vein over 12 hours. Patients will be monitored with physical examinations, blood tests, computed tomography (CT) scans, and three or four MRI scans of the brain to evaluate both the response to treatment and side effects of the drugs. An MRI scan will be done 24 hours, 5 days and 30 days after starting the study medication, and possibly during screening for this study. CT involves the use of specialized x-rays to obtain images of the brain. The patient lies still in the scanner for a short time while the X-ray images are formed. MRI uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to demonstrate structural and chemical changes in tissue. MRI is more sensitive than x-ray in evaluating acute stroke. The patient lies on a table in a metal cylinder (the scanner) while the pictures are being taken. During part of the MRI, a medicine called gadolinium contrast is injected in a vein. This medicine brightens the images, creating better pictures of the blood flow.

We propose to develop and evaluate a workstation that significantly enhances the application of Constraint-Induced (CI) Therapy by automating and instrumenting several of the tasks currently used in the shaping training. The motivation for development of such a device is as follows: 1) Patients could receive CI therapy at home without the need for constant supervision from a therapist. Many veterans do not have the resources to travel to their local VAMC for the two or three week period required for the treatment. A home-based device would expand the pool of veterans who could receive CI therapy. 2) For subjects who were able to receive CI therapy in the clinic, this device would facilitate an effective post-treatment home-practice program. 3) Currently, patients are treated on a one-on-one basis in the clinic. This device could allow one therapist to treat 3 or 4 patients at one time, thereby substantially reducing the cost of the therapy. 4) This workstation would provide clear and comprehensive quantification of the progress of the treatment. This could indicate on which tasks the patient was progressing most and least rapidly, and would therefore enable effective modifications of the treatment plan while treatment was in progress. The hypothesis is that the positive outcomes of CI therapy can be achieved, and possibly enhanced, if the shaping training component is performed in a workstation that guides, motivates and records exercise of the more-affected limb. In the first 18 months, the workstation will be designed and fabricated. To expedite the design, we will rely on simple modifications to "off the shelf" components. In the last 18 months, a controlled, randomized, clinical trial will compare the effectiveness of automated CI therapy programs with standard CI therapy. The standard CI therapy group would receive shaping training in a clinical setting, one-on-one with a therapist. The clinic-based automated CI therapy group would perform the shaping training in the workstation, in a clinical setting and with minimal supervision. The home-based automated CI therapy group would perform the shaping training at home in the workstation, and with no direct supervision. All other aspects of the three treatment programs will be identical. At the end of this 3-year project, a device will have been designed, built and evaluated that could significantly enhance the application of CI therapy for chronic stroke patients.

The objective of this research is to test a passive shoe to correct gait in individuals with asymmetric walking patterns. This will be done in a clinic and within their own home. Individuals with central nervous system damage, such as stroke, often have irregular walking patterns and have difficulty walking correctly. Recent research has shown that using a split-belt treadmill can create after-effects that temporarily correct the inefficient walking patterns. However, the corrected walking pattern does not efficiently transfer from the treadmill to walking over ground. The iStride, formerly known as the Gait Enhancing Mobile Shoe (GEMS), may allow a patient to practice walking in many different locations, such as their own home, which we hypothesize will result in a more permanent transfer of learned gait patterns. To enable long-term use, our proposed shoe design is passive and uses the wearer's natural forces exerted while walking to generate the necessary motions.

Motor skill training and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have separately been shown to alter cortical excitability and enhance motor function in humans. Their combination is appealing for augmenting motor recovery in stroke patients, and this is an area presently under heavy investigation globally. The investigators have previously shown that the timing of tDCS application has functional significance, that tDCS applied prior to training can be beneficial for voluntary behavior, and that tDCS effects may not simply be additive to training effects, but may change the nature of the training effect. The investigators have separately reported in a randomized-controlled clinical trial, that upper limb robotic training alone over 12 weeks can improve clinical function of chronic stroke patients. Based on our results with tDCS and robotic training, the investigators hypothesize that the same repeated sessions of robotic training, but preceded by tDCS, would lead to a sustained and functional change greater than robotic training alone. The investigators will determine if clinical function can be improved and sustained with tDCS-robotic training and cortical physiology changes that underlie functional improvements.

Roughly 30% of stroke survivors experience spasticity, a velocity-dependent increase in stretch reflexes. In this pilot study, the investigators aimed to examine the effects of mindfulness meditation on spasticity and quality of life in individuals after stroke.

Should we prioritize thrombectomy or thrombolysis in acute stroke? Finding the answer to this question will improve treatment and outcome for stroke patients only by changing triage and transportation. And it will have implications for stroke patients around the world. The investigators propose a national investigator-driven, multi-center, randomised single-blinded clinical trial to investigate which treatment strategy is superior in patients with acute stroke and suspected large vessel occlusion (LVO): direct transport to a comprehensive stroke center for early endovascular therapy (EVT) or to a primary stroke center for early IV thrombolysis followed by secondary transport to a comprehensive stroke center for EVT if needed. Effective reperfusion therapy marks a new era within stroke medicine and has been driving major changes in the organization of care within the last decade. Timely thrombolysis and/or EVT in acute ischemic stroke is a key factor for improved outcome. Major stroke occur in 25% of all cases and is caused by LVO. Major strokes have approximately 60% risk of severe disability or death at three months if not treated. EVT is superior to thrombolysis in strokes caused by a LVO, but EVT is only performed in specialized centers due to the complexity of the treatment and need for skilled neurointerventionalists. A simple stroke severity score has been developed, that can identify most patients with LVO in the pre-hospital setting. This enables selection of patients with a suspected LVO to be transported without delay directly to a comprehensive stroke center for EVT while potentially bypassing a nearer primary stroke center for IV-thrombolysis. Study results will have major impact of future acute stroke treatment and organization.

The advantage of the EMG-driven exoskeletons is that patient's own muscle power known as Residual Muscle Power is used to move the extremity while many other robotic devices work and drive impaired limb based on machine directed force. However, it is not clear which group of patients are suitable for EMG driven exoskeletons use and there has not been any established treatment protocol. The aims of the study are 1- to investigate the effectiveness of the EMG-driven exoskeleton for hand rehabilitation in patients with acute stroke. 2- to understand which group of the patients may give the best response to the EMG-driven technology and how should be the treatment protocol designed.

Study hypothesis: The DNHS technique, performed via one session of deep dry needling of myofascial trigger points applied to the biceps brachii, brachialis, flexor digitorum superficialis, flexor digitorum profundus, triceps brachii, extensor digitorum and adductor pollicis muscle is effective for decreasing spasticity and muscle stiffness (both of which are components of hypertonia) as well as for improving the upper limb function of the previously described muscles in patients with chronic cerebral vascular accident (CVA), assessed both post-intervention and after 15 days. General aims To analyse the immediate therapeutic effect of the DNHS technique and the effect at 15 days follow-up, for the following variables: Spasticity Muscle stiffness Upper limb function Patient perceived quality of life Materials and methods Population: patients from the province of Zaragoza (Spain) diagnosed with a haemorrhagic or ischemic CVA by a neurologist. Recruitment strategy: recruitment will take place via the Stroke Association in Aragon (AIDA) [Aragon Stroke Association] in the province of Zaragoza, Spain, seeing as the greater proportion of patients who have suffered a stroke and are in the chronic stage of the illness go to this centre to receive treatment. Thus, this avoids patients having to travel elsewhere for the study. Furthermore, in the case of patients who wish to participate in the study after having received information via third persons or via other means and who are not members of the Association or do not attend the centre on a regular basis, the Association AIDA has offered to allow these people to attend for free, making its facilities available and supporting the development of this study.

Investigators aimed to compare the results of rehabilitation with an exoskeleton device(Robogait) and with an end-effector device(Lokohelp)