Stroke News and Research

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A stroke is a medical emergency. Strokes happen when blood flow to your brain stops. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. There are two kinds of stroke. The more common kind, called ischemic stroke, is caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain. The other kind, called hemorrhagic stroke, is caused by a blood vessel that breaks and bleeds into the brain. "Mini-strokes" or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), occur when the blood supply to the brain is briefly interrupted.

Wnt signaling pathway plays an important role in early-onset dementia

No cure exists for frontotemporal dementia, which strikes between the ages of 40 and 64 and accounts for at least one in four cases of early-onset dementia. Caused by the death of cells in the front and sides of the brain, the disease can lead to dramatic changes in a patient's personality and behavior, including the loss of the ability to communicate.

22 Sep 2011

InSightec's ExAblate Neuro system may treat chronic brain disorders

InSightec Ltd., the global leader in MR guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) technology, announced today that its investigational ExAblate(R) Neuro system has been used in clinical studies to treat 30 patients suffering from chronic neurological disorders.

22 Sep 2011

Scientists discover 10 types of unique proteins in patients with stroke or heart attack

A simple blood test is all it could take to tell if you are going to have a heart attack or stroke. A team of international scientists have discovered more than 10 types of unique proteins which are commonly present in the blood of a person who recently suffered a stroke or heart attack.

22 Sep 2011

HRPR before PCI procedures linked to increased risk of ischemic event in ACS patients

Among patients with acute coronary syndromes undergoing a procedure such as angioplasty, those who received platelet function tests before receiving antithrombotic therapy to determine appropriate clopidogrel dosing and who had high residual platelet reactivity were at an increased risk of an ischemic event at short- and long-term follow-up of up to 2 years, according to a study in the September 21 issue of JAMA.

21 Sep 2011

Free public lecture to reveal new insights into brain cells linked with stroke, cerebral palsy

A free public lecture at the University of Leicester is to discuss how the white matter of the brain could be the key to understanding and treating brain disorders - not grey matter as previously thought.

21 Sep 2011

Tips for recognizing stroke symptoms

Drs. Savita Khanna and Cameron Rink, both assistant professors of surgery in the College of Medicine at The Ohio State University Medical Center are part of a research team that has been working for more than a decade to identify ways to reduce brain injury during stroke.

21 Sep 2011

Depression may increase risk of stroke and death

An analysis of nearly 30 studies including more than 300,000 patients finds that depression is associated with a significantly increased risk of developing stroke and dying from stroke, according to an article in the September 21 issue of JAMA.

21 Sep 2011

Researchers identify 16 new genetic variations that affect blood pressure

High blood pressure is a well-known risk factor for heart disease. Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have participated in an international study of 200,000 Europeans which has identified 16 new genetic variations that affect blood pressure. The discovery, presented in Nature, is an important step towards better diagnostics and treatment.

20 Sep 2011

People with diabetes more likely to develop dementia

People with diabetes appear to be at a significantly increased risk of developing dementia, according to a study published in the September 20, 2011, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

20 Sep 2011

Neurocritical Care Society announces comprehensive set of guidelines on brain aneurysms

The Neurocritical Care Society is releasing a comprehensive set of guidelines this week to guide physicians and hospitals on how to optimally care for patient's ruptured brain aneurysms. One of the strongest recommendations is that all patients receive specialized care at high-volume stroke centers that treat at least 60 cases per year.

20 Sep 2011

ESC urges European heads of state to prevent chronic non-communicable diseases

The European Society of Cardiology, through the European Chronic Disease Alliance (ECDA), has urged European heads of state "to show leadership" and long-term commitment to the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases at today's "high level meeting" of the UN General Assembly in New York.

19 Sep 2011

NeuroVive, Selcia sign research collaboration agreement to develop new mitochondrial drugs

UK-based contract research organisation Selcia Limited and Swedish drug development company NeuroVive Pharmaceutical AB have signed a significant research collaboration agreement to develop new medicines and drug compounds targeting mitochondrial physiology and pathophysiology.

19 Sep 2011

Researchers show how protein fortilin promotes growth of cancer cells

Researchers have shown for the first time that the protein fortilin promotes growth of cancer cells by binding to and rendering inert protein p53, a known tumor suppressor. This finding by researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch may lead to treatments for a range of cancers and atherosclerosis, which p53 also helps prevent, and appears in the current print issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

17 Sep 2011

Advocates ramp up efforts to protect Medicaid from 'super committee' trims

State Medicaid directors as well as patient and consumer advocates are detailing the harms that would result from various Medicaid changes under discussion.

16 Sep 2011

Combination of prasugrel plus ASA can treat acute coronary syndrome

In order to better prevent blood clots, the drugs clopidogrel or prasugrel can be prescribed to patients with acute ischaemia of the heart muscle, in addition to acetylsalicylic acid.

16 Sep 2011

New report finds improvements in hospital performance

Meanwhile, Reuters reports on the quality of weekend care at stroke centers and nursing homes are trying to reduce their use of powerful antipsychotic drugs for patients with dementia.

16 Sep 2011

JCPT publishes 'The Need for Increased Utilization of Statins After Occlusive Stroke' study

Charles H. Hennekens, M.D., DrPH, the first Sir Richard Doll Research Professor of Medicine in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University has published a clinical study in the current issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics (JCPT) titled "The Need for Increased Utilization of Statins After Occlusive Stroke."

15 Sep 2011

Telestroke appears to be cost-effective for rural hospitals

In a first of its kind study, researchers have found that using two way audio-video telemedicine to deliver stroke care, also known as telestroke, appears to be cost-effective for rural hospitals that don't have an around-the-clock neurologist, or stroke expert, on staff.

15 Sep 2011

USC scientists explore motor memory to foster better rehabilitation for stroke patients

For the first time, scientists at USC have unlocked a mechanism behind the way short- and long-term motor memory work together and compete against one another.

14 Sep 2011

Toshiba to highlight Aquilion ONE CT system at ASER conference

Since fast and accurate detection of potential conditions in the head, chest and abdomen can save lives in a hospital's emergency department (ED), clinicians need cutting-edge CT technology to evaluate patients. To demonstrate the effectiveness of advanced CT imaging in the ED, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc., will highlight its Aquilion ONE CT system at the American Society of Emergency Radiology (ASER) conference, Sept. 14-17, 2011, in Miami.

14 Sep 2011