Abstract
Stroke is defined as rapidly developing clinical signs of focal (or global) disturbance of cerebral function, with symptoms lasting 24 h or longer or leading to earlier death, with no apparent cause other than of vascular origin. Transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is defined identically except that the symptoms and signs resolve within 24h [1]. There is no fundamental difference between a TIA and a stroke except for the duration. Stroke is therefore a syndrome with numerous symptoms and signs; it has different aetiologies and the prognosis can vary enormously. Disability may be considered by some to be a worse outcome than death since stroke can affect every aspect of normal life, from higher mental functions such as intelligence, personality and expression to more mundane tasks such as toileting, dressing and feeding. The extremely wide definition of stroke and the enormous variety of outcomes has made the conduct of clinical trials in stroke and the choice of outcome measures problematic. In spite of this, there is more information available from clinical trials to facilitate evidence-based practice in stroke than in any other neurological discipline. In this chapter, we discuss the major issues, problems and solutions derived from the most important multicentre trials of cerebrovascular disease.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.