One of the most challenging things about the gold standard for stroke treatment, the drug tPA, is that to most effectively prevent long-term brain damage, it has to be given within three hours of stroke onset. A New Mexico drug startup called Zocere isnt trying to replace tPA, but rather to act as a protector to neurons in the brain during stroke. We see an opportunity for a vial of our product to sit on an ambulance or in an emergency room to protect the neurons until treatment can be given, said Wayne Laslie, president and CEO of Zocere. Between 80 and 90 percent of strokes are caused by blood clots that interrupt blood flow to the brain. tPA, the only FDA-approved drug for stroke, dissolves that clot and restores blood flow to the brain. But its used cautiously by medical professionals, as breaking down clots can cause damaging bleeding into the brain. Zoceres goal is to protect neurons from both potential sources of injury from oxygen and glucose deprivation caused by the clot and from rapid reperfusion when that clot breaks up. The injectable drug its developing is a derivative of a naturally occurring enzyme in the brain called … Continue reading →

A University of Illinois at Chicago researcher will test whether brain stimulation combined with gait training can improve patients' ability to walk after a stroke, under a $1.5 million grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. "After a stroke, almost 60 percent of people are not able to walk independently in their community -- and there are currently six million stroke survivors in the U. S.," says Sangeetha Madhavan, assistant professor of physical therapy and director of UIC's Brain Plasticity Lab. "Even when they can walk, they are often really slow and are not fast enough to cross a road safely before the pedestrian lights change. "Improving their ability to walk would have an enormous impact on their quality of life." Madhavan and her coworkers study how the brain changes in response to stroke, and how to tap into the brain's potential to help in a functional recovery. Scientists approach rehabilitation in different ways, she said, but most commonly with a kind of bottom-up approach, by training muscles and re-teaching walking, and then hoping that the brain will relearn how to control those functions. Madhavan's approach is top-down, dynamically stimulating the brain to make it more … Continue reading →

However new research published in the journal Stroke, from the American Heart Association, found that reducing delays by just a few minutes could lead to big gains. Researchers said that across the entire sample of more than 2,200 people "each 15 minute decrease in treatment delay provided an average equivalent of one month of additional disability-free life." "'Save a minute, save a day' is the message from our study, which examined how even small reductions in treatment delays might benefit patients measurably in the long run, said Dr Atte Meretoja, lead author of the study and associate professor of neurology at the University of Melbourne. "Clot-busting treatment works equally well, irrespective of race, ethnicity or gender. "Speedy restoration of blood flow to the brain is crucial for brain cell survival everywhere." Data for July to September 2013 shows that it took an average of two hours and 25 minutes for stroke victims in England to receive clot-busting drugs from the onset of their symptoms. The typical time it took from a patient arriving at hospital to receiving the drugs was 59 minutes. However in Helsinki, Finland and Australia the average time is just 20 minutes from hospital arrival to start … Continue reading →

CCFES Chief Landry Merkison RIVERDALE Clayton County Fire and Emergency Services is one of a handful of providers participating in a pilot program to provide faster treatment of stroke victims. The department will partner with Southern Regional Medical Center in the Coverdell Stroke Initiative to educate the community and ensure faster, more effective treatment to those experiencing a stroke. The program is named for the late U.S. Sen. Paul Coverdell, a Republican from Georgia who died in 2000 following a massive stroke. Fire Chief Landry Merkison said the selection is an achievement for Clayton County. This is a great honor for Clayton County Fire and Emergency Services and one that our elected officials and citizens can be proud of, he said. Clayton County employs the best firefighters, EMTs and paramedics in the state and this is indicative of their hard work and dedication to the citizens of this county. The department and hospital will play a vital role collecting data in the early treatment of stroke victims, said Merkison. The initiative hopes to improve the care of acute stroke patients in the hospital setting. Southern Regional is one of the first hospitals in the Southern Crescent to be named as … Continue reading →