Using ultrasound in combination with the drug t-PA can improve response to an ischemic stroke, according to a study involving 126 patients. This first-of-its-kind human trial compared the safety and efficacy of ultrasound and t-PA versus use of t-PA alone. The trial was funded in part by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The finding appears in the November 18, 2004, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Since 1996, the clot-busting drug t-PA (tissue plasminogen activator) has been the only FDA-approved therapy for acute ischemic stroke. Previous studies have shown that t-PA, when administered within 3 hours of onset of ischemic stroke, can greatly improve a patient's chance for a full recovery. t-PA cannot be used to treat the less common hemorrhagic stroke.

Researchers wanted to test the effectiveness of using transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) in combination with t-PA, and to ensure that ultrasound did not cause bleeding into the brain. Utrasound is a safe, non-invasive, FDA-approved diagnostic test that uses sound waves to measure blood flow velocity in large arteries. An international team led by Andrei Alexandrov, M.D., associate professor of neurology at the University of Texas-Houston School of Medicine, examined 126 patients who suffered an ischemic stroke. All patients received intravenous t-PA within 3 hours of stroke onset. The 63 patients in the control group received t-PA alone, while the other 63 patients received t-PA in combination with continuous TCD monitoring that started shortly before the patients received the drug. A small device attached to a head frame was used to deliver the ultrasound.

Results showed that 49 percent of patients who received continuous ultrasound and t-PA showed dramatic clinical improvement and little or no blockage within 2 hours after therapy began compared to 30 percent who recei
'"/>

Contact: Margo Warren or Paul Girolami
pg100b@nih.gov
301-496-5751
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
17-Nov-2004

Page: 1 2 3
Related medicine news :

1. Study shows patch therapy may be as effective as oral medications
2. Novel therapy tested in mice could chase away cat allergies
3. Drug therapy may be comparable to invasive cardiac procedures for elderly patients with heart attack
4. Risk of cardiac death after radiotherapy for breast cancer has declined, study finds
5. Antiretroviral therapy may prevent excess risk of some cancers in people with HIV
6. Bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy prolongs survival for some patients with advanced lung cancer
7. Breakthrough in medical research: New chemotherapy gives hope to brain tumour patients
8. Two years after gene therapy treatments, severe angina patients showed prolonged clinical benefit
9. Combining PET and CT scans leads to more accurate radiation therapy for lung cancer patients
10. Cognitive behavioral therapy and medication is effective in the treatment of panic disorder
11. Study finds drug eluting stents as effective as vascular brachytherapy in preventing restenosis