Clinical Research Directory

Early Identification and Diagnosis of BAD-related Stroke

Branch atheromatous disease (BAD)-related stroke is an important subtype of acute ischemic stroke involving penetrating arteries and is associated with early neurological deterioration. Early recognition and standardized diagnosis remain challenging in routine clinical practice because clinical symptoms are often non-specific and the diagnosis requires integrated clinical and imaging assessment. This multicenter prospective observational study will collect demographic, clinical, laboratory, electrocardiographic, ultrasound, and multimodal neuroimaging data from adults with acute ischemic stroke within 1 week of symptom onset. Participants will receive routine clinical care determined by their treating physicians; no treatment or management strategy will be assigned by the study protocol. An independent central clinical-imaging adjudication committee will classify participants as BAD-related stroke or non-BAD acute ischemic stroke according to predefined diagnostic criteria. The study aims to develop and externally validate artificial intelligence-assisted screening and diagnostic models for BAD-related stroke and to evaluate their discrimination, calibration, and potential clinical utility.

Efficacy and Safety of Tirofiban for Patients With BAD (BRANT)

Branch atheromatous disease (BAD)-related stroke, characterized by subcortical single infarcts without severe stenosis of the large artery, but with a clear atherosclerotic mechanism, is now regarded as a separate stroke type. BAD is associated with early neurological deterioration and poor prognosis, but is lack of effective therapy. The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to test the efficacy and safety of intravenous tirofiban in patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by branch atheromatous disease. The main question it aims to answer is: Compared with standard antiplatelet therapy based on current stroke guideline, whether tirofiban used in acute phase of BAD could improve the proportion of excellent functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale: 0-1) at 90 days. Researcher will also compare the rate of major bleeding between treatment and control groups.