Clinical Research Directory

Intra-arterial Methylprednisolone After Endovascular Thrombectomy

The purpose of IMPACT-LVO trial is to investigate the efficacy and safety of early adjunctive intra-arterial combined with intravenous administration methylprednisolone sodium succinate after successful endovascular thrombectomy in anterior circulation large vessel occlusion patients. This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Acute ischemia stroke patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion within 24 hours from last known well will be screened for this trial. Successful recanalization after mechanical thrombectomy (eTICI 2b-3) patients will be randomized 1:1 to either methylprednisolone sodium succinate group or placebo group. The methylprednisolone sodium succinate group patients will receive intra-arterial methylprednisolone sodium succinate 40mg immediately after the recanalization. Then, intravenous administration with methylprednisolone sodium succinate 2mg/kg in the next 3 days. The placebo group patients will receive intra-arterial and intravenous sterile water for injection. The shift on modified Rankin Scale score is designed to detect in the present trial. A sample size of n = 178 patients (n=89 per group) is required. The intention-to-treat principle will be applied to the primary analysis, therefore, to safeguard against dilution of the treatment effect associated with an approximate 15% non-adherence rate (due to loss to follow-up, consent withdrawal and other reasons), we planned to enrol n=210 patients (n=105 per group) for this study. The findings of IMPACT-LVO are likely to have a direct impact on clinical practice.

Minocycline in Stroke Study at Maimonides

The goal of this study is to determine if Minocycline, when added to standard care, can improve survival and functional outcomes in patients with moderate acute stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic) aged 18 years and older. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does Minocycline improve \*National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale\* (NIHSS) scores at hospital discharge and 90 days post-stroke? 2. Does Minocycline reduce stroke-related disability, all-cause in hospital mortality (mRS -\*Modified Rankin Scale\* = 6) and at 90 days besides reducing brain bleeding complications compared to standard care? Researchers will compare patients receiving oral Minocycline plus standard care to those receiving standard care only to see if Minocycline leads to better neurological outcomes and lower mortality. Participants will: 1. Be randomly assigned by block to receive either: Minocycline 200 mg orally once daily for five days within 24 hours from symptoms onset + Standard Care, or Standard Care only 2. Undergo neurological assessments using NIHSS \*National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale\* and Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at admission, discharge, 30 days post-stroke, 90 days post-stroke 3. Be monitored for: a) hemorrhagic transformation of ischemic strokes; b) Adverse events and mortality outcomes; c) Safety and efficacy signals through interim analyses NIHSS: \*National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale\*, which is stroke severity scale, mRS: \*Modified Rankin Scale\*, which is stroke disability scale

Nursing Health Education to Improve Functionality and Quality of Life After Ischemic Stroke

This study is titled "Effect of a Nursing Intervention Based on Health Education on Functionality, Depression Symptoms, and Quality of Life in Patients with Ischemic Stroke." It is a quasi-experimental, longitudinal, prospective clinical trial that will beconducted with patients who have suffered an ischemic stroke and were treated in the neurology unit of the Lucus Augusti University Hospital, the same center where this study will take place. The primary objective of the study is to determine the effect of a nursing intervention based on health education on quality of life and depression symptoms in individuals who have experienced an ischemic stroke. To achieve this objective, variables such as cognitive status, depression symptoms, autonomy and ability to perform basic activities of daily living, neurological deficits, and quality of life will be assessed. Regarding the total number of subjects to be studied, according to the Stroke Atlas in Galicia published by the Spanish Society of Neurology in 2018, the autonomous community of Galicia had a population of 2,701,819 inhabitants. Applying an incidence rate of 187.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants according to the IBERICTUS study, an estimated 5,064 new stroke cases occur each year in Galicia. The province of Lugo had 324,842 inhabitants as of January 1, 2024, according to the INE; therefore, applying the same incidence rate, an estimated 609 new stroke cases occur per year. Considering the proportion of ischemic strokes compared to other types of strokes (80:20), the estimated number of ischemic stroke cases in Lugo would be 487. The representative sample size of stroke patients in the province of Lugo would be 70 patients, with 35 patients receiving the intervention and 35 serving as controls. Independent Variables: Sociodemographic: sex, age, event date. Clinical: stroke type, treatment modality (rt-PA or thrombectomy), falls, pain, pressure ulcers, aspiration, pneumonia, dysphagia, vital signs. Health education: received vs. not received. Dependent Variables: Cognitive status (MMSE). Depression symptoms (BDI). Autonomy and ADL performance (Barthel Index). Neurological deficits (NIHSS). Quality of life (European Quality of Life Scale). Instruments Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) Barthel Index NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) European Quality of Life Scale (EQLS)

Electroacupuncture-Induced Changes in Tongue Features in Early Stroke Patients Using ZMT-1A Imaging System

This prospective clinical study aims to evaluate changes in tongue characteristics before and after a four-week course of electroacupuncture in patients undergoing early rehabilitation following ischemic stroke. Electroacupuncture is widely used in Vietnam as part of traditional medicine-based stroke rehabilitation, yet few studies have objectively quantified its effects on tongue diagnosis. The study uses the ZMT-1A Tongue Imaging System, an automated diagnostic tool developed in China and currently used at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City. The system enables standardized tongue image acquisition and analysis of key features such as tongue body color, tongue shape, coating color, and coating texture. A total of 385 participants with confirmed ischemic stroke in the early recovery stage (from day 2 to 3 months post-stroke) will be recruited from three hospitals. Each participant will receive electroacupuncture treatment according to standardized protocols for 4 weeks. Tongue images will be collected before and after the intervention. The primary outcome is the change in tongue characteristics. Secondary outcomes include changes in functional status as measured by the Barthel Index and the correlation between tongue changes and functional improvement. This study aims to provide evidence for the clinical relevance of tongue diagnosis in stroke rehabilitation and to explore its role in monitoring treatment response to electroacupuncture.

Balloon-expandable DES for ICAS Registry Study (BDES-ICAS Registry)

To study the clinical outcomes after implantation of balloon-expandable drug-eluting stents in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis in prevention of composite event of any stroke and death within 30 days and ischemic stroke in the territories of the responsible artery from 31 days to 1-year.