Neuroprotective Therapy For Stroke And Ischemic Disease

A critical and comprehensive look at current state-of-the-art scientific and translational research being conducted internationally, in academia and industry, to address new ways to provide effective treatment to victims of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke and other ischemic diseases. Currently stroke can be successfully treated through the administration of a thrombolytic, but the therapeutic window is short and many patients are not able to receive treatment. Only about 30% of patients are "cured" by available treatments. In 5 sections, the proposed volume will explore historical and novel neuroprotection mechanisms and targets, new and combination therapies, as well as clinical trial design for some of the recent bench-side research.

The brain is the most complex organ in our body. Indeed, it is perhaps the most complex structure we have ever encountered in nature. Both structurally and functionally, there are many peculiarities that differentiate the brain from all other organs. The brain is our connection to the world around us and by governing nervous system and higher function, any disturbance induces severe neurological and psychiatric disorders that can have a devastating effect on quality of life. Our understanding of the physiology and biochemistry of the brain has improved dramatically in the last two decades. In particular, the critical role of cations, including magnesium, has become evident, even if incompletely understood at a mechanistic level. The exact role and regulation of magnesium, in particular, remains elusive, largely because intracellular levels are so difficult to routinely quantify. Nonetheless, the importance of magnesium to normal central nervous system activity is self-evident given the complicated homeostatic mechanisms that maintain the concentration of this cation within strict limits essential for normal physiology and metabolism. There is also considerable accumulating evidence to suggest alterations to some brain functions in both normal and pathological conditions may be linked to alterations in local magnesium concentration. This book, containing chapters written by some of the foremost experts in the field of magnesium research, brings together the latest in experimental and clinical magnesium research as it relates to the central nervous system. It offers a complete and updated view of magnesiums involvement in central nervous system function and in so doing, brings together two main pillars of contemporary neuroscience research, namely providing an explanation for the molecular mechanisms involved in brain function, and emphasizing the connections between the molecular changes and behavior. It is the untiring efforts of those magnesium researchers who have dedicated their lives to unraveling the mysteries of magnesiums role in biological systems that has inspired the collation of this volume of work.

It often takes time for a new therapeutic modality to mature into an accepted treatment option. After initial approval, new drugs, devices, and procedures all go through this process until they become “vetted” by the scientific community as well as the medical community at large. Thrombolysis for treatment of stroke is no exception. Thrombolytic Therapy for Acute Stroke, Second Edition comes four years after the first edition and provides a very comprehensive, updated perspective on the use of intravenous rt-TPA in acute stroke. The authors provide longer term follow-up on the pivotal clinical trials that led to Food and Drug Administration approval, data concerning phase 4 trials in larger numbers of patients, and, most importantly, the community experience that has accumulated since its release. They add to this the latest promising information concerning intra-arterial thrombolysis, which is still under investigation and more speculative sections concerning possible new avenues of clinical research such as combining intravenous thr- bolysis with neuroprotective therapies or intra-arterial thrombolysis. A wealth of factual information is supplemented by chapters containing sage opinion from Drs. Lyden and Caplan concerning the logistical, economic, and procedural issues that have been generated since the advent of this technology. Importantly, diagnosis does not take a back seat to therapeutics as illustrated by sections devoted to eva- ation of the stroke patient, very useful illustrative cases and clinical comments, and chapters on the latest in imaging as applied to this field.

Highlighting concepts of brain ischemia, this book looks at the molecular mechanisms of its development leading to brain tissue changes and describes strategies of neuroprotective therapy. Coverage includes cellular reactions in response to acute focal brain ischemia, microglial activation and local inflammation in focal brain ischemia, programmed cell death, primary and secondary neuroprotection, gangliosides, and modern therapeutic approaches to acute focal brain ischemia. The authors are neurologists affiliated with the Russian State Medical University. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

This volume covers prevention and treatment options for both primary and secondary ischemic stroke; offers practical, scientific guidance on all aspects of patient care, including critical care management and rehabilitation; provides author recommendations where clinical answers are not yet clear; and discusses topics such as diagnostic evaluation of TIA and ischemic stroke, large vessel atherosclerosis, small vessel occlusive disease, ususual and cryptogenic etiologies of stroke, and emerging therapies.

Neuroprotection has been placed on a firm scientific basis during the past decade due to an improved understanding of the molecular basis of neurological diseases and the knowledge that treatment of neurological disorders should not be merely symptomatic but preventative against the progression of the underlying disease, as well as regenerative. The Handbook of Neuroprotection serves as a comprehensive review of neuroprotection based on knowledge of the molecular basis of neurological disorders. Neuroprotective effects of older, established drugs, as well as new drugs in development, are well documented in this detailed volume, featuring the most cutting-edge and innovative methods currently in use. In-depth and authoritative, The Handbook of Neuroprotection features a compendium of vital knowledge aimed at providing researchers with an essential reference for this key neurological area of study.

This book mainly discusses the current status of stroke transnational research and allows the reader to understand the interplay of common comorbidities in the stroke population such as diabetes and hypertension, and provides insight into stroke targets to promote cell survival, angiogenesis, neurogenesis, and most importantly, functional recovery after stroke. Throughout the world, stroke is still a leading cause of mortality and morbidity; each year approximately 15 million people worldwide suffer from stroke. Stroke is now the leading cause of death and disability in China. Large communities of stroke survivors are eagerly awaiting scientific advances in transnational stroke research that would offer neuroprotective therapeutics for acute stroke management, or rehabilitation and regenerative strategies utilizing novel stem cell-based approaches. While research is ongoing, the Editors have compiled this volume to help the further understanding of the pathophysiology of stroke and to review and identify future potential biomarkers. The book is written for students, researchers and physicians in neurosciences, neurology and neuroradiology.